US driving licence in France
There is no France–USA agreement. There are France–Michigan and France–Massachusetts agreements. Your Boston licence exchanges; your Brooklyn one does not.
Driver licensing in the United States is a state competence, not a federal one. France therefore negotiated agreements state by state.
Two colleagues living in Paris, one from Boston and one from Brooklyn, are in completely different positions. The first exchanges her licence. The second will have to sit the French test.
The list, state by state
We queried the official French government simulator for each of the forty-eight states present in its selector, one at a time. Status as of 20 August 2026.
All categories
Illinois · Iowa · Massachusetts · Michigan · New Hampshire · South Carolina
Categories A and B (motorcycle and car)
Connecticut · Florida
Category B only (car)
Arkansas · Colorado · Delaware · Maryland · Ohio · Oklahoma · Texas · Virginia · Wisconsin
No agreement — no exchange possible : Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · California · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Indiana · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Minnesota · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Dakota · Tennessee · Utah · Vermont · Washington · West Virginia · Wyoming
The District of Columbia does not appear in the official simulator's selector, so we cannot confirm its status — and we would rather say so than guess.
These lists are revised periodically. Check your own state on the official simulator before spending money on a translation. It is free and takes a minute.
Your first year, whichever state you come from
Whether your state is on the list or not, your US licence lets you drive in France for one year from the date your first residence permit is issued, or your long-stay visa validated.
If your state has an agreement, that year is your window to file the exchange application. If it does not, it is the time you have to prepare the French test without being stranded. More detail in how long you can drive on a foreign licence.
Translation, and the international permit trap
A US licence is written in English, so an official translation is required for the exchange application. Three routes are accepted : a translation made in the US and then apostilled, a sworn translator in France, or the US consulate in France.
An International Driving Permit does not replace the exchange. In France it has no legal standing of its own — it is a translation, nothing more. Plenty of Americans arrive believing the opposite.
Insurance
An American driver arriving in France hits the same wall as everyone else : no French insurance record, therefore no bonus, therefore a no-history premium — even after twenty spotless years of driving in the States.
No French law requires an insurer to recognise a US driving record. Some will look at it. We explain what helps in car insurance with no French driving history.
Your US licence is accepted, whether or not your state has an agreement.
Get my price in 2 minutesFrequently asked questions
Is my California licence exchangeable in France?
No. California is not among the states with a reciprocity agreement. You drive for one year on your US licence, then you must sit the French test.
What about a New York licence?
Not exchangeable either. New York has no agreement. It is one of the most common cases, and one of the most misunderstood.
Why some states and not others?
Because licensing is a state competence in the US. Each agreement is negotiated separately and rests on reciprocity: the state must also accept French licences.
Could I get a licence in a state that has an agreement?
No. The licence must have been obtained while you genuinely resided in the issuing state. A licence obtained in passing is not accepted.
Is an International Driving Permit enough in France?
No. It is a translation of your national licence with no standalone value in France, and it does not exempt you from the exchange.
Can I get insured with a US licence?
Yes, as long as your licence still entitles you to drive in France. The difficulty is the premium, not the principle: with no French record, most insurers apply a no-history grid.
Have your file reviewed
An advisor looks at your actual situation and gets back to you. Available 24/7, in English.
MS Assurance & Finance — insurance broker registered with ORIAS under no. 20009338, based in Pantin (93), France. Page updated on 21 August 2026. The rules cited here refer to the official texts in force on that date ; French driving licence regulations change, so check the date before relying on older information.