European Parliament votes for new driving licence rules

On Tuesday 21 October 2025, the European Parliament confirmed an update of EU driving licence rules that aim to contribute to road safety and reduce collisions with almost 20,000 lives lost on EU roads annually.

MEPs backed a review of EU driving licence rules introducing provisions on novice drivers, a digital licence, and driving disqualification.

New training requirements – To qualify for a licence a driver’s test will now have to include knowledge on blind spot risks, driver-assistance systems, the safe opening of doors, and phone usage distraction risks. As a result of demands by MEPs, new training and testing requirements will place a greater emphasis on risk awareness of pedestrians, children, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

Validity and health checks – Driving licences should be valid for 15 years for motorcycles and cars, with the possibility for member states to reduce the validity period to 10 years if a driving licence is used as a national ID. Driving licences for trucks and buses will be valid for five years. EU countries may reduce the validity period for drivers aged 65 or older in order to submit holders to an increased frequency of medical checks or refresher courses. Before qualifying for their first licence or when applying for a renewal, a driver should pass a medical check, including tests of their eyesight and cardiovascular condition. EU countries may opt to substitute the medical check for car drivers or motorcycle riders by self-assessment forms or other assessment systems designed at the national level.

EP rapporteur on driving licence Jutta Paulus (Greens, DE) said: “By 2030 the new European Driving Licence Directive will introduce a digital driving licence, while giving citizens full freedom of choice between an app and a physical card. Driving education will contain more elements for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Volunteers such as firefighters and rescue workers will be able to drive emergency vehicles more easily, while new rules on training and recognition will make transport professions more attractive and accessible. Citizens across Europe will directly benefit from these tangible improvements.”

Novice and accompanied drivers – EU rules will set a probationary period for inexperienced drivers of at least two years. These drivers will face stricter rules and sanctions for driving under the influence of alcohol and not using safety belts or child-restraint systems. In addition, 17-year-olds will be able to get a licence to drive a car (category B), but they will have to drive accompanied by an experienced driver until they are 18.

Mobile driving licence – Under the new rules, a digital driving licence, accessible on a mobile phone, is intended to gradually become the main licence format in the EU. However, MEPs secured the right for drivers to request a physical licence, which should be issued without undue delay and in general within three weeks.

Driving disqualification – To reduce reckless driving while abroad a driving licence’s withdrawal, suspension or restriction will be passed on to the EU country which issued it, to ensure the cross-border enforcement of penalties. National authorities will have to inform each other, without undue delay, about decisions on driving disqualifications related to the most severe traffic offences – including drink or drug driving, involvement in a fatal traffic incident, or excessive speeding (e.g. driving 50 km/h faster than the speed limit).

Next steps – The new rules will enter into force on the 20th day following their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. EU countries will have three years to transpose these new provisions into national law and an additional year to prepare for their implementation. The revised EU driving licence rules are part of a road safety package presented by the European Commission in March 2023, which aims to improve safety for all road users and to move as close as possible to zero fatalities in EU road transport by 2050 (‘Vision Zero’).

Good – Thankfully not all proposed measures made it into the finale version of the driving licence rules: proposed differentiated speed limits for holders of A1, A2 and A motorcycle licences are no longer being discussed. This could have led to situations where motorcyclists were confronted with other, larger, and heavier, vehicles with higher speed limits on the same roads. We considered this a dangerous situation for already vulnerable road users and for other road users. The last thing a motorcyclist needs is car drivers “pushing” motorcyclists and more overtaking manoeuvres.

Bad – Several member states allows the holder of a B licence to ride an A1 motorcycle (<125cc or electric equivalent), with some additional requirements (age, experience, training) in their own country. This possibility still exists in the new rules, but FEMA would have liked to see this upgraded, so that these riders can actually cross a border legally. These light motorcycles are mostly used in low-speed traffic by commuters who try to avoid traffic jams. By doing this they contribute to the reduction of congestion

Source: European Parliament

Top photograph courtesy of www.cap.fi