Blue driving licence to be finally phased out

For most people who have one, the paper driving licence has probably had its best days behind it, but nevertheless has a nostalgic value for many people. It is now finally being replaced by the licence in credit card format.

Some have had one for decades: the blue paper driving licence. But its time has now come to an end. Although it has been available in credit card format since 2003, the paper one has not lost its validity. The revision of the driving licence regulations will now put an end to this. The paper driver's licence will cease to be valid as an identification document on 31 October 2024.

In order to avoid bottlenecks during the replacement process, the Zug Road Traffic Office (Strassenverkehrsamt) has now initiated the exchange of the remaining licences.

According to Markus Feer, head of the Zug Road Traffic Office, 7,905 people still had a blue driver's licence as of 1 April 2023. So that the replacement can be carried out without time pressure, about 1,000 people per month have received a written request to apply for a new-style driver's licence, he says. The first letters were sent out in April.

With these letters, all the holders of blue driving licences should have been contacted by mid-2024. Markus Feer hopes that the replacement can be carried out without time pressure by the expiry date at the end of 2024, and more than 1,000 driving licences have already been exchanged to date.

The blue driving licence is being completely replaced by as licence in credit card format            Picture: Hanspeter Bärtschi (Archive)

Everything physically and by post
The procedure for exchanging a driver's licence is just as old as the licence itself. In addition to a form, a return envelope is enclosed with the letter from the Road Traffic Office calling for the replacement of the driving licence.

You have to physically apply for the replacement. In addition to a recent passport photo, the original blue driver's licence and a copy of the ID or passport are required. Markus Feer explains why this process is not possible online:

"The costs for a software solution and the interface would be disproportionate in relation to the number of blue driver's licences to be replaced. It would also take too much time to implement a digital solution."

The fact that the card is not automatically replaced, as is the case with the provisional licence, also has several reasons. On the one hand, the enclosed form gives people the opportunity to decide whether to apply for a new driver's licence or to do without one in future.

On the other hand, the replacement is associated with costs. The office is only allowed to charge these costs if it receives an order from its customers. In this case, this means the return of the application.

The costs for the replacement amount to CHF 50. Anyone who still drives a car with a paper pass after the deadline in October 2024 can expect a fine of CHF 20, however.

No longer up-to-date
There are many reasons why the paper identity card is no longer up to date. Markus Feer says that the photo and the identification and security features no longer meet the latest requirements.

In addition, some of the driving licence categories no longer correspond to those of the EU. The categories were harmonised in 2003 together with the implementation of EU law. The old categories are still present on the licences issued before that date, however.

Problems could also arise abroad, as the blue driving licence is not recognised everywhere. Those responsible at the Road Traffic Office therefore advise against using the paper driving licence outside Switzerland.

The TCS organisation writes that roadside checks abroad could lead to lengthy bureaucratic clarifications. Renting a vehicle could also be refused. The driver's licence in credit card format saves the driver tedious clarifications, and is also safer with regard to forgery.