It’s a rainy Wednesday in a small town in Brittany, and the waiting room at the driving licence office is full of people with grey hair and nervous looks. A 72-year-old man holds his folder tightly and whispers to his wife, “How do we shop if they take it away?” A 30-year-old man next to him is scrolling through his phone with headphones on, not really paying attention to the quiet anxiety around him. People whisper about rumours: “They’re going to stop giving out licenses at 65,” “They’ll make you take tests at 75,” and “We’ll have to redo everything.” Nobody really knows what to think. Now that the choice has been made. And it changes more than you might think.
What the new rules in France really say about driving after 70
At family lunches and café counters, the same question kept coming up: “How old do we have to be to drive in France?” People thought of a magic number, like an invisible wall at 65 or 75. There is no wall there. The French government has now made it clear: there is no set age limit for keeping your driver’s license. That might make you feel better. But it also means something harder for each driver.
France has decided not to follow the example of other countries where licenses automatically end at a certain age. In Spain or the Netherlands, for instance, medical checks are required after a certain age. In France, the rule is still the same: age alone does not end the licence. On paper, a 30-year-old and an 85-year-old are the same. Everyone knows that things are different on the road.
Authorities are using another tool: medical fitness. It is now very clear what the official position is. You can drive as long as you are physically and mentally able to do so without putting yourself or others in danger. At 70 or 75, no computer will take away your licence. But a doctor can say you’re unfit at 45, just like at 90. Risk is no longer the enemy, age is. That sounds fair. It also makes the responsibility much closer to home.
So, what does it mean for older drivers?
The law didn’t just come up with a new age limit. Instead, it is making the current framework stronger. If a doctor in France thinks your health no longer allows you to drive safely, they can now order a medical check. A cardiologist, a general practitioner, or an ophthalmologist can all write a report and send you to a medical commission at the prefecture. That opinion then makes your licence conditional. Sometimes with limits.
Jeanne is 79 years old and lives alone in a village where the last bus left years ago. Her vision has gotten worse, and she has trouble with glare at night. Her doctor doesn’t want to “take away her freedom,” as he puts it, but he can’t ignore the danger. He says that you should go to the prefecture for a medical checkup. The result is that Jeanne keeps her licence, but she can’t drive at night and has to get a new check-up in two years. She leaves angry, then happy. It’s better to lose a little freedom than to lose everything all at once.
This is how the confirmed rules work. Not an automatic ban at 65. There is no universal cut-off at 75. Instead, more and more people are getting personalised licenses that only last for a short time, limit the distance, the time of day, and the type of road. The law wants things to be more “custom.” But custom means paperwork, and paperwork is stressful. Let’s be honest: every year, no one really reads the small print on the back of their licence. The risk is no longer an age; it’s the gap between what we think we can do and what our bodies can really handle.
How to keep your licence longer without endangering anyone
The best way to keep driving is easier than most people think: talk to your doctor honestly before the system makes you. That means bringing up those little signs that we usually try to hide. How hard it is to read road signs at night. The roundabouts that suddenly seem too fast. The tiredness that comes after an hour of driving instead of three. A short, honest talk can put off making harder choices later on.
A lot of families get caught in the same trap: not talking. Kids see their 80-year-old dad brake late, but they don’t say anything out of respect. Parents know they’re getting slower, but they act like nothing is wrong because they’re proud. The silence makes the shock even worse when it comes: a small accident, a neighbor’s complaint, or a doctor who suddenly stops everything. Starting the conversation sooner doesn’t magically get rid of the fear of losing freedom; it just makes it easier to deal with. Driving isn’t just about rules; it’s also about respect, routines, and who you are.
A road safety doctor in Lyon says, “Stopping driving is often like dying socially.” “It’s not my job to punish people. It’s to make sure they all go home at night, too. The new French way of doing things is not to fight older drivers, but to share responsibility.
A licence with no age limit… and no automatic safety net
France has taken a modern and flexible approach: there is no set age at which you “must” stop driving, but your health will determine how old you are when you do. For people who are reading Google Discover on their phones right now, this is the main point: your licence doesn’t expire at 65, 75, or even 85. Your body, not your birth certificate, tells you when it ends. This freedom comes with a hidden cost: it requires us to be more honest with ourselves.
We also have a question that we don’t often ask. How do we plan our lives after the last drive? Mobility isn’t a luxury topic in rural France, in old suburbs, or when you have to travel a long way to get to a pharmacy or supermarket. We need more than just “your car or your sofa” if we want to accept earlier, safer resignations. Neighbourhood services, shared cars, and help from employers for older workers: the age question doesn’t end at the prefecture counter. It goes on in every road and every choice we make about how we move and how we get older.
Main pointDetail: What the reader gets out of it
| There is no age limit for a licence. | In France, people don’t automatically withdraw at 65 or 75. | Lessens anxiety and stops rumours in their tracks |
| Being medically fit is very important | Doctors and prefectural commissions set limits. | Helps you figure out who can really stop or change a licence |
| Waiting pays off | Talking to doctors and family early on makes the change easier. | Gives you real tools to keep driving safely for longer |
What is FAQ?
How old do I have to be to legally drive in France?
The law does not currently set a maximum age. You can drive if you are medically fit and your license hasn’t been suspended or cancelled.
Will I have to take the test again when I’m 70 or 75?
There is no test that is based only on age. You only need to get a new assessment if a doctor or other authority asks for one because of a health problem or an accident on the road.
Can my doctor take away my licence?
Your GP can’t take it away directly, but they can send you to a medical commission at the prefecture, which can put limits on your licence, give you a licence for a short time, or suspend it.
What health problems do people most often try to fix?
Vision problems, neurological disorders, heart problems, passing out, and some drugs that make you less alert are all closely watched to see if you are fit to drive.
What should I do if I don’t agree with a medical decision?
You can ask for a second opinion and appeal the decision made by the prefecture if you have medical documents to back it up. It is possible to use the process, which is formal and sometimes takes a long time.
