Many drivers think they are in the right since these stickers specially designed for cars are on sale. However, this practice is illegal and the fine incurred is 135 euros.
In France, car stickers are widely used. On the roads, it is quite common to see motorists proudly displaying their regions or some of their hobbies using stickers. It must be said that we find them almost everywhere on sale, for all tastes and all prices. Once in their possession, drivers generally stick them to the back of their vehicle, either on their trunk or directly on their license plate.
One of the most common is the regional sticker. You have certainly already seen it, it is rectangular, adapts to the dimensions of the new license plates, and its design often represents the department number and the regional logo (Breton flag, PACA flag, Moor’s head of Corsica, etc). Once placed, it is even difficult to distinguish that it is an added element. A phenomenon which has increased since the change in the vehicle registration system (SIV) in 2009, which imposes a new registration format for all vehicles.
Indeed, from now on, new and used vehicles must have a unique number, which they keep for their entire life. This is composed of an alphanumeric series of two letters, a hyphen, three numbers, a second hyphen, then two letters. The new registration plates also display a mandatory “territorial identifier”, which includes the department number and the logo of the corresponding region.
With this new system, some motorists are tempted to modify this information by placing a sticker on it. In principle, “the vehicle owner can modify the ‘region – department’ identifiers at any time by changing the plates (…) at a professional”, explains the National Agency for Secure Titles (ANTS) on its site. But under no circumstances does he have the right to put a sticker.
According to a decree dated February 9, 2009, the law stipulates that “it is prohibited to modify registration plates or add an element to them.” The practice is therefore quite illegal. Therefore, in the event of an inspection, if you have a sticker dedicated to your region of heart or to your pet on your number plate, you risk a fourth class fine of 135 euros, which can go up to 750 euros in case of increase.