Driving

To drive in France, you must have a driver’s licence (foreign or French), and you must learn the rules of the road.

On a foreign licence

Whether or not you can legally drive in France on a foreign driver’s licence depends on where the licence was issued. Different rules apply depending on whether your licence comes from a country within the European Union (EU) or not. They also depend on whether your home country, province, or state has established a reciprocal exchange agreement with France.

For example, if your driver’s licence was issued by an EU country, you can drive in France without exchanging your licence if the following five conditions are met:

• you are at least 18 years old
• your licence has not expired
• you comply with any legal restrictions (e.g., you are required to wear prescription glasses; you are disabled and must use an adapted vehicle)
• your licence is valid in the country where it was issued (i.e., it has not been suspended, restricted, or revoked)
• you did not obtain your licence during a period when you would have been prohibited from applying for a licence in France

On a French licence

In France, you must have a Class B licence to drive a car. You must be at least 17 years old to apply for this licence, which is only issued after you go through an official examination process with two parts: a theory test and a driving test.

You can register to take the test through a driving school (physical or online) or as an independent candidate. To help prepare for the test, you may decide to sign up for driver’s training. The cost varies depending on where you live, the driving school, and the type of preparation programme.

After passing the exam, you will be issued a temporary driving certificate (CEPC) that you can use until you receive your official licence; the latter should arrive within 4 months.

France uses a point system: you start off with 12 points and lose points if you commit traffic infractions. If you lose all your points, your licence is suspended. However, it is possible to earn back points: 

• by being a good driver and not committing any traffic violations over an established time period (points are progressively returned) 
• by taking a driver’s education course (max: 4 points) 

The first three years after you obtain your licence is a probationary period. You must affix an “A” decal to the rear of any vehicle you drive to indicate that you are a new driver. During this period, you only have 6 points on your licence; you must drive at a slower speed on the highway; and your blood alcohol level must be lower than 0.2 g/l (~ one small beer or glass of wine) when you are behind the wheel.

Within the point system, different numbers of points are taken off depending on infraction severity. Additionally, you may also face fines.