quite awhile ago now and its paid.
I did it so long ago that I cannot remember the reference that prompted the impression that I had to change it, and, having checked, I cannot find confirmation. I know that I was reluctant to do it as I was concerned that I would lose grandfather rights to drive a lorry etc. It is possible that the law has changed on this, just as it has recently concerning the need for a medical exam if one is driving a trailer over 750 kgās.
@Timbur Hi Timā¦ I tried to change my licence more or less as soon as we got here. The lady at the Prefecture told me my existing licence was perfectly acceptableā¦ and to go awayā¦ 
she reckoned I would only need to change it if I got an infringement (or whatever).
That was many years agoā¦ and I have now got a French licence (2012)ā¦ at my requestā¦ not for any official reason. I just wanted to feel more French. 
I think you are right Stella but for the life of me I cannot understand why I would have thought I needed to unless there was something prompting this in the past. May I ask how long ago you consulted the Prefecture?
Hi Tim almost 20 years agoā¦there are so many things you are supposed to doā¦ within a certain time-frameā¦ that I was panickingā¦
Okay Stella, thanks for the info. Permit me to wish you a happy Christmas and a great New Year.
Best Wishes Tim
1 Like
Not so, Tim, at least not for one issued in another EU country. You can drive in France with your EU licence as long as it remains valid. It will need to cover the correct categories etc.
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1757 has the full info.
1 Like
Okay Mark. Thanks for the correction. Best Wishes Tim.
We queued for 5 hours at the licence transfer office in Toulouse. My husband is a lorry driver and had 3 licenses to change. At the desk we were told no need to change them as they are European licences just change the address. If you do change it they will give you what you have and perhaps a bit more, you donāt have to ck. Iāve seen it happen a few timesā¦one friend got class 1 lorries! The advantage of keeping your uk licence with French address is no points can be added. As of now
although as I understand it you canāt have a French address on a UK licenceā¦!
Plus you have to go for a medical for lgv and hgv classes and keep going for check-ups to keep the entitlement (mine is now out of date!) and as you say, once youāre on a french licence you lose the points each time you get caught - donāt I knowā¦ 
Youāre right Andrew. You can only have a UK address on a UK licence. When I changed my licence to a French one a few years ago I had to have a medical to keep all the categories from my old UK licence. The French licence is only valid for 5 years and I will have to then have another medical to renew it.
Good to know Iām not going mad! Two of my categories expired a couple of years agoā¦ I really ought to get round to getting them reinstated but have so many more important things to do and as all the other categories are still valid Iām not too bothered for the moment as I canāt see myself driving a lorry in the near future!
1 Like
Can anyone tell me please how to replace lost (perhaps stolen) driving license?
Can I replace, report online, our sous pref. is a good 1 and half hours sdrive !
Hereās what to do. Hope it helps.
2 Likes