The driving license in credit card format, rolled out in France since 2013, features a dense table on the back where each column has a specific function. The column 11 is part of this table and contains information that many holders are unaware of or confuse with other fields. Its role is directly linked to the categories of vehicles that the holder is authorized to drive, and reading it correctly avoids administrative errors during a renewal or a check.
Column 11 of the driving license: validity date by category
The back of the European license is organized in a table. Each row corresponds to a vehicle category (AM, A1, A2, A, B, C, D, etc.). Columns 9 to 12 detail, for each category, the associated dates and restrictions.
Column 11 indicates the specific expiration date for each category obtained by the holder. This date may differ from the administrative validity date of the license itself (noted in field 4b on the front). A category B license obtained on a certain date and a category A2 license obtained later may not necessarily have the same expiration date in column 11.
This distinction is often a source of confusion. Field 4b on the front provides a global validity date for the physical document. Column 11, on the other hand, specifies the validity of each driving right line by line. To understand column 11 of the driving license, it is therefore essential to always cross-reference the row (category) and the column (date) without separating them.
Difference between column 11 and fields 4a, 4b, 4c on the front
The fields on the front and the columns on the back serve complementary but distinct functions. Mixing them up leads to errors during procedures at the prefecture or with a vehicle rental company.
- The field 4a indicates the date of issuance of the physical document that the holder possesses, not the date of initial acquisition of the driving right.
- Field 4b provides the expiration date of the document. After this date, the license must be renewed, even if the right to drive remains valid.
- Field 4c mentions the authority or municipality that issued the license.
- Column 11, on the back, carries the expiration date specific to each category. It may be earlier or later than the date in field 4b depending on the category concerned.
In practice, a holder whose category B license is valid may have an expired category C in column 11 if they have not renewed their medical fitness. Therefore, checking only the front is not sufficient to know their actual driving rights.
Restriction codes in column 12 and their link to column 11
Just next to column 11 is the column 12, reserved for restriction codes. These harmonized codes at the European level specify the conditions under which a category is granted. Code 01, for example, requires the use of glasses or contact lenses. Code 78 restricts driving to vehicles with automatic transmission.
The link to column 11 is direct. When a restriction is accompanied by a limited duration (medical fitness, for example), the date noted in column 11 reflects this limit. Upon expiration, the holder must take the necessary steps (medical visit, additional examination) to obtain a new date in column 11.
A code in column 12 without a valid date in column 11 means that the right to drive that category has expired. Law enforcement checks these two columns together during a roadside check.
Common case: category C or D license with medical follow-up
The heavy vehicle categories (C, CE) and public transport (D, DE) require periodic medical checks. Column 11 for these lines displays a date closer than that of the category B license, often limited to a few years. Renewal involves a visit to an approved doctor, and the new date is then updated on the document.
Renewal of the license and updating column 11
The renewal of the physical document (every fifteen years for categories A and B in France) leads to an automatic update of the dates in column 11. The process is done online via the ANTS (National Agency for Secure Documents) tele-service.
For categories subject to medical follow-up, the update of column 11 depends on the validity date of the medical notice provided. Without an up-to-date medical visit, the prefecture does not extend the date in column 11 for the relevant category, even if the rest of the license is renewed.
In practice, a truck driver renewing their category B license will see their B line updated normally, but their C line will remain unchanged until the medical certificate is submitted. This granularity by category is one of the reasons why column 11 exists as a distinct field from field 4b.
During a check or a utility vehicle rental, the date read in column 11 on the corresponding line is authoritative. A document that appears valid on the front may conceal an expired category on the back. Checking column 11 line by line remains the only reliable method to confirm actual driving rights.
