Editing Postal codes in France (section)

==Format==
[[File:2 digit postcode france.png|thumb|Two-digit postcode areas of metropolitan France (defined through the first two postcode digits)]]
The [[postal code]] ({{Langx|fr|code postal}}) consists of five digits. In [[metropolitan France]] the first two digits are the number of the ''[[département]]'' where the post office in charge of delivery to a town is located. There are some places where this is different from the department where the place is located. In the [[Département d'outre mer|Overseas Departments]] and [[Territoire d'outre-mer|Territories]], the first three digits identify the ''département'' or territory. The digits '''00''' are used for [[Military of France|Military]] addresses. The digits ''20'' are used for all of [[Corsica]]; the split of the island into two départements was not followed by a change in the postal codes.

The next three digits identify the local postal office in charge of mail delivery. A regular postcode always ends with a '''0''', with the notable exception of Paris, Lyon and Marseille – see below – and the Overseas Départements and Territories. Postcodes not ending with a 0 may indicate a special code, known as CEDEX (see below), or newest postcodes.

In Paris, [[Lyon]] and [[Marseille]], the last two digits of the postal code indicate the ''[[Municipal arrondissements of France|municipal arrondissement]]''. Prior to 1972, an address in the eighth ''municipal arrondissement'' of Paris, would be written as:

:8 rue Chambiges
:Paris 8<sup>e</sup>

This number was incorporated into the postal code as:

:8 rue Chambiges
:750'''08''' Paris

The [[16th arrondissement of Paris]] has two postal codes, 75016 (south) and 75116 (north).

In each [[département]], the ''[[préfecture]]'' (main city) has a postal code ending with ''000'', for example [[Bourges]] in Cher:

:15 avenue du Général Leclerc
:18000 Bourges

The more important the city, the simpler the postal code. The ''sous-préfectures'' are generally recognized by using a '''XXX00''' postcode (but a few additional '''XXX00''' postcodes may also be allocated in the most populated ''préfectures'' to subdivide them into several postal distribution areas, '''XX000''' being still used for the most central post office of the city).  Here is for example the postal code of a small village, [[Lépaud]] in Creuse:

:16 grande rue
:23170 Lépaud

Another example with [[Pouillé-les-Côteaux]] in [[Loire-Atlantique]]:

:17 rue de la Cour
:44522 Pouillé-les-Côteaux

And the postal code of Mortagne-au-Perche, ''sous-préfecture'' of the Département de l'[[Orne]]:

:4 rue des Quinze Fusillés
:61400 Mortagne-au-Perche

It is not rare that many adjacent villages share the same postal code, which is primarily associated with a bigger post office, e.g.: 64150 can correspond to Abidos, Bésingrand, Lagor, Lahourcade, Mourenx, Noguère, Os Marsillon, Pardies, Sauvelade and Vielleségure. It may happen that a village is associated with a bigger post office in another département, thus its postcode begins with the two digits of another département. For example, [[Le Fresne-sur-Loire]], in [[Loire-Atlantique]], uses 49123, while its postcode should normally start with 44, because it is associated with the post office of [[Ingrandes, Maine-et-Loire|Ingrandes]], a neighbouring commune in [[Maine-et-Loire]].

Overseas Départements and Territories use 3-digit codes starting with : 971 ([[Guadeloupe]]), 972 ([[Martinique]]), 973 ([[French Guiana]]), 974 ([[Réunion]]), 975 ([[Saint-Pierre and Miquelon]]), 976 ([[Mayotte]]), 984 ([[French Southern and Antarctic Lands|French Southern Territories]]), 986 ([[Wallis and Futuna]]), 987 ([[French Polynesia]]), 988 ([[New Caledonia]]). In March 2008 La Poste proposed allotting 977 to [[Saint Barthélemy]] and 978 to [[Saint Martin (France)|Saint Martin]] due to their new status as [[Overseas collectivity|overseas collectivities]].<ref>{{cite news 
 |first = Cécile
 |last = Lucot
 |title =  General Director of Post Office visits Saint Barth
 |url = http://www.st-barths.com/editorials/cecil-lucot/08_03_12.html
 |publisher=Local News from St-Barths by Cecile Lucot
 |date = 12 March 2008
 |access-date =20 March 2008
 |quote = It looks as if the new codes will begin with 97-7 for St Barth and 97-8 for St Martin. The post office is not yet sure and will make a definitive decision next July. 
}}</ref> In this case, the last zero is dropped so as to keep the 5-digit format. This is why the regular postcodes for these do not end with 0 except for the [[préfecture]] or [[sous-préfecture]], for example:

:Maison du Port
:97100 Basse-Terre

:4 boulevard du Général de Gaulle
:97320 Saint-Laurent du Maroni

:193 RN2
:97439 Sainte-Rose