Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

It's supposed to be possible to simply exchange an EU driving license for a French one. And the French licenses don't expire.

You might just try going through the process to exchange your husband's English license for a French one, not bothering to mention the fact that it has expired. See what happens. (The French tend to look for the date you first got a license, not an expiration date.)

Worst case, you may have to go through a driving school (like the non-EU drivers do). But at least the license you get at that point won't expire.
Cheers,
Bev