The revolution that everyone is talking about! Yesterday, the media Parisien revealed in one of its articles the implementation in early 2024 of the dematerialized driving license. Goodbye to the precious pink sesame or the card! The French will be able to find their e-license directly on their smartphone. Zoom on this innovation which will be tested from the end of the year in three departments…
In response to the progressive digitization of administrative services
Following the example of the “carte vitale” (health insurance card) for 2025, it is now the turn of the driver’s license to go digital. A new generation driving license, which will in no way replace physical documents. Indeed, as specified by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, the latter is rather a “certified copy of the administrative document”.
This dematerialized permit will never replace the physical version, but will complement it in order to simplify the life of citizens who are fond of digital administrative procedures
Gérald Darmanin,Minister of the Interior
An e-license will be tested at the end of the year in the Eure-et-Loir, Rhône and Hauts-de-Seine regions, before being rolled out in early 2024. The e-license will be valid during roadside checks, with verification by law enforcement officials using a NEO or NEO 2 smartphone equipped with a chip reader. But also, as a proof of identity for car rental companies or car-sharing operators.
A long debated initiative
Already mentioned in 2021, the dematerialized driving license has long been a debate among EU member states. Indeed, the European Commission has been working on the issue of creating an e-license. A digital device that would be valid on the whole European territory.
A cooperation which, as you can imagine, would offer a lot of advantages to the authorities. For example, foreign motorists can be fined, whether they drive their own car or a rental car… With the implementation of a digital portal offering the possibility to all EU citizens to pay their fines. And this regardless of the location.
Accessible via a simple application
Inspired by the electronic national identity card (CNIe), the e-permit will also be available from the France Identité. An application available on iOS and Android.
To import it, the user will simply have to “retrieve his Relevé d’information restreint (RIR) from the Télépoints teleservice site, then scan the document’s QR Code,” according to Le Parisien. Or either “import its rights to drive” by querying “remotely the database of the Delegation for Road Safety.” A digital clone that will be freely accessible afterwards, and this, off-line.
An approach certainly simplified, but for holders of the pink license, the obligation to have the CNIe on the application. An imperative due to the fact that the latter has an ultra-secure electronic chip, allowing the authentication of any citizen. Let’s see if this feature will be a success in a few months…
