Validity of UK license without French address?

[Daft Doctor]

Hi

I got into a rather heated arguement with the guy at the Hertz desk when I picked up a hire car on my last trip to the UK about the validity of my UK license as a French resident.  As I'm due to go back again soon and will be hiring a car again, I wanted to have my facts right and hopefully have a link to something I can print off if needed as proof, so avoiding the same scenario.

I booked the car in advance with my credit card, which is registered to my French address, but my UK driving license still has my old UK address on it.  The Hertz guy wasn't happy at this discrepancy and threatened not to give me my prepaid hire car, even though I told him the circumstances and that the license was valid all across Europe, whatever the address on the paper bit.  He tried to tell me that I should have changed to a French driving license with a French address on it.  After a heated discussion he relented, but it wasn't a pleasant start to the trip.  When I moved from the UK, I sold up completely and no longer have a UK address.  I'm sure however that the (now replaced) Directgov website stated that you only needed to change the address on the license if you were moving to another UK address, and if you were moving abroad it was not necessary (or indeed possible).  Either way, my understanding is that the license remains valid until its expiry date. I realise that the argument may have been more to do with ensuring identity than validity of the license, but as my picture is on the license and I'd given credit card authority for any damages or loss I thought he was just being bloody minded. 

Am I factually correct that I am not obliged to obtain a French driving license just because I am a French resident and am I also right that there is no obligation to change the address on the UK license when I have not moved within the UK and no longer have a UK address?  Does anyone know of any internet links which might confirm these facts (I've looked but can't find anything specific), so that as stated above, I can be forearmed.  Many thanks in advance. [:)]   

[NormanH]

There is this:

La personne qui possède un permis de conduire délivré par un autre

pays de l'Espace économique européen (EEE) peut demander son échange

contre un permis français équivalent, sous certaines conditions.

La demande d'échange est facultative. Ce n'est pas une obligation,

sauf en cas d'infraction routière entraînant une mesure de restriction,

de suspension, d'annulation du permis ou une perte de points.

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F1758.xhtml

Doesn't say anything about the address though.

[powerdesal]

My understanding of the address situation, from previous discussions on this forum ( possibly SD, the guru of much motoring stuff ) is that DVLA require a UK address on your licence at which you can be contacted, not necessarily where you live. This could be a relative, friend etc.

It follows that if such an address is not possible then the licence should be changed, how they (DVLA) would know is another matter though.

[idun]

Well you need the french rules which NH has given you. And IF say a french person moved to the UK here are the rules for them

You can drive in Great Britain on your full, valid driving licence until you’re 70, or for 3 years after becoming resident in Great Britain, whichever is longer.

 

Remember though if your UK license is a photo license it will need changing after 10 years?????? so you would have to change it for a french one.

 

ALSO, if you do change it for a french license, then IF you move back to the UK,you only have a year after you have moved back to the UK to change it back to a UK license.

 

ps the Hertz people don't know their own business, apparently!

[Gardian]

I suspect that the answers tell you pretty much what you were sure about all the time.

If it was me, I'd be writing to Hertz UK inviting their opinion on the requirements and commenting on the attitude of their member of staff.

I mean, this is a situation that must arise several times daily at airport hire locations (which it probably was), so they ought to be fully aware of the rules.  

[nomoss]

Some time ago someone posted the text of a letter from DVLA - maybe on another forum - stating that UK licences were still valid if the holder lived outside the UK, even if they carried the last address the holder had in UK, as it is/was not possible to have a foreign address on a UK licence.

I thought I had the appropriate link saved, but can't find it. Does anyone else remember it?

[Mac]

"nomoss"Some time ago someone posted the text of a letter from DVLA - maybe on another forum - stating that UK licences were still valid if the holder lived outside the UK, even if they carried the last address the holder had in UK, as it is/was not possible to have a foreign address on a UK licence.I thought I had the appropriate link saved, but can't find it. Does anyone else remember it?========= Don't have the link saved but I phoned DVLA when we moved over here telling them that and asking did they want our new address. They weren't interested. Said that as we weren't living in the UK they had no need of our address. Fortunatly the tenants of out UK address are friends so of DVLA need to contact us they can.

[Rabbie]

Some time ago when I was living in Sweden I had my wallet and driving licence stolen. I contacted DVLA and they explained they needed a UK address to send the replacement licence to. They were unable to send it to a foreign address.

 

[sid]

This has been discussed so many times.

The UK licence remains valid if you move abroad. You can't change the address on it (for that you must be a UK resident and be able to provide addresses for the past 3 years  https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence). Surely the simplest solution is to exchange it for a French one. It's a very straightforward (and free here in 79 at least) process and you avoid all the awkward situations of explaining and arguing. If you have a photcard licence it's going expire in any case at the end of its 10-year life.

[Hereford]

I agree, this is why I changed my UK licence to a French one.  When I hired a car in Québec they were happy with my French licence (even though they saw a UK passport) and my UK credit card which is registered to our French address. In any case I now have a licence for life!

Mrs H

[Cendrillon]

Rabbie, a Swedish friend of mine who married a Brit and lives in the U.K. tried to renew her Swedish license but was told that she had to have a Swedish address which of course she no longer had.

edit: unfortunately her license had already expired and she would have to take the test to get a British one. To date she has not done this so no longer drives.

[idun]

Cendrillon, that is right, if she lives in the UK and her swedish license is up for renewal, then she'll have to renew it in the UK. Same as my swedish friend who is married to an englishman![:D]

[Rabbie]

[quote user="Cendrillon"]Rabbie, a Swedish friend of mine who married and Brit and lives in the U.K. tried to renew her Swedish license but was told that she had to have a Swedish address which of course she no longer had.
[/quote]My case was the other way round. I needed my UK licence so I could exchange it for a Swedish one as I was resident there at the time.  Mrs Rabbie was able to exchange her Swedish licence for a UK one without any problems so it should be straight forward for your friend provided her Swedish licence hasn't expired.

Personally I think that people should have a licence issued in the country where they are permanently resident. At least after a couple of years in that country.

[Cendrillon]

Rabbie, I just added a piece to my previous post and unfortunately the license had already expired.

[Rabbie]

Sorry to hear that. She will probably need to take a uk driving test.

[Jonzjob]

Unless you incurr points here as a resident or it is about to expire you do not need to change to a French licence at all.

http://ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-france/faqs/driving/driving-licences

The reason you would have to change for an offence is to let the French authorities take thos points off of your licence as they can't do anything about a U.K. jobbie.