driving licence

[glenron]

We have suddenly realised that my husband's driving licence is out of date. We understand we can't get another in England as we no longer have an English address. Can we take his out of date licence to use to apply for a French licence?

[frogblogger]

From the:

"Communication interprétative de la Commission sur la délivrance des permis de conduire dans la Communauté européenne

Journal officiel n° C 077 du 28/03/2002 p. 0005 - 0024"

Paraphrasing the text, you are living in a country where the B licence is delivered for life (France) and you have an expired licence from another EU country. You have to apply to the French authorities for a new licence. In the meantime - despite the fact that the French licence is for life - driving with an expired licence from another EU state is considered to be driving illegally (with all the insurance ramifications that this implies, ie lack of cover).

[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

[glenron]

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

Thanks for your help but we were too hasty. We now realise it is the photo that's expired and not the licence but thanks again.

[Bevdeforges]

Hasty or not, now might be a good time to exchange your British licenses for French ones. It's not absolutely necessary, but it does make life considerably easier.
Cheers,
Bev

[minesthechevy]

I agree in principle with Bev, but be aware that a UK pre-97 test for an 'ordinary' car entitls you to two things that a froggy 'ordinary car' licence may, or may not

1. You can drive a lorry up to 7.5 tonnes gross.

2. You can pull a trailer up to 3.5 tonnes gross.

If either of these categories matter to you then I'd keep the english version.

The 'may or may not' comes from such variables as your local fonctionnaires abilities to think outside the box. YMMV.

[coloma gold]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Hasty or not, now might be a good time to exchange your British licenses for French ones. It's not absolutely necessary, but it does make life considerably easier.
Cheers,
Bev

Bev... what about a California license... Can it merely be exchanged for a French license or ??? I suspect not..

I understand that taking the test is a bit difficult (not the driving part, merely ability to understand the questions).

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by coloma gold

Bev... what about a California license... Can it merely be exchanged for a French license or ??? I suspect not..

I understand that taking the test is a bit difficult (not the driving part, merely ability to understand the questions).

Last I knew, a California license was NOT transferrable to France. But check the website for the US Consulate in Paris here: http://france.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/paris-driving.pdf

They normally have the latest on which states have license reciprocity.

They are currently making the driving test somewhat easier to pass (at least for the French). Not sure what that means - but I still insist that taking the driving lessons is a good idea, just to have someone explain to you some of the rules of the road. (Some of them are a bit counter-intuitive - at least to us Yanks.)
Cheers,
Bev

[coloma gold]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Last I knew, a California license was NOT transferrable to France. But check the website for the US Consulate in Paris here: http://france.usembassy.gov/root/pdfs/paris-driving.pdf

They normally have the latest on which states have license reciprocity.

They are currently making the driving test somewhat easier to pass (at least for the French). Not sure what that means - but I still insist that taking the driving lessons is a good idea, just to have someone explain to you some of the rules of the road. (Some of them are a bit counter-intuitive - at least to us Yanks.)
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks Bev....