USA Reciprocal Drivers Licence process

Moving to or from France
122

No effort by whichever organisation runs driving tests in the UK to simply make name changes on a test appointment impossible? Or impossible at less than, say, 3 weeks before the date of the test so that driving schools have some leeway.

It sounds like this problem of inavailability would benefit from being looked into by authorities in both countries Aams slot-sitting one way or another seems to be going on - so a distorted market in a government controlled area to the detriment of service users.

123

Thats normal. The driving school owner needs you sign in and do the course to gain the rightful paperwork and then of course, you are going to need their driving car to take your test in so obviously they are not just going to book a test for you. There is a system to be followed and various paperwork to be completed. Also do you understand french to know the code de la route and the various vagaries of driving in France compared to the US especially roundabouts and rules of access and give way?

124

Well she"s passed the theory test Shiba.

To be more speciific about what I was told in France a very long time ago by a French family whose dsughter was taking driving lessons “The driving schools won’t let you do the test until you’ve paid them enough money”.

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125

Yes, it struck me as a bit ridiculous but, apparently, that is the situation.

126

It’s up to the individual to get organised. My father (German person who was a US resident for many years) had been driving without any incidents in Germany and elsewhere for over 50 years and was stationary at a red light in Germany a couple of years ago when a cyclist crashed into him. The police noticed his California driving licence and he had to go and sit a German theory then driving test, because he was now resident in Germany. It’s just how it is.

127

Quite right @KarenLot, thank you.

128

To be clear, I was hardly unorganized. I was given erroneous information by the prefecture and blocked from turning in a correct and completed dossier. C’est la vie, non ?

129

Both mine learned in France as teenagers and yes, we had to pay in installments every couple of months right upto the end. On the day of her test in the snow, my daughter had two other candidates in the car with her along with the examiner but she passed. My son passed first time too but no others in the car that day.

130

Thank you for the response Shiba. Yes, I am aware of the process and did not assume there would be zero monetary obligation to the driving school. Like we used to say in Texas, it’s not my first rodeo. Seven years in France teaches you quite a lot, doesn’t it? Including how to read and speak French.

131

Been here full time 32 years plus four years as a home owner before that so have been through a lot regarding bureaucracy. My daughter moved to Texas ten years ago with a french licence and it was just swapped for a Texas one with no driving or test to take.

132

It really should be that easy. Though truth-be-told, I’d rather keep the bureaucracy and lack of driving privileges than move back to Texas. :wink:

133

Hi Kim, thanks for this helpful thread. My husband and I live in Hawaii, but have previously lived and have family in Maryland and Texas (reciprocal states). We are selling our Hawaii house so we will no longer be residents here, and are planning to go spend a few weeks in Texas or Maryland before we leave for France to establish residency, switch our mailing address and voter registration to family’s house, and change our driver licenses. I just want to be crystal clear on whether or not this will be acceptable in France to exchange our licenses (and not have to do the test/school). We can easily get Hawaii driving records from the courthouse here before we leave (which I know we will need translated). Will this be enough? Or will they flag that the licenses were very recent before our entry to France?

134

That is the recommended route to go to a driving school and negotiate about 5 hours, this is possible with some schools, then that way the school will organise your test and you will be able to use their car.

Have you also passed the Code de la Route test?

Are you also are aware that as a free candidat that you have to organise a dual control car to take your test in.

135

Hi Kiki

As long as your reciprocal licence is exchanged before you come to France you can exchange it.

If you did have the chance to move to a State briefly to obtain an exchangeable licence then only the licence you are exchanging must have a reciprocal agreement, your previous licence/s don’t require one, this is because the State is within the USA so remains the same country.

The 6 month rule doesn’t apply for exchanging but you would need your previous licence history for longevity. The licence only needs to be obtained before your VLS-TS is issued or before you arrive in France on an EU or French Passport.

Driving history less than 3 years or proof of when you passed your test

If you have had your current licence for less than 3 years (through exchange), you will need your previous licence history (ideally 10 years is best also for insurance), this is to evidence you haven’t recently passed your test to avoid being given a restricted new drivers licence.

Translations are only required for your current licence and history. Previous licence(s) are just date references for your history, you can just highlight the dates on these or include a breakdown of the chronological order of each record you are submitting on the attestation sur l’honneur.

If your driving history does not show the date you passed your test you are likely to be asked for evidence of this date. Examples of what can be submitted below:

a driving history from when you got your first licence.

test passed certificate if you still have one.

An attestation sur l’honneur letter is NO longer being accepted as evidence of when you passed your test.

However, I would still include an attestation sur l’honneur with the following explanation in French, or words to this effect:

“My licence does not have the date of the original exam, only the last issue date (if applicable) and I am no longer able to obtain this evidence but I passed it on xxxx date in xxxx (place)”.

“Therefore, due to not being able to provide this evidence I accept that my licence will be issued with the earliest start date evidenced from my driving history records submitted”.

Hope this helps
Kim

136

Hi Kim, yes to all. I have passed the theoretical test and am aware of the further requirements. The myriad schools I’ve approached in the area all respond that they are too busy to take on an independent candidate. If I want to sign up for 20 hours, they seem to have the space.

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137

That’s a shame as when the prefectures used to deal with licences, 5 hours was the recommended hours.

As someone who holds a licence, albeit non reciprocal, you aren’t legally obliged to do 20 hours if they are telling you this.

This is the statement that comes with a non-reciprocal/not exchanged in time letter.

image
image1312×214 85.2 KB

This is the link to try and book your own test, if you don’t already have it.

Réserver en ligne sa place pour le permis | Sécurité Routière

138

Understand that, they have recently bought a new house in Nashville and its so much more pleasant and less worry about constant tornadoes and hailstones. Downside is that the texans are very pleasant and friendly people and they miss all their friends .

139

It’s a shame indeed. I do have the link, thanks. It’s constantly open on the laptop and every day I do a search in EVERY department. :roll_eyes: I am beginning to think it would just be easier to open my own driving school.

It does make one wonder…why bother requiring a license exchange for visitor visa holders during the first year? Why not require it after the first renewal or in other words, during year two? Someone who is only going to be here for one year might change their mind and want to renew for another year but by then, they’ve almost certainly missed the deadline for exchanging a license. I can “almost” see why the prefecture made the error all those years ago in telling me as a visitor, I didn’t qualify for an exchange.

140

Nashville is a wonderful city @Shiba. Yes, Texans have always been welcoming people though native Texans have been replaced over the years by implants from other states because of cheap(er)
housing prices and no state income tax.

I haven’t been back in a few years but it seemed like the general demeanor had changed for the worse. And you are right about the weather. There are now two seasons in Texas: summer season and tornado season. Neither are very peasant.

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141

@Somewhereinfr it’s not just you :slight_smile:

On auto-moto.com today