While a bill is presented this Monday to the Assembly, a look back at the current cost of the driving license in France and more particularly of the B license.
It is a bill that could facilitate the passage of the driving license in France. The deputies will look from this Monday, March 27 on a text which aims to “make the permit cheaper, simpler and faster”, as indicated by its author, the Renaissance deputy Sacha Houlié, well aware of the issue for more than 1 million candidates each year.
1804 euros “all inclusive”
But how much does the permit currently cost? In 2016, a study by UFC-Que Choisir estimated an average price of 1804 euroswhich is still quite realistic today.
Indeed, this price takes into account overtime (15 on average) which is often taken in addition to the basic package, which is set at 1155 euros, with training and passage of the highway code, 20 hours of driving and application fees).
However, these averages hide “very strong departmental disparities, unrelated to the quality of the training provided and that the cost differences borne by the driving schools only partially explain”, underlines the consumer association.
Significant differences between major cities
A study published by the comparator Lesfurets illustrates these large differences by department well by citing examples of average prices in large cities. There is thus a basic package at 1037 euros in Bordeaux, with 1 hour of additional driving at 44 euros, against respectively 1309 euros and 46 euros in Paris.
If we take the average of 15 hours of driving to add to the basic package, the average price of the permit would thus be nearly 1,700 euros in Bordeaux and 2,000 euros in Paris, i.e. nearly 18% more.
The alternatives: automatic or accelerated transmission license
To lower the cost of the license, it is possible to pass a B license allowing only to drive vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. The basic package for this BVA license (for “automatic gearbox”) costs around 600 euros for 13 hours of training, note Lesfurets, or more than 1000 euros in savings compared to a classic license.
Another option, inevitably more expensive: to pass its code and its license in accelerated, in less than a month. Interesting for those who lack time, but at an additional cost of around 1000 euros compared to a classic training.
Finally, we can also mention accompanied drivingwhich reduces the final bill for his driving license by around 400 euros.
online driving schools
Booming in recent years, online driving schools can also reduce the bill. A player like Ornikar, for example, offers an offer at 799 euros for the code and driving, i.e. 400 euros less than the average price observed in 1,697 traditional driving schools in March 2023. A basic package price which does not however include the price of overtime.
We find fairly similar prices with two other players, En Voiture Simone and Lepermislibre. It should be noted that if the deadlines for summoning to the practical test of the driving license remain a black spot for online driving schools, the establishment of the “RdvPermis” platform has helped to improve the situation.
Use your CPF or benefit from aid
The bill examined from this Monday in the Assembly plans to open the professional training account (CPF) to other categories. The opportunity to recall that it is already possible to use these funds to finance the passage of the B license, with 20% of young drivers who use it.
People on an apprenticeship contract can benefit a state aid of 500 euros. We can also mention the “one euro per day” permit, a zero-rate loan that can allow 15 to 25 year olds to benefit from an advance of 600 to 1200 euros on the financing of the permit. Or help for job seekers with up to 1200 euros of funding allocated by Pôle emploi.
A failure that can be costly
Do not tell it right away to those who are already anxious a lot before taking their practical test, but missing your license can be quite expensive. A case that is not as rare as one might think since 40% of candidates fail on the first attempt.
You can then retake this test within three months. But as pointed out the Lelynx comparator“driving schools generally advise taking advantage of this time to take around ten hours of additional driving, i.e. around 500 additional euros”.
