Editing Postal codes in France

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'''Postal codes''' were introduced in France in 1964, when ''[[La Poste (France)|La Poste]]'' introduced [[Optical character recognition|automated sorting]]. They were updated to use the current 5 digit system in 1972.

France uses five-digit numeric postal codes, the first two digits representing the [[Departments of France|département]] in which the city is located. The [[Departments of France#Maps and tables|département numbers]] were assigned alphabetically between 1860 and 1870, but later changes (such as renaming and splitting of départements) mean that the list is no longer in strictly alphabetical order. The system extends to [[French overseas departments and territories]], and also includes [[Monaco]]. Note that postcodes in both départements of [[Corsica]] commence with the "20" historically assigned to Corsica before it was split into two départements, which are now numbered 2A and 2B.

The last three digits identify a more precise location, 000 being in general reserved for the ''[[Prefectures in France|préfecture]]''. However, in [[Paris]], [[Lyon]] and [[Marseille]], the last two digits indicate the ''[[Municipal arrondissements of France|arrondissement]]''. For example, 80000 corresponds to [[Amiens]], which is the ''préfecture'' of the [[Somme (department)|Somme]] or département 80, while 69008 corresponds to the 8th arrondissement of [[Lyon]].

==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

==CEDEX==
There is also a system known as CEDEX, {{lang|fr|Courrier d'Entreprise à Distribution EXceptionnelle}} ('business mail with special delivery'), designed for recipients of large volumes of mail. A postal code is allocated to each large organisation or to post office box holders, ending in three unique digits, for example:

: {{lang|fr|12 rue de Broquedis|italic=no}}
: {{lang|fr|64205 Biarritz CEDEX|italic=no}}

CEDEX should always be written in capitals. It may be followed by a number, if the town has more than one post office, or if it is split into {{lang|fr|arrondissements}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laposte.fr/sna/article.php3?id_article=763 |title=SNA – En savoir plus sur le CEDEX |publisher=La Poste |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130093631/http://www.laposte.fr/sna/article.php3?id_article=763 |archive-date=2006-11-30}}</ref>

Ordinary deliveries would be addressed to:

: {{lang|fr|12 rue de Broquedis|italic=no}}
: {{lang|fr|64200 Biarritz|italic=no}}

It is acceptable to include a {{lang|fr|boîte postale}} ('post office box') number (abbreviated as {{lang|fr|BP ''nnnn''|italic=unset}}) as well as the street address in CEDEX addresses.

==Monaco==

Although an independent country, [[Monaco]] is part of the French postal code system as if it were a French department, numbered, with codes consisting of 980 and two digits, with 00 being used for deliveries to all physical addresses in the Principality, and 01 to 99 being used for special types of delivery.<ref>[http://www.upu.int/fileadmin/documentsFiles/activities/addressingUnit/mcoEn.pdf Monaco], [[Universal Postal Union]]</ref> However the destination country on inbound mail must be specified as "Monaco", not "France".

:12 avenue de la Costa
:98000 Monaco
:MONACO

:23 avenue Prince Héréditaire Albert
:98025 Monaco CEDEX
:MONACO

==See also==
*[[Departments of France]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.laposte.fr/sna/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=59 Les Codes Postaux et CEDEX]
* [https://github.com/zauberware/postal-codes-json-xml-csv French Postal Codes in JSON, XML and CSV format]

{{Europe in topic|Postal codes in|UK_only=yes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Postal codes in France}}
[[Category:Postal system of France]]
[[Category:Postal codes by country|France]]
[[Category:1964 introductions]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in France]]