Cherished Number Plates News

Foreign Drivers Watch Loophole Close

24 December 2008

Drivers within the EU may no longer escape the hard hand of the law and continue to drive on a pre-existing license when they have been disqualified on a license in the country that they may be required to produce a license.

Any driver who may possess a license from his/her country of birth but are living in a different country within the EU and have a disqualified license there, may no longer continue to drive on the valid license from their country of birth in the country that they hold the disqualified license. This matter is all very confusing but was highlighted when such a case was taken to the European courts of justice.

Earlier this year an Austrian born motorist living in Germany had his German license disqualified for driving while intoxicated. However, the Austrian found a loophole and continued to drive under his Austrian license which still remained valid. When German authorities became aware of this, the matter was forwarded to the EU courts. The court decided that while driving in the European Union and holding any one disqualified license, the holder could not drive legally within that country under any other license from any other state.

Although this individual matter has been resolved much confusion still remains surrounding the topic. Although a licensing authority may refuse to recognise any other pre-existing license if, a license from the country the driver is present is disqualified, if no disqualification is placed on any license a driver may hold as much licenses that he/she wishes and all must be recognised as being valid within the EU. A driver may also present a foreign license in a country which he/she may hold a valid license if the driver should wish to do so. The case mentioned above is not the first of its kind to cause conflict and indeed confusion with a country and must be considered an international matter. There have also been several cases of American driver finding their selves in trouble in similar cases