Pink paper driving licence: the deadline for replacing it before 2033

If you still hold a pink paper driving licence, you will need to replace it for it to remain valid. The government has set a deadline by which it must be exchanged to avoid being in breach of the rules.

French motorists with the pink paper driving licence should prepare for a significant change. This document, first issued in 1922, will gradually be replaced by the more modern and, above all, more secure “bank card” format driving licence. Although this has been the standard format for over 10 years, many long-standing drivers have not yet adopted it.

A document that is now outdated

The pink paper driving licence was issued until 2013, but it is now outdated compared with standards used in other Western countries and, more broadly, worldwide. It is fragile - you have almost certainly torn it, at least partially - can be forged, and is not always recognised internationally, particularly when hiring a vehicle.

It also does not make it easy to check your remaining penalty-point balance online. To see your balance in real time, you must complete a complicated process through the dedicated online service.

A more secure driving licence

By contrast, the new bank card-format driving licence is a plastic document the size of a bank card. Unlike the paper card version, it is sturdier, harder to counterfeit and much easier to carry: it can simply be kept in a wallet alongside a bank card. It also makes it possible to view the penalty-point balance online. Since the beginning of 2024, it has also been possible to store it directly on a smartphone through the France Identity app.

When will the pink paper driving licence expire?

While the pink paper driving licence has no official expiry date, it will no longer be valid from 2033. Holders of the retro-format licence have until 19 January 2033 to apply for a replacement in the new format.

After that date, the pink licence will cease to be valid. Drivers initially face an €11 fine, which may then increase to €38. If they fail to present a valid bank card-format licence, the fine can rise to €135 and the vehicle may be impounded.

You therefore have fewer than 10 years left to complete this straightforward procedure, which brings the document into line with current standards, including abroad. The new driving licence is valid for 15 years, unlike the pink version, which had unlimited validity. Drivers will therefore need to get used to renewing it so that their identity photograph remains up to date.

What should you do in the meantime?

For now, changing a driving licence is not compulsory unless it has been lost, stolen or damaged. A torn licence will be refused, so it is advisable to replace it where necessary. Applications for replacement in these circumstances are made through the National Agency for Secure Documents website and cost €25.

Otherwise, the new driving licence is free for holders of the historic pink paper model. The Ministry of the Interior has stated that no decision has been made on requiring replacement before 2033.