Worrying about the loss of your driving licence or not carrying it with you when stopped by the French police could well soon become a thing of the past.
Recent versions of the French driving licence are in credit card format, but under plans announced this week by the government it will soon be available as an e-licence.
The digital version has been developed by the national driving licence agency, Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTs).
The e-licence will be available from a link on the government digital identity card website France Identité or from a QR code on the on-line Telepoint service which currently provides information on your driving licence points.
To import the licence into your phone you will simply need to scan a QR code or click on a link. The database of the driving licence system will then be queried remotely, and your information will be retrieved.
Drivers will be able to present the e-licence during a roadside check as it will carry the same validity as the card licence.
Nevertheless, the government have stated that the e-permit will not replace the card version. It will simply be available in addition to the card for those who would like to have it.
Trials of the digital version will begin later this year in 3 departments - Rhône, Hauts-de-Seine and Eure-et-Loir. If successful, it will be rolled out across the country in 2024.
The plans form part of a wider government strategy to transfer administrative services on-line, which has been the subject of several critical reports from the National Auditor and the Ombudsman.
For the time being the use of the e-licence will be limited to France. However, a European version is being considered. Last March, the European Commission proposed the introduction of an electronic driving licence accessible online from a smartphone, valid throughout the European Union.
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