What I learned from getting my "Permis de Conduire" (Driver's License) in France
After 31 years in California, in the summer of 2019, I moved to France. During the first 11 months of my first long-stay visa I lived in Paris, used the metro and skipped driving altogether (so much that I thought I might forget how!).
However the Covid19 pandemic arrived and after spending “Le Confinement” (part one) in a tiny Parisian apartment I decided to move (myself and my large dog) to the outer suburbs. After living almost one year in France, I needed to start driving again..
My first year visa expired June 25, 2020. Three days before that date, I purchased a car and got insured in France using my California driver’s license and clean US driving record.
If you’re an American moving to France and plan on getting your driver’s license you can either:
Exchange your US Driver’s License within the 1st year of their long-stay visa, if you come from a state that allows these types of exchanges or;
Use your US licenses in France for the 1st year of your long-stay visa and then take the French written and then the practical driving tests.
Many US states have agreements with France for a full license exchange. Not California. Hence once I enjoyed summer trips and became somewhat used to the roads here, I knew I needed to formalise my driving privileges. In August 2020 I signed up for the local driving school with class starting in October 2020. The school, or “Auto-École” as it is called in France was recommended to me by my neighbour, the same place her teenagers learned to drive.
This is where the real work began.
For me the hardest part was passing the written test, Le Code de La Route, which is no joke, even according to French people. Not only are the questions designed to “trick” you in some way or the other, they also are worded with “government-centric” vocabulary not generally used in everyday spoken or classroom French. Lastly, the questions use videos, and if you “miss” seeing something when watching the videos, by the time it is time to answer that question you will get it wrong because what matters will no longer be in the picture. Hence when you take this written test you need to be “on your game”, ready to keep your eyes peeled (watch the rearview mirrors!), follow logic and use deductive reasoning.
To prepare for Le Code, I:
Went to Monoprix and used a Photomaton to get my official photos taken so the “Auto-École” could get me a NEPH (Numéro d'Enregistrement Préfectoral Harmonisé) number and I could officially get into the system. Once you have these photos you need to KEEP THEM IN A PLACE YOU CAN FIND THEM LATER because they also have an “official number” printed on them that you need to use later in order to get your physical license.
Attended a one-day, 10-hour in-person course at the “Auto-École”. Given in French, this long day consisted of going over the possible questions with the teacher and learning about the signs and rules for driving in France. Truthfully, for me this day was exhausting, and I think I understood about 85% of what was presented.
Did tons of practice tests. It was with the ONE practice test we received from the “Auto-École” and the dozens of practice tests I took on the mobile app “Code de le Route” that helped me ultimately pass this stressful exam.
I passed Le Code de la Route! (the written exam):
I ended up taking “Le Code” four times, passing with a 37. (You need to get at least 35/40 points to pass.) The day I succeeded there were only 2 people taking the test, me and a French teenager (who failed his first time taking it - they make your results public to all attending). Also - when I spoke with 2 other Native French-speaking adolescents the day of the practical test I found out one took Le Code 6 times and the other twice. Bottom line, do not feel bad if you need to take the test several times.
Here are some facts about driving in France:
Driving here is fundamentally different from in the US/North America. After almost causing a few accidents on the road, not understanding why people were honking at me (God Bless nothing happened), I was actually glad I needed to go through the driving school process here (as a US license exchange would not have forced this).
Differences:
Priorité a droite - one of the specific rules here in France. There is a special sign for this, and if you are not familiar with it you can be dangerous. Also, many times, the priorité a droite intersections are not marked, hence you have to viscerally know this rule, ingrain it into your head.
If you are not familiar with the different markings on the ground, you can also get into trouble. Driving in France is like learning the language, and there are many things that do not make sense if you learned to drive in the USA. Hard solid while lines at an intersection mean STOP, dotted lines mean a crosswalk if they are large; there is NO priorité a droite for the person coming upon a narrow dotted line. Sometime there are no lines on the ground for stopLIGHTS, and stoplights are located on the SIDE of the road, not the middle like the US. Bottom line - if you are going to drive in France it is a good idea to learn the language of the lines (or lack of) on the roads.
Coupled with the various markings on the road are the different categories of street /road/parking/information signs. They are colour and shape coordinated, and unless you actually study them you may have a challenging time figuring out what each one means. Many are just symbols; a full list can be found here. For me, the only way to get used to these signs was to “experience them in action” while driving.
