French License Conversion

Transcription

1 Training April 23, 2013 UPDATE French License Conversion MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles Division Effective immediately, the RMV has an arrangement with the Republic of France to convert a valid French passenger license (French Class B or B1) or motorcycle license (French Class A or A1) that is in good standing to an equivalent Massachusetts Class D or Class M license as long as the customer is at least 18 years of age and meets the RMV s residency and identification requirements. The customer will not be required to take a learner s permit exam or road test in order to convert the French license. Once converted, the French license must be surrendered to the RMV to be stored at the Consulate of the Republic of France in Boston. The customer will only have a Massachusetts license. As part of this agreement, a Massachusetts resident who moves to the Republic of France will also be allowed to convert his/her Massachusetts license to a French license. Customers Who Already Obtained a Permit If a customer has already obtained a Massachusetts Learner s Permit, but would now like to convert his/her French License, this should be permitted. The same procedures detailed in this update should be followed for these customers. If the customer has already taken and failed one or more Massachusetts road tests, he/she is not eligible to convert the French license and must pass a road test in order to get a Massachusetts license. Conversion Requirements To convert a French license, a customer must meet the following requirements: Must be at least 18 years of age Must meet the Massachusetts residency requirements (including all visa requirements) Must meet the RMV s identification requirements The French license cannot be expired, suspended, or revoked Customer Procedure The following steps must be completed by the customer: 1. Obtain a completed and stamped French Driver s License Translation. A customer can get this official translation at the French Consulate in Boston, or he/she can have the license translated and certified by one of the acceptable translators listed in the Translation Required Policy section of the Driver s Manual (page 16). Copies of license application forms and the Identification Requirements Brochure are also available at the Consulate.

2 The consulate s phone number is Its website is Its address is: Park Square Building, Suite , Saint James Avenue - Boston MA Visit any full-service RMV branch. 3. Submit the completed and stamped or certified translation of the French driver s license. 4. Submit an original, unaltered, and certified driving record that was issued no more than 30 days earlier by the agency issuing the driver s license and a translation of the driving record obtained from the French Consulate or from one of the acceptable translators listed in the Translation Required Policy section of the Driver s Manual (page 16). The driving record should include evidence of the applicant s current license status to operate a passenger motor vehicle or motorcycle. Note: This driving record is only available in France. If the customer does not have one, he/she is not eligible for license conversion and will require a written test and a road test. 5. Pay all of the required license conversion fees (learner s permit exam fee, road test fee, and license issuance fee). 6. Surrender the French license to the RMV for storage at the French Consulate. French licenses stored at the French Consulate will be returned to a customer if he/she intends to permanently return to France. If the customer makes a temporary visit to the Republic of France, the French Consulate will return the French license and hold the customer s MA license until he/she returns the French license. RMV Procedure When converting a French license, you must do the following: 1. Review the customer s documents to ensure that he/she meets all of the standard license conversion requirements and that he/she has the following: A valid French license (the customer must have it in his/her possession) A completed and stamped French Driver s License Translation from the French Consulate or a translation certified by one of the acceptable translators listed in the Translation Required Policy section of the Driver s Manual (page 16) An original, unaltered, driving record, certified by the agency in France that issues driver s licenses, which was issued no more than 30 days earlier and a translation of the driving record obtained from the French Consulate or from one of the acceptable translators listed in the Translation Required Policy section of

3 the Driver s Manual (page 16). The driving record must indicate that the applicant is currently licensed to operate a passenger motor vehicle or motorcycle. o If an applicant s driving record lists twelve points, or if it does not list any points, the license can be converted without any additional documentation. o If a driving record lists a point total between seven and eleven, the driving record must be accompanied by an addendum from the consulate explaining the driving offenses. o If the driving record lists six or fewer points, the license cannot be converted. o If the driving record shows that the customer has any alcohol/drug offenses, he/she must be referred to a hearings officer. 2. Add the customer to the system, give him/her a vision exam, and image the customer. 3. Press the OOS Conversion button. This will take you to the LOS screen. 4. Enter the customer s license number. 5. Enter RF in the State field (this stands for Republic of France ) 6. Enter L in the License/Permit field. 7. Enter the license class in the Class field. A French license can only be converted to a Class D or M license. 8. Enter the issue date and expiration date. French licenses have no expiration date. The current date should be used for the issue date and the expiration date should be five years from the issue date. 9. Complete the transaction as you would any other license conversion. 10. Scan the French license, the license translation, the French driving record, and the driving record translation along with the rest of the supporting documents. Return the original license translation, driving record, and driving record translation to the customer. 11. Keep the French license and give it to your manager or supervisor. The manager or supervisor will be responsible for sending it to the Driver Licensing Department. The license will then be forwarded to the French Consulate in Boston. Note: Please label all French Licenses with the customer s name and new Massachusetts license number before sending them to Driver Licensing. Questions? Please contact the Driver Licensing Department.

4 Sample French Driver s License Front Name Date of Birth Address Issue Date Photo Signature Back

5 Sample French Driving Record Check the translation of the driving record to see if it lists any points associated with the license. If it lists twelve points, or if does not list any points, the license can be converted and no additional documentation is needed. If it lists seven to eleven points, the driving record must be accompanied by an addendum from the consulate explaining the driving offenses. If it lists six or fewer points, the license cannot be converted. Note: French driving records will vary in appearance depending on the part of France in which they were issued.