From the coming year, older, unlimited driving licenses will have to be exchanged gradually. Anyone caught during controls with an invalid driving license must pay a fine.
Around 43 million driver’s licenses will have to be exchanged for forgery-proof copies in stages from 2022 onwards. This is pointed out by the ADAC, which also has a practical Exchange date calculator makes available on the Internet. Holders of around 15 million paper driver’s licenses that were issued up to the end of 1998 have to hurry up.
Since 1999 there has been a new uniform driving license for all EU countries. Initially, these driving licenses were issued for an unlimited period in the size of an EC or credit card. That changed at the beginning of 2013, since then the license to drive has an expiry period of 15 years. After that, the motorcycle and car driving licenses must be renewed without additional testing.
In the coming year, the baby boomers from 1959 to 1964 will first have their turn – if they have a paper license. The magazine Auto Motor and Sport points out a special feature: Anyone who still has a gray or red “rag” and no longer lives where it was issued must first apply for a so-called index card copy from the local driver’s license register of the issuing authority.
It is easier to convert the card driving licenses that were issued between 1999 and the beginning of 2013. Depending on the year of issue, they also have to be gradually exchanged for the new, temporary EU driving license, but the deadlines do not expire that quickly. All new driving licenses are recorded in a standardized EU database in order to avoid misuse.
The exchange period runs until 2033, but some district offices are barely able to comply with the changeover. If you are caught with an outdated card after the respective exchange period has expired, you must expect a fine during the inspection.