French Assembly Opposes Mandatory Medical Check for Driving Licence Renewal

The Assemblée nationale has formally opposed the mandatory medical examination that the European Union wants to impose for the renewal of driving licences, adopting a European resolution on 19 August 2026 that invites the Gouvernement to resist the requirement. The text, adopted under Article 88-4 of the Constitution, was published in the Journal officiel de la République française n°0193 of 20 August 2026 (official reference JORFTEXT000054717999, NOR INPA2622543X).

The resolution targets Directive (UE) 2025/2205 of the Parlement européen et du Conseil of 22 October 2025 on driving licences, which amends Regulation (UE) 2018/1724 and Directive (UE) 2022/2561 and repeals Directive 2006/126/CE and Regulation (UE) n° 383/2012. The Assembly argues that the directive’s requirement of a mandatory medical visit every fifteen years, then every five years after the age of sixty-five, would impose a heavy administrative cost on a system that today self-regulates.

Autonomy of seniors and rural mobility

The Assembly considers that France already has legislation ensuring the proper functioning of driving licence delivery at every age of life. It warns that the European requirement risks hindering the autonomy and freedom of seniors, particularly in rural areas where the car remains the main mobility tool given the weakness of public transport provision.

The resolution therefore invites the Government to oppose the mandatory medical visit and to explore all the flexibility options opened by the directive at paragraph 3 of its Article 11, favouring a self-assessment solution for people renewing their driving licence.

Parliamentary procedure

The text follows a parliamentary track that began with a proposal for a European resolution (n° 2639) and a report by M. Fabrice Brun on behalf of the commission des affaires européennes (report n° 3001). The text was considered adopted by the commission des lois on 3 August 2026 and deemed final, under Article 151-7 of the Règlement, on 19 August 2026 (TA n° 342).

The resolution is one of several European texts adopted by the Assembly under Article 88-4 of the Constitution and published in the same issue of the Journal officiel, alongside a resolution on the control of plant protection products.

What it means for drivers

For French drivers, the resolution signals a clear parliamentary position against a European obligation that would add a medical step to licence renewal, especially for those over sixty-five. If the Government follows the Assembly’s invitation, renewal could continue to rely on self-assessment rather than a mandatory medical visit, preserving the current system that the Assembly says already works at all ages.

Source: Journal officiel de la République française, n°0193, 20 August 2026, Informations parlementaires (official reference: JORFTEXT000054717999, NOR INPA2622543X).