Speed limit and hidden cameras exist everywhere. Anyone who has driven in France for longer than a week has probably seen or heard of the hidden cameras that track speed and the running of red lights, etc. For someone like me who only has 6 points (yes - there is a “point system”) on her new license and is still learning the roads here, these speed limits are somewhat a blessing. At the same time I cannot afford to get “flashed” for breaking some rule and lose these precious “point(s)” on my newly acquired license. And, as of April 2021, I heard they are now putting additional cameras up to average out your speed in-between each camera to ensure you are not going too fast! In summary, if you do not want a ticket or points taken off your license do not speed in France.
Roundabouts. They may seem “easy” and look “simple” to navigate, and are if you know what you are doing. But again, if you do not know the rules of the road, where to place yourself and how to signal and enter/exit the roundabouts in France you can get yourself into trouble. After I passed “Le Code”, the written test, I took 10 hours of practice lessons with the “Auto-École”, and we spent one of these hours just doing roundabouts. Once you know the rules, you’re good. If not, expect to be honked at constantly.
The Rest of the Process: Getting a license in France in threefold. Unlike in the US, where you attend classes while having a permit, then take the written and practical test in one fell swoop and are mailed your license, in France you take the written exam first (Le Code de la Route), then you have several hours of practical lessons depending on your driving level, followed by a separate practical driving exam.
The Practical Exam takes place with 3-4 other students, and takes about 2-3 hours for the process to finish. Each person has about 30 minutes being tested. In my case we all met at the “Auto-École” on a Monday morning at 7am and one of the instructors drove us to the test site. At that point we went, one at a time, with the “official” test instructor PLUS our “Auto-École” instructor sitting in the back seat of the car. Together these 2 instructors silently evaluate you as the “official” tester gives out instructions. I happened to go first in my group, and at the busiest time (8am). It was a bit stressful as we were going through heavily foot-trafficked areas, and there were tons of people everywhere. At the end of my exam the instructors told me I had missed 2 “priorité a droites”. I was convinced I’d failed the test.
But, to my GREAT SURPRISE, I ended up PASSING the test with a 29/30. I did miss a couple of points, however was not aware they give EXTRA CREDIT for 1) driving environmentally soundly, and 2) for being polite! For the 3 points I got taken off for missing the priorité a droites, I made up with 2 bonus points of extra-credit! When I saw my results online I printed them out and waited for my real license (the plastic one) to arrive in the mail.
However I was wrong! And thank goodness I met someone who works for the government and who knows the process. As I bragged I was waiting for my license in the mail, he then brought to my attention that I had missed the FINAL STEP in the process!
Getting an actual, physical license. After passing the practical exam, you need to register online and submit your passing test results, along with a few other things (proof of residence, Titre de Sejour, etc) in order to get your official “plastic” licence. You also need to go and find the “official photos” you took at the Photomaton when you started this process. Once you find and attach all of the necessary documents to your online profile, your official Permis de Conduire should arrive in the mail within 2 weeks.
With the Covid19 restrictions and more limited ability for appointments, the entire process (for me) took about 4 months, from the time I signed up and paid, to the day I passed my practical test. After that, without knowing I had to take the last step to actually get the plastic license, I finally received the actual license 2 weeks after I created my account and applied for it online, overall it took just over 5 months.
Other things to know:
Do NOT forget to have your PAPERS with you when you drive. These papers include:
The original “Carte Grise”, proof that you own the car and that it is officially registered.
Your actual driver’s license, or “Permis de Conduire”.
Proof of Insurance.
For me, I keep these 3 things together in an organised packet, and try to remember to have them with me at all times when I drive. I will say that there is no way that I would know all of this myself, even from going to the Auto-École. Perhaps they did say something about having these papers with you at all times at the school, but honestly I was just trying to retain enough information to pass the written test at the time and was not even thinking about which papers I would need to carry in my car once I passed the tests.
Lastly - do not forget about the “Proof” that you must also show on your windshield:
Square sticker with proof of insurance (your insurance company will automatically give you one of these - I went about 9 months not knowing I needed to attach this to my windshield.
Square sticker for the “right” to enter into larger cities (like Paris). Little did I know that you have to register your car and pay a fee for a special sticker so you can drive in major cities here in France. This is not expensive (under 5 Euros), but not obvious either. I would NEVER have known to do this, thanks again to a friend who has my back for telling me this (and for ordering this sticker online for me).
In conclusion - all I will say is this process is worth it if you plan to reside in France and drive all over the European Union.
If you have any questions, comments or feedback I would love to hear your experiences too.
Thank you for reading this!
~Sara Grace
saragrace@flygirlparis.com