Pink License Plates Are Hitting The Roads: What Do They Mean?

You may have already come across it on the roads, a new color of bright pink license plate is now making its way around France. These plates concern new vehicles before final registration, those registered abroad awaiting French registration, or to indicate professionals carrying out road tests. Brief, all vehicles circulating with a provisional registration starting with the letters “WW”.

France thus joins the very exclusive club of countries with colored plates, after green for diplomats, red for temporary transit and black for classic vehicles. This time, pink was chosen for a simple reason: no other European country uses it. It is therefore difficult to confuse it with a foreign or definitive plate.

A response to a real fraud problem

The current system had a major flaw, the WW plates looked too similar to classic plates, which made it easier to abuse. Some motorists continued to drive well after their temporary authorization expired.

More than 400,000 vehicles each year inherit temporary plates valid for a maximum of four months. The catch is that the available WW suits are limited to around 522,000. The National Agency for Secure Titles (ANTS) therefore reassigns the same numbers every 14 months on average. A real administrative headache which leads to absurd situations where law-abiding motorists receive fines for offenses committed by the previous holder of their registration.

In 2023, France recorded 23,000 complaints for plate theft. These false plates sometimes fuel stolen vehicle concealment or organized crime networks. The initiative for these new plates comes from the 40 Million Motorists association, which worked hand in hand with the government to design this new device.

A plaque that speaks for itself

The new pink plates now display the expiry date (month and year) on the rightreplacing the traditional department number. No more need for law enforcement to consult computer files, a simple glance is enough to check if the vehicle is in order.

Thus, automatic radars can also more easily identify the correct owner in the event of a flash, which avoids verbalization errors. And for motorists who are unknowingly driving with an expired plate, the clearly visible date serves as a constant reminder.

Automotive professionals are also affected by this reform. The W garage plate, reserved for mechanics, dealers and bodybuilders, also turns pink to prevent misuse.

And the old white plates in all this?

Don’t panic if you still have a white WW plate. Professionals benefit from a tolerance in the first quarter of 2026 to sell off their stocks of white plates ordered before the change. The last white plates having been issued until December 31, 2025, they can legally circulate until the end of April 2026 at the latest.

For individuals, no additional costs are expected, the manufacturing Price remains the same. If you Buy a new or imported car in early 2026, the professional will automatically provide you with the new compliant plateno specific action is necessary on your part.

This reform is a continuation of the modernization of the registration system begun in 2021. The Senate is closely monitoring its deployment, aware of the dysfunctions which sometimes paralyze the market for imported vehicles. So the next time you come across a pink plaque on the road, you’ll know exactly what it means.