Limited validity, new exam requirements, longer probationary period for young drivers, penalties applicable abroad and possible medical examinations… The European Union has just adopted a comprehensive driving licence reform that applies to all Member States. Some regulations will be stricter, but French drivers may end up escaping the most restrictive measures.
At the European level, the goal is clear: to improve road safety and get closer to the ambitious goal of zero road deaths by 2050. To achieve this goal, the European institutions consider it necessary to modernise driving licence rules and adapt them to new traffic habits, vehicle technologies and risky behaviour.
Following a provisional agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union in March, the reform was officially adopted on Tuesday 21 October. The text contains a number of amendments which will enter into force approximately twenty days after their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The 27 member states will then have up to four years to adapt their national laws and prepare for the practical implementation of these new rules.
In other words, the changes will not be immediate, but will gradually change the issuance and monitoring of driving licences across Europe. However, a closer look at the details of this reform shows that some measures remain relatively flexible: Member States retain some leeway in adapting various provisions.
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The validity period is now limited.
One of the most important changes concerns the validity period of driving licences. Until now, some driver’s licenses – especially the old, pink papers that many French people still have – were valid for life. The European reform now provides for a maximum validity period of 15 years for car and motorcycle licenses.
In some countries where driving licences also serve as official identification documents, the validity period could be reduced to up to ten years. In particular, old driving licences must be gradually replaced by a new, European format with an expiry date. According to the European Parliament’s Directorate-General for Communication, member states have a long transitional period to implement this amendment, which could extend until 19 January 2033.
The new period of validity applies from the next driving licence renewal, after five, ten or twenty years, depending on the case. Holders of old driving licences therefore do not have to exchange them immediately. You can continue to use them until the renewal date.
The reform also includes special regulations for drivers over 65 years of age. Member States may shorten the validity period of their driving licences and require more frequent medical examinations or refresher courses. However, this measure is not mandatory: each country is free to implement it.
