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The Furthermore, many cities have local police deparments called '''DouanesPolice Municipale''' are the customs agency for the French Republic. They patrol close to borders, looking for suspicious activity. '''They have a right to check your Identification if you are within 20km of the border'''less authority than national agencies, but at all can call other times they need agencies to have a reasonable suspicion ''(article 78 of do the Code de Procédure Pénale)'work they legally can' before they stop an individual. They are often active on highways and péages going south from [[Belgium]] and [[Luxembourg]], looking for people transporting large amounts of tobacco or looking for hitchhikers from the [[Netherlands]] who may be carrying cannabis. They are however quite professional, and after a few questions about your direction of travel, will let you go on your wayt.
→Issues with Law Enforcement: corrected misleading statements (see talk page)
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_vehicle_registration_plates French vehicle registration plates] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_arrondissements_of_France Arrondissements of France]. New number plates are in use since mid-2009. They have an optional reference to the department on the blue stripe at the right side, but they technically are not part of the plate, and do not necessarily refer to the owner's address - one may for example choose to put the number of the department where he/she was born. Cars that belong to companies, including rental ones usually bear "60" or "76" since tax on corporate vehicles is the lowest there. The existing old plates will be still in use for a while.
==Issues with Law Enforcement==
<gallery style="float:right; width:200px; margin-left:25px;>
Image:Mrtweek mzenzes hitching in france.png|[[User:Mzenzes|Martin]] and [[User:MrTweek|Philipp]] hitching in France.
Image:Pat_e_Suh.jpg|Pat & Suh hitchhiking after a barrière de péage in France :).
</gallery>
There are three law National enforcement agencies to contend with in France. The Police Nationale, the Gendarmerie and the Douane.
* The '''Police Nationale''' are tasked with policing urban areas with more than 20,000 inhabitants, and the surrounding highway infrastructure. They As such, you will rarely stop you, but they encounter them while thumbing.* The '''Douanes''' are well known the customs agency for their less than sympathetic nature and occasionally affiliation with fascist organisationsthe French Republic. They are a government agency bound by official targetspatrol close to borders, which means that if you looking for suspicious activity. They are stoppedoften active on highways and péages going south from [[Belgium]] and [[Luxembourg]], they will be looking for reasons to impose fines. Even so, they have no legal right to stop you engaging in lawful activities as long as you are not creating a hazard people transporting large amounts of tobacco or committing some other offencelooking for hitchhikers from the [[Netherlands]] who may be carrying cannabis. Remain calm and use your right to silence, only asking * The '''"am I free to go"Gendarmerie''' repeatedlyis a military agency tasked with policing all of the French Republic where the population is lower than 20, and 000. They are the enforcement agency you should be okwill have the most chance to encounter while on the road.
To make a long story short, in France, it is expected that any person can prove its identity when requested by an agent of these agencies. The '''Gendarmerie''' easiest and most common way to do it is a military agency tasked with policing all to show them an official ID ; however it cans also be done by having someone testify that you are indeed the person you say you are. Agents on patrol, especially Gendrames, can stop to ask you questions. Most of the French Republic time, they will ask you where are you headed, maybe a few other vague questions, remind you that hitchhiking is illegal on the highways (even if you are not on a highway at the population is lower than 20moment),000. If wish you treat them with courtesy, they will most likely be professional a nice day and courteous in returndrive away. Sometimes If they will offer to take ask you to for a safer or easier location proof of identity, the best thing would be to hitchhike from. Only thow them an official ID ; however if you are creating a hazard will cooperate somewhat they issue finesprobably won't go even that far.
== Personal Experiences ==
