Just a warning to those who wish to retain their ‘grandad’ HGV driving categories when exchanging their license. From 2022 Cert are no longer recognising this catergory and you will only be able to drive up to 3,5 tons. We have a 5 ton camper and it has made our position impossible. Unless we take French HGV tests, written etc, which is highly unlikely, I will have to apply for illegal UK licenses to retain a HGV element. ( Our UK licenses expire this month ) I understand that this position is being challenged, but the only people the French authorities are punishing, post Brexit, is those living here trying to do the right thing. Sorry my first post is a negative!
Punishing ? no just applying the law it was the same for me pre brexit.
Do what the French would pragmatically do and just renew your UK license. I’ve previously commented here on the difficulty British people have in coming to terms with the “flexible” approach in France to compliance.
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The change was only brought in this year, as I understand it. And the logic behind it ???
With a Uk license, illegal, once we are 70, we are required to have a medical every year to maintain the HGV element, done in the UK of course.
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Hello @Ricard and welcome to the forum.
Are you sure you need to exchange your licences??
Are you talking paper or plastic… ??
If you live in France fulltime, you no longer have to exchange simply because you reach 70 years of age… EDIT: or do you ???
My UK licence expired on my 70th birthday. Being French resident I had no choice but to exchange.
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Fair enough @Charles_Field , it’s quite possible I’m totally confused … (not the first time)
This thread might be best helped by @kim who is the Expert…
@Ricard you might find Kims FB page useful… here’s the link
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Welcome Ricard, I would just point out @Stella that the rules for HGV entitlements were treated differently from ordinary car ones. I was forced to change to a French one in 1999 when I obtained work here as an HGV driver.
But I knew back then, when sub prefectures did the issueing, that not all were the same. On a course (5 yearly refresher for senior HGV drivers) in Perigueux I met a Portuguese driver who still maintained his old Portuguese HGV licence after 20 odd years working here.
If the rules still allow you to drive HGVs here on a UK licence I would advise you, if you have a UK address to do it from( 
), to do it.
Punishing ? no just applying the law it was the same for me pre brexit.
You were driving HGVs and your UK entitlements were not recognised when changed to a French one pre Brexit? That must have been a mistake surely.
Thank you for the welcome Stella. Our UK licenses expire this December, hence the application for French ones. We have had a response from Ants, which says, that they are not recognising British entitlements that were not subject to a test. ie the HGV to 7.5 tons given to all pre 1997.
We paid for our medicals and provided the documentation that we are fit to drive. Friends who exchanged licenses a few years back were allowed to keep the HGV entitlement. I believe this ruling is more recent - 2022. With a UK license (obtained somehow !) a medical would be required in the UK every year, when we reach 70, in two years time. And, with all respect to John, since 2014 we have been so flexible with French authorities that I could have chewed off my own shirt tails. 
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Ah… so you’re not yet 70… you’re spring chickens…
So, you’re obviously hoping to keep the HGV 7.5 tons without retaking a Test …
and this is the area which needs clarifying by @kim if at all possible.
[quote=“Ricard, post:9, topic:41837”]
We paid for our medicals and provided the documentation that we are fit to drive. Friends who exchanged licenses a few years back were allowed to keep the HGV entitlement. I believe this ruling is more recent - 2022. [/quote]
Kim has a Facebook Group especially for helping folk with licence queries and she has done sterling work… dealing with French Authorities et al…
If you join that Group, you will be able to get answers (possibly) quicker than on here.
Best of luck…
May I perhaps rephrase the question. Has anyone out there, been able to retain there C1 to 7.5 tons when exchanging there license in France?
Spring chickens. I’m thinking more winter turkeys Stella. If only I could find one !
@kim
Please can you tell us if one can retain C1 to 7.5 tons when exchanging UK licence for French Licence… ???
Hello Stella, I have just received my french licence. I no longer have C1, I just have AM, A1, B and B1. I had a UK driving licence having passed my car test in 1979. Does this help?
Hello @Ricard
You are absolutely correct that currently Grandad rights are not being transferred, this is since 26 June 2021.
There are no such grandad rights for C1/D1 in France which is why if you urgently require these categories then you will have to look at taking a test here.
However this was raised at official level by me and I was asked to submit further evidence to Gérald Darmanin of those that had submitted medicals but refused the exchange.
It is still with the French and unfortunately the wheels of admin move slowly here when it involves an admin change. I continue to follow this up regularly and will post here when I have news.
I cannot at this point say which way it will go as to whether grandad rights will be reissued or not, or currently what the procedure will be for those that have already exchanged, all I would say to those that have that they report the missing categories, only if less than 6 months ago they received their French licence.
For those holding off or waiting, as has been pointed out in this thread if you renew in the UK you run the risk of a fine as you make a false statement on an official document on your residency, having an address in the UK is not the same as living there. Also once you reach 70 you would have to have a medical every year to keep your lourdes.
One thing I would like to clear up, the French are not punishing us.
If anyone needs further clarification, please ask.
EDIT - 07/12/22
Anyone who passed a separate driving test for any of the following categories, these WILL be exchanged, C/CE/C1/C1E or D/DE/D1/D1E.
Currently anyone who was gifted their C1/C1E or D1/D1E pre 01/1997 these are under review and may or may not be transferred at a later date.
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Thank you so much for this clear reply.
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If you’re not yet 70… why are you changing the licence… is it because you only recently arrived in France ???
Thank you, too, for the very concise and clear reply. And thank you for taking it up with the authorities, I have joined your facebook page to keep up with events.
We find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, no longer able to drive our camper legally. So I am sorry, but it does feel like a post brexit punishment. Why else the sudden change?
Our UK licences expire this month Stella. No news on the turkey
That makes perfect sense. In the UK the right to an automatic/untested C1 (7,5t gross weight) licence disappeared for anyone who passed their standard car test after, AFAIR, 1997.
@Kim For clarity can you tell us whether full heavy goods (C & C+E) & full coach (D & D+E) entitlements are still being transferred for UK to French licences without retesting?
I had mine transferred years ago, so this isn’t a personal worry, but it may help others to have a definitive answer.
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I know that when we came to France… we had paper and plastic card licence,
the plastic card “expired” but the lady at the Prefecture told me “this is France…”
seems the card-expiring didn’t matter, that was for updating photo… it was the date of issuing/passing driving test which was all important… and the fact we weren’t banned.
so… when did you pass your test… ???
glad you’ve joined the FB group… hope all turns out well.
In our case , the catergories lost are A. C1. D1. C1E. D1E
Any one looking or a cheap camper, soon to become a glamper !