- Latest available (Revised)
- Point in Time (20/12/2006)
- Original (As adopted by EU)
Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on driving licences (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance)
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The card shall be made of polycarbonate.
Methods for testing the characteristics of driving licences for the purpose of confirming their compliance with the international standards shall be in accordance with ISO 10373.
The threats to the physical security of driving licences are:
production of false cards: creating a new object which bears great resemblance to the document, either by making it from scratch or by copying an original document,
material alteration: changing a property of an original document, e.g. modifying some of the data printed on the document;
The overall security lies in the system in its entirety, consisting of the application process, the transmission of data, the card body material, the printing technique, a minimum set of different security features and the personalisation process.
The material used for driving licences shall be made secure against forgery by using the following techniques (mandatory security features):
card bodies shall be UV dull,
a security background pattern designed to be resistant to counterfeit by scanning, printing or copying, using rainbow printing with multicolour security inks and positive and negative guilloche printing. The pattern shall not be composed of the primary colours (CMYK), shall contain complex pattern designs in a minimum of two special colours and shall include micro lettering,
optical variable elements providing adequate protection against copying and tampering of the photograph,
laser engraving,
in the area of the photograph the security design background and photograph should overlap on at least its border (weakening pattern).
In addition, the material used for driving licences shall be made secure against forgery by using at least three of the following techniques (additional security features):
colour-shifting inks*,
termochromic ink*,
custom holograms*,
variable laser images*,
ultraviolet fluorescent ink, visible and transparent,
iridescent printing,
digital watermark in the background,
infrared or phosphorescent pigments,
tactile characters, symbols or patterns*.
Member States are free to introduce additional security features. As a basis, the techniques indicated with an asterisk are to be preferred as they enable the law enforcement officers to check the validity of the card without any special means.
Page 1 shall contain:
the words ‘Driving Licence’ printed in large type in the language or languages of the Member State issuing the licence;
the name of the Member State issuing the licence (optional);
the distinguishing sign of the Member State issuing the licence, printed in negative in a blue rectangle and encircled by twelve yellow stars; the distinguishing signs shall be as follows:
:
Belgium
:
Czech Republic
:
Denmark
:
Germany
:
Estonia
:
Greece
:
Spain
:
France
:
Ireland
:
Italy
:
Cyprus
:
Latvia
:
Lithuania
:
Luxembourg
:
Hungary
:
Malta
:
The Netherlands
:
Austria
:
Poland
:
Portugal
:
Slovenia
:
Slovakia
:
Finland
:
Sweden
:
The United Kingdom;
information specific to the licence issued, numbered as follows:
surname of the holder;
other name(s) of the holder;
date and place of birth;
date of issue of the licence;
date of expiry of the licence or a dash if the licence is valid indefinitely under the provision of Article 7(2)(c);
the name of the issuing authority (may be printed on page 2);
a different number from the one under heading 5, for administrative purposes (optional);
number of the licence;
photograph of the holder;
signature of the holder;
permanent place of residence, or postal address (optional);
category of vehicle(s) the holder is entitled to drive (national categories shall be printed in a different type from harmonised categories);
the words ‘European Communities model’ in the language(s) of the Member State issuing the licence and the words ‘Driving Licence’ in the other languages of the Community, printed in pink to form the background of the licence:
Permiso de Conducción
Řidičský průkaz
Kørekort
Führerschein
Juhiluba
Άδεια Οδήγησης
Driving Licence
Permis de conduire
Ceadúas Tiomána
Patente di guida
Vadītāja apliecība
Vairuotojo pažymėjimas
Vezetői engedély
Liċenzja tas-Sewqan
Rijbewijs
Prawo Jazdy
Carta de Condução
Vodičský preukaz
Vozniško dovoljenje
Ajokortti
Körkort;
Colour references:
blue: Pantone Reflex Blue,
yellow: Pantone Yellow.
Page 2 shall contain:
category of vehicle(s) the holder is entitled to drive (national categories shall be printed in a different type from harmonised categories);
date of first issue of each category (this date must be repeated on the new licence in the event of subsequent replacement or exchange);
date of expiry of each category;
additional information/restriction(s), in code form, facing the (sub)category affected.
The codes shall be as follows:
:
harmonised Community codes
Glasses
Contact lense(s)
Protective glass
Opaque lense
Eye cover
Glasses or contact lenses
Hearing aid for one ear
Hearing aid for two ears
Upper limb prosthesis/orthosis
Lower limb prosthesis/orthosis
Limited to day time journeys (for example: one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset)
Limited to journeys within a radius of … km from holder's place of residence or only inside city/region
Driving without passengers
Limited to journeys with a speed not greater than … km/h
Driving authorised solely when accompanied by a holder of a driving licence
Without trailer
No driving on motorways
No alcohol
Manual transmission
Automatic transmission
Electronically operated transmission
Adjusted gear-shift lever
Without secondary gearbox
Adjusted gear-shift lever
Manual clutch
Automatic clutch
Partitioning in front of/fold away/detached clutch pedal
Adjusted brake pedal
Enlarged brake pedal
Brake pedal suitable for use by left foot
Brake pedal by sole
Tilted brake pedal
Manual (adapted) service brake
Maximum use of reinforced service brake
Maximum use of emergency brake integrated in the service brake
Adjusted parking brake
Electrically operated parking brake
(Adjusted) foot operated parking brake
Partitioning in front of/fold away/detached brake pedal
Brake operated by knee
Electrically operated service brake
Adjusted accelerator pedal
Accelerator pedal by sole
Tilted accelerator pedal
Manual accelerator
Accelerator at knee
Servo accelerator (electronic, pneumatic, etc.)
