The lifetime driving license is almost over: you will have to undergo a medical check every 15 years to renew it

On Tuesday, August 21, MEPs definitively adopted a reform of driving licenses in the European Union (EU). The new regulations establish a maximum validity period of 15 years for car and motorcycle permits, which can be reduced to 10 years in states where the driving license serves as an identity document. The validity period may also be reduced for drivers over 65 years of age.

France has three years to adapt to this new legislation. Member States will retain some room for maneuver in the application and, in particular, will have the option of replacing the medical visit with a self-assessment interview.

This reform aims to reduce the number of road deaths in the EU, which stood at almost 20,000 in 2024. It also establishes stricter rules for the renewal of licenses, greater requirements for obtaining them and promotes the exchange of information between States, to prevent perpetrators of serious road offenses abroad from escaping sanctions.

Currently, about 40% of motorists whose license is withdrawn or suspended in a country other than the one in which it was granted remain unpunished, lamented the draftsman of the text, the Italian socialist Matteo Ricci.

“With the new rules, (a motorist) who loses his license in a European country for a serious offense will no longer be able to drive in any other Member State,” he declared in the chamber.

Dematerialized license

The EU also aims to accelerate the dematerialization of driving licenses and make the digital license, accessible on mobile phones, the main format. However, citizens who request it will still be able to obtain a physical document.

The driving license test should integrate more points related to the safety of vulnerable users (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), such as blind spots or opening doors. The risks associated with phone use while driving will also need to be addressed.

The reform also introduces a two-year trial period for young drivers, during which they will be subject to stricter rules and penalties. All 17-year-olds will be able to drive accompanied by a car or motorcycle, leaving the driving age only at 18 years.

France has three years to adapt to these new rules.