Im_and_Er

Whilst technically any offence commited in France which attracts the loss of a point or points requires an exchange for them to be deducted in practice, for a single point offence, it is virtually unheard of for it to be persued.

If you are fined for a minor 1 point speeding offence recorded on camera and pay the fine that will be the last you hear of it. Any points so 'lost' are not officially recorded against you anywhere so even if you did later voluntarily exchange your licence you would still start with the full 12.

On the other hand, if you were stopped for an offence and a Gendarme tells you to exchange your licence then it's pretty certain that at some time they will come knocking at your door to ensure that you have complied but again this is extremely rare for single point offences.

Now, what is this "rather complicated driving license situation" are you referring to

jasoninparis

Many thanks for your response. If you are correct im happy

So im assuming that there is no 'record' of any offence therefore when I goto change my UK licence to a French one ill (hopefully) be fine.

Re "complicated driving license situation", in fact I was referring to the understanding of the use of UK licences in France. Ive read so much conflicting opinions I didnt know what to believe.

Thanks again!

Jason
Paris

Ka Ora!

Welcome to the Forum As "Im or Her" said when it's the fixed cameras it's not so much of an issue. When faced with the Wrath of the Gendarmes with handheld speed guns well exchanging ones license usually follows.

Im_and_Er

Apologies for not welcoming you to the forum

I don't know what you find confusing about the use of a UK driving licence in France or what you have been told but:

You can use one until it expires - be that after 10 years in the case of a photocard - or at age 70, whichever comes sooner. The fact that it may still bear an old UK address is of no consequence whatsoever.

I don't know how much simpler it can be put.

jasoninparis

I was referring to the subject of points, fines, need to change one licence etc and how all of the above work with a non french licence.

cjm

It has been well laid out I felt, though real life can throw up some anomolies with the French law, interpretation and action.
I have a friend who accrued double figure 'contravention' speeding tickets (my earlier post), all static cameras, paid them, but a visit from the Gendarmerie required him to seek a French licence. He was driving a French registered car. He applied for and received the licence and had his full points total untouched. Retrospective points deduction not acted upon it seems.
The trick, and I recognise it is likely to be illegal, is to retain your UK licence, while obtaining a French one. This has been done.
UK licence is an EU licence, allowing you to drive in Europe, legally.
If you are a UK tourist and get caught by a static camera, chances are you will never be fined, as you are on a UK plate. Admin doesn't link to admin to enforce fine. Gendarme speed guns mean when you are stopped they will at least extract the fine, though no points issue.
I believe the same is for a French driver on French plates in UK.

Im_and_Er

It's not 'likely' to be illegal, it is, read the earlier parts of this thread, but I am really struggling to understand the motivation here.

Whilst any one of us can get pinched for a moments inattention the penalties are relatively light, especially on the points side, and hanging on to an invalid UK licence in order to present it instead of your French one to avoid having them deducted just beggars belief

I don't know what tie ups there are with the French databases on vehicle ownership and driving licences, there is an obvious one if you are the owner of the vehicle, but if your deception were discovered you could find yourself in very serious trouble.

cjm

[QUOTE=Im_and_Er;8823650]It's not 'likely' to be illegal, it is, read the earlier parts of this thread, but I am really struggling to understand the motivation here.

The motivation is to deceive, but don't shoot this messenger, it's been a conversation elsewhere.
Losing your UK licence is a hardship. Because you can drive bigger stuff on a base licence eg 7.5t. Not so a French licence and you will have issues with double axle trailers. So, if you have a need for the extras, you may be tempted to deceive, perhaps hand over a copy of your paper licence and also retain your photo-licence. As I said don't shoot the messenger 'Im'

Im_and_Er

Didn't intent to be combatative

Actually you are mistaken though. Driving licence categories are standardised across the EU and if you exchange a UK licence with a C1 category then your French licence will include it thus permitting you to drive vehicles of up to 7.5t. This applies to other categories also.

There is really then only one advantage to hanging on to a UK licence and that is impunity from point deductions for minor offences.

Coupled to an illegal UK regged car it takes on a possibly more sinister and devious meaning of course

dennerlymum

Changing your licence could actually be productive if you wish to be an HGV driver here in Toulouse!
Every man (not women as we couldn't possibly be HGV drivers!) I know who has gone to exchange their licence has been told to go for a physical here in Toulouse; on checking their eventual licence, it appears the physical was to allow them to have full HGV status!
They seem to think that the light good status on a uk licence is the same as a full HGV licence!!

Neptun

[QUOTE=cjm;8823774]
You do not loose any rights when converting your driving licence.
You get the rights according to the
Commission Decision on equivalences between categories of driving licenses:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...31:0079:EN:PDF


France has not yet implemented the subcategories C1, C1E, D1, D1E.
So if you have a class C1,
you get a class C with code 74 on the French driving licence according to the 2nd Council Directive of driving licences:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...0080718:EN:PDF

Im_and_Er

Note that was cjm's comment not mine

Neptun

Sorry, it took hours for this post to show up, and now I can't edit it anymore.
Is this normal in this forum?

cjm

[QUOTE=Neptun;8824531] Hi Neptun, welcome; what do you do as your second party trick, that's a lorry-load of knowledge and incredibly helpful? Can you explain what a C+74 code gives you?

Neptun

As I already said:
France has not yet implemented the subcategories C1, C1E, D1, D1E in their driving licence model.
These categories must be implemented in all EU countries from 2013 on.

Until then they must display these categories in the main categories C, CE, D, DE with a code, if someone exchanges a foreign licence with such a category.

C + code 74 is identical with C1. Look at page 25 of the .pdf:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...0080718:EN:PDF

D +75 is for D1
CE +76 is for C1E
DE +77 is for D1E