Accelerator pedal on the left of brake pedal
Accelerator pedal on the left
Partitioning in front of/fold away/detached accelerator pedal
Parallel pedals
Pedals at (or almost at) the same level
Accelerator and brake with sliding
Accelerator and brake with sliding and orthesis
Fold away/detached accelerator and brake pedals
Raised floor
Partitioning on the side of the brake pedal
Partitioning for prosthesis on the side of the brake pedal
Partitioning in front of the accelerator and brake pedals
Heel/leg support
Electrically operated accelerator and brake
(Lights switches, windscreen wiper/washer, horn, direction indicators, etc.)
Control devices operable without negative influence on the steering and handling
Control devices operable without releasing the steering wheel and accessories (knob, fork, etc.)
Control devices operable without releasing the steering wheel and accessories (knob, fork, etc.) with the left hand
Control devices operable without releasing the steering wheel and accessories (knob, fork, etc.) with the right hand
Control devices operable without releasing the steering wheel and accessories (knob, fork, etc.) and the combined accelerator and braking mechanismss
Standard assisted steering
Reinforced assisted steering
Steering with backup system
Lengthened steering column
Adjusted steering wheel (Larger and/or thicker steering wheel section, reduced diameter steering wheel, etc.)
Tilted steering wheel
Vertical steering wheel
Horizontal steering wheel
Foot operated driving
Alternative adjusted steering (joy-stick, etc.)
Knob on the steering wheel
Hand orthesis on the steering wheel
With orthesis tenodese
External (left or) right-side rear-view mirror
External rear-view mirror set on the wing
Additional inside rear-view mirror permitting view of traffic
Panoramic inside rear-view mirror
Blind spot rear-view mirror
Electrically operated outside rear-view mirror(s)
Driver seat at a good viewing height and in normal distance from the steering wheel and the pedal
Driver seat adjusted to body shape
Driver seat with lateral support for good sitting stability
Driver seat with armrest
Lengthening of sliding driver's seat
Seat-belt adjustment
Harness-type seat-belt
Single operated brake
(Adjusted) hand operated brake (front wheel)
(Adjusted) foot operated brake (back wheel)
(Adjusted) accelerator handle
(Adjusted) manual transmission and manual clutch
(Adjusted) rear-view mirror(s)
(Adjusted) commands (direction indicators, braking light, …)
Seat height allowing the driver, in sitting position, to have two feet on the road at the same time
:
to the left
:
to the right
:
left
:
right
:
hand
:
foot
:
usable
:
national codes valid only for driving in the territory of the Member State which issued the licence.
Where a code applies to all categories for which the licence is issued, it may be printed under headings 9, 10 and 11;
in implementation of section 4(a) of this Annex, a space reserved for the possible entry by the host Member State of information essential for administering the licence;
a space reserved for the possible entry by the Member State which issues the licence of information essential for administering the licence or related to road safety (optional). If the information relates to one of the headings defined in this Annex, it should be preceded by the number of the heading in question.
With the specific written agreement of the holder, information which is not related to the administration of the driving licence or road safety may also be added in this space; such addition shall not alter in any way the use of the model as a driving licence;
an explanation of the numbered items which appear on pages 1 and 2 of the licence (at least items 1, 2, 3, 4 (a), 4 (b), 4 (c), 5, 10, 11 and 12)
If a Member State wishes to make the entries in a national language other than one of the following languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish or Swedish, it shall draw up a bilingual version of the licence using one of the aforementioned languages, without prejudice to the other provisions of this Annex;
a space shall be reserved on the Community model licence to allow for the possible introduction of a microchip or similar computer device.
Where the holder of a driving licence issued by a Member State in accordance with this Annex has his normal place of residence in another Member State, that Member State may enter in the licence such information as is essential for administering it, provided that it also enters this type of information in the licences which it issues and provided that there remains enough space for the purpose.
After consulting the Commission, Member States may add colours or markings, such as bar codes and national symbols, without prejudice to the other provisions of this Annex.
In the context of mutual recognition of licences, the bar code may not contain information other than what can already be read on the driving licence or which is essential to the process of issuing the licence.
Note: a pictogram and a line for category AM will be added.U.K.
Note: the term ‘A2’ will be added to the section on motorcycle categories.U.K.
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