300,000 false tickets in circulation Tens of thousands of driving licenses invalid from today - threat of fines
The blue paper driver's licenses are invalid from today. Those affected must now exchange their driving license for a credit card format - otherwise they could face a fine.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- On October 31, 2024, the validity of all blue paper driver's licenses in Switzerland will expire.
- They must now be exchanged for tickets in credit card form.
- According to the Federal Roads Office, around 640,000 people in Switzerland were still driving with the outdated permit at the end of 2023.
Worn, creased and with a yellowed photo - this is what the old blue paper driving licenses often look like. Now they are history: from November 1, only driving licenses in credit card form will be valid in Switzerland. Those affected must have exchanged their driving license by then.
Anyone who can only produce paper at a police check after this date risks a fine of 20 francs. Although the driver's license is not considered canceled, it is no longer an official document. In concrete terms: if someone can only show the blue paper ID, it is as if this person had no ID at all.
Who is affected by this?
Since 2003, only driving licenses in credit card format with laser engraving have been issued. Conversely, this means that people who passed their driving test before 2003 can be in possession of a blue card. Moreover, only the permit for road vehicles is affected by the changeover, not the one for boats.
The exchange must be carried out independently. The relevant road traffic offices will inform those affected by letter. The exchange form can be downloaded from the website of the road traffic office in your canton of residence and completed directly online.
Digital transmission is not possible; the form must be printed out. The original form, together with the original driving license, a copy of your ID or passport and a colour photo, must then be sent by post to the road traffic office in your canton of residence.
More than half a million blue ID cards
There is still a lot of blue paper in circulation on the roads in Switzerland: as of 31.12.2023, 639,677 holders of the old driving license were still registered in Switzerland. This was reported by the Federal Roads Office (Astra) at the request of blue News. In the canton of Zurich alone, over 100,000 people are affected by the changeover.
However, many people have still not exchanged their tickets. According to Astra, around 300,000 tickets are still in circulation throughout Switzerland as of November 1.
However, these figures do not include those who have already exchanged their pass since the beginning of the year. In addition, according to Astra, 143,453 people with blue papers have emigrated throughout Switzerland. For these people, it is at least questionable whether they will ever exchange their permit.
At 487,456 people, the majority of those affected are aged 60 or older. Just under 1000 Swiss nationals with blue papers are under 40 years old.
146,962 people have already switched to an ID card in credit card form in 2023. If you want to avoid a fine in November, you should definitely do the same now. Perhaps the police will be a little more lenient, at least in the first few weeks.