So I have a french licence with categories BE , C1E and D1E. I phoned to do a medical in December when they expired and the doctor’s receptionist told me that it was no longer necessary to have a medical for towing purposes. I can’t find the legislation anywhere, so before I go and ask the local police (who may or may not know either), does anyone know what you now need to do when your categories ‘expire’ even if the newly changed law means they haven’t actually expired?
Interestingly James has a newer French licence and there’s no expiry date on his BE (towing) category so I am guessing that she is correct…
Vérifié le 27 juin 2018 - Direction de l’information légale et administrative (Premier ministre), Ministère chargé de l’intérieur
QUOTE:
À l’exception des permis du groupe lourd (catégories C, C1, C1E, CE, D1, D, D1E et DE), tous les permis de conduire délivrés depuis 2013 sont valables 15 ans.
Les premiers renouvellements interviendront en 2028 et consisteront en une simple démarche administrative. Il n’y aura ni examen de conduite, ni contrôle médical à passer. Ce renouvellement permettra d’actualiser votre adresse et votre photo.
but can’t see anything about permits issued earlier than 2013…
She is correct.
Meant to raise this before Xmas. I tow a caravan and for the last 12 years have had the two-yearly medical. There is no system of reminders, you are on your own to make an appointment with the approved GP and then submit the application (new for me on-line in 2016). The response on the licensing website was that the GP had not ticked the HGV categories. I responded further* that I had not applied for the HGV categories, and they were never on my previous licences. End of story – there is no way in the world of communicating with the licensing centre.
After a number of speculative visits to the Prefecture who could find no record of my application, the three months temporary certificate printed from the website expired, and a planned trip to Spain had to be cancelled. I contacted the doctor with the intention of making a fresh application (with added HGV – if it makes them happy). He emailed to say I should go and speak to the Prefecture again, who of course gleefully told me that a medical was no longer necessary – I had previously only asked “is it there yet??”. Now, I don’t recall any publicity but:
• wouldn’t it have been nice if the licensing centre had told me this, and
• wouldn’t it have been nice if the Doctor had told me this, but was content to take the €32, and
• wouldn’t it have been nice if they BOTH had told me in 2016, as the BE requirement had ceased two months before that medical was required!
But you all know that from previous posts above. However, there is a residual problem from this. So I am now the proud possessor of a license which shows my right to tow a caravan ceased in August 2018, and they (the Prefecture) refuse to re-issue – “the police all know of the change”. Asked about police in UK and Spain, I was told that all EU governments had been advised. Now I’m not at all convinced that, should I be subject to a license check by the local plod in (say) Piddle Hinton or L’Estartit (where I can’t speak the lingo), that they will know a scooby doo about this, Has anyone any insight or experience?