EU regulations impact driver's licenses and tachograph requirements

New European Union regulations are introducing significant changes to driving documentation and commercial vehicle monitoring. Under a mandate to implement uniform, tamper-proof EU driver's licenses, all licenses issued before 2013 must be exchanged for the new credit-card format by 2033. A key feature of these new documents is field 4b, which specifies a 15-year validity period. This expiration date is designed to prevent forgery by ensuring that personal data and photographs are updated regularly. The exchange is a purely administrative process and does not require new driving tests or medical examinations.

In the transport sector, new EU rules effective July 1, 2026, require vehicles with a gross mass between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes used in cross-border freight to be equipped with second-generation smart tachographs. These devices automatically record driving times, breaks, and rest periods, as well as border crossings. While this currently applies to cross-border transport, the German union Verdi is calling for the mandate to be extended to all light commercial vehicles used for commercial purposes. The union argues that expanded monitoring is necessary to combat violations of maximum working hours and minimum wage laws within the delivery and courier industries.