A European directive marks the end of the driving license valid for life. The possibility of a compulsory medical examination for its renewal is on the table.
The driving license valid for life will disappear. A reform adopted at European level at the end of 2025 now plans to limit its validity period in order to strengthen road safety and reduce the number of accidents. Its renewal will be supervised. France will have to integrate these new rules into its legislation within three years, therefore by 2029. This reform is part of the revision of the European directive on driving licenses adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, as part of the Union’s strategy aimed at significantly reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads by 2030.
A period of validity limited to 15 years maximum
Concretely, the validity period of the license for cars and motorcycles will be set at a maximum of 15 years. In France, where the permit also serves as proof of identity, this duration could be reduced to 10 years if the government so chooses, as is already the case for permits in card format issued since 2013. Old pink permits issued before 2013 remain valid until January 2033, in accordance with the timetable already set by the French authorities.
An evaluation planned during renewal
Another important development: an assessment must be carried out before the permit is issued and when it is renewed. The directive provides that it takes the form of a medical examination including in particular examinations relating to vision and the general state of health likely to have an impact on driving. States may, however, set up a self-assessment form or an equivalent national system. France has not yet specified the solution it will choose. It is therefore not recorded that a compulsory medical examination will be systematically imposed on each renewal in France. The choice between medical control, self-assessment or other system will be a matter for national transposition.
Drivers over 65: no uniform rule in Europe
States will also have the possibility of providing for a shorter validity from a certain age (for example after 65 years), in order to organize more regular monitoring of fitness to drive. No uniform threshold is imposed on all countries. In other words, there is no European rule setting compulsory control at 65 years old. Each State will retain a margin of appreciation. In France, there is currently no systematic age-related medical check-up for drivers holding a B license. However, medical examinations are already planned in certain specific situations, notably in the event of declared medical conditions or for certain professional categories.
The text also establishes better coordination between Member States. A decision of withdrawal, suspension or restriction taken in another country of the Union must be transmitted to the country which issued the permit so that the sanction can be applied there. This measure aims to prevent a driver sanctioned in one State from continuing to travel freely in another. A probationary period of at least two years for novice drivers is also planned, a provision already in force in France. Additional time is planned to organize the concrete implementation of the measures. A law or decree must be adopted in France to specify the exact terms, in particular the nature of the evaluation at renewal and its possible frequency. The changes will not be immediate, but the principle of a limited duration permit is now implemented at European level.
