Judicial suspension of driving license

Verified 30 July 2024 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

The judge ordered your driver's license suspended and you want to know if you are prohibited from driving? We present the main rules to know about the judicial suspension of the license and the steps to take to recover your license.

FYI  

Following a serious traffic offense, several procedures may lead to the withdrawal of a driving license: invalidation, the administrative suspension, judicial suspension and judicial annulment of the permit.

Step-by-step approach

You must return your driving license.

According to the judicial procedure, you must return your driving license the day of the judgment or afterwards, with law enforcement.

If you wish to challenge the suspension of your driving license, consult the decision of judicial suspension which indicates the means and time limits of appeal.

You must inform your insurance in case of judicial suspension of your driving license.

You must inform him by registered letter with AR: titleContent within a period of 15 days from notification withdrawal of driving licenses.

Unless the judge adjusts the sentence, suspension entails the driving ban a vehicle that requires a license to drive.

The maximum duration of the judicial suspension of the license is:

  • 5 years in the case of manslaughter or involuntary injury
  • 3 years in other cases.

These durations may be doubled, in particular in the case of hit-and-run or recurrence.

If you drive while your license is suspended, you risk 2 years in prison and €4,500 fine.

Your vehicle may be immobilized.

6 points are removed from your driving license.

You may also additional penalties.

In case of suspension of 6 months or more, you must pass a psychotechnical examination so you can get your driver's license back.

You must take the psychotechnical exam without waiting for the end of the driving prohibition period.

You must make an appointment with a registered psychologist with the prefect.

The examination lasts at least 40 minutes.

It includes a personal interviewand one or more psychotechnical tests.

The average cost of the psychotechnical examination is €100 about.

The list of registered psychologists is available on the websites of the prefectures.

General case
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In Paris
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Please note

Check the letter of notification of the license suspension for further medical examinations.

In case of suspension longer than 1 month, you must pass a medical examination, called medical examination, in order to be able to recover your driving license at the end of the driving ban period.

You must pass the medical examination without waiting for the end of the driving prohibition period.

1. Make an appointment

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If you have committed an alcohol or drug offense

You must make an appointment with the medical commission on the website of your prefecture.

It may also be, on a decision of the prefect, the medical commission of department where you committed the offense.

General case
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Other Offense

You must speak to a city doctor approved by the prefect of your department.

This doctor should not be your doctor.

You can consult the list of accredited doctors on the websites of the prefectures.

The list of accredited doctors is also available in the prefectures, sub-prefectures and in the town halls of certain municipalities.

FYI  

you can take the medical examination with a doctor registered in a department other than your residence. In this case, it is prudent to attach to your file the explanation of the use of a doctor other than that of your department of residence.

2. Prepare documents to provide 

On the day of the inspection, prepare the following documents:

  • Cerfa Form No. 14880pre-filled
  • ID
  • License suspension decision and letter of decision notification of the decision
  • Results of biological examinations if requested in the letter of notification
  • Result of the psychotechnical examination in case of suspension of 6 months or more.

3. Go through the medical examination

The medical check is on your physical fitness, cognitive and sensory to drive.

You must report with the results of requested medical examinations in the letter from notification suspension of the license.

Of additional examinations and advice from qualified healthcare professionals may be requested.

The registered doctor may also ask that you be examined by the departmental medical committee.

You then have to make an appointment on your prefecture's website.

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4. Pay for the medical check-up

The price of the medical examination is:

  • Before a licensed doctor: €36
  • Before the Medical Committee: €50.

The health insurance does not cover the costs of the check, nor any additional examinations.

However, medical check-ups are free of charge for a disabled person whose recognized rate of disability is 50% or more.

5. Retain the result of the check

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If the opinion is favorable

The medical opinion is given to you.

The medical opinion has a validity of 2 years.

You need this document to get your driver's license back.

If the opinion is unfavorable

A decision to be unfit to drive is notified.

The letter sets out the remedies and time limits for appeal.

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Suspension of 1 month or less

At the end of the suspension, you can get your license back to your prefecture.

Who shall I contact

Suspension greater than 1 month or suspension related to alcohol or narcotics

You can only get your license back if you have been found fit to drive as a result of the medical examination.

The application is made online on the website of theANTS: titleContent.

The online service can be accessed through FranceConnect or with your IDS ID, in French only.

If you do not have ANTS credentials, it is proposed to create an account to have a personal space on the ANTS website.

You need the following documents in photographic or digitized version:

Driving license: application for manufacture following suspension of the driving license

Warning  

check if your driving license has a validity limited to 6 months or 1 year. If so, you will have to go through a medical check-up again at the end of this period.

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