Can an employee be dismissed if his driving license is withdrawn or if he is declared unfit to drive?
Verified 21 November 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
YesIn some cases, an employee whose driving license is withdrawn may be dismissed. The grounds for dismissal are different ifinfringement is committed during or outside working time. The dismissal can also be decided following a notice of unfit to drive. It may be justified if the employee's duties require regular use of a vehicle. We're taking a look at the regulations.
Yes. The employer may decide to dismiss the employee. There are other possibilities for maintaining the employment contract.
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Dismissal of the employee
The employer may dismiss the employee if theoffense committed during working time results in a withdrawal of his driving license.
The circumstances may justify a termination for misconduct simple or serious.
Serious misconduct can be recognized, for example, if the withdrawal of a driver's license is decided as a result of drunk driving during working hours.
Other possibilities to avoid dismissal
Following the withdrawal of an employee's driving license, the employer may propose solutions to maintain the employment contract:
- Temporary suspension of the employment contract by taking paid leave or a leave without pay
- Temporary assignment to another position or to work in pairs with a licensed employee.
Warning
Some treaty provisions may include an obligation to seek reclassification (e.g. road transport sector). In this case, dismissal can only be justified in the absence of a possible reclassification.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its Siret number:
Please note
The employer may ask the employee who drives a vehicle in the course of his duties to present his driving license to make sure it's not suspended or canceled. He cannot not ask to know the driving license points balance.
Yes. The employer may decide to dismiss the employee in the event of discomfort caused in the company in its operation. There are other possibilities for maintaining the employment contract.
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Dismissal of the employee
Where the employee loses his driving license for an offense committed outside working time, the dismissal for simple or serious misconduct is not possible.
On the other hand, one dismissal on personal grounds non-disciplinary is possible if the the duties performed by the employee involve driving a vehicle.
The employer must disclose the discomfort caused to the company in its operation and theinability of the employee to perform his work.
For example, for an employee who performs the functions of a delivery driver, the withdrawal of a driving license for a period of 6 months may constitute a real and serious cause of dismissal.
However, concealing the withdrawal of a driver's license from work, while continuing to drive a company car, may justify dismissal for misconduct.
Other possibilities to avoid dismissal
Following the withdrawal of an employee's driving license, the employer may propose solutions to maintain the employment contract:
- Temporary suspension of the employment contract by taking paid leave or a leave without pay
- Temporary assignment to another position or to work in pairs with a licensed employee.
Warning
Some treaty provisions may include an obligation to seek reclassification (e.g. road transport sector). In this case, dismissal can only be justified in the absence of a possible reclassification.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its Siret number:
Please note
The employer may ask the employee who drives a vehicle in the course of his duties to present his driving license to make sure it's not suspended or canceled. He cannot not ask to know the driving license points balance.
The employee may be recognized as unfit to drive a vehicle by the occupational physician.
The employer may dismiss the employee for unfitness in the following cases:
- Refusal by the employee of the new job proposed by the employer
- Justification by the employer of the impossibility of offering another job
- Mention in the opinion of the occupational physician that continued employment would be seriously detrimental to the employee's health
- Mention in the opinion of the occupational physician that the health of the employee makes it impossible to reclassify into a job.
Warning
Some treaty provisions may include an obligation to seek reclassification (e.g. road transport sector). In this case, dismissal can only be justified in the absence of possible reclassification.
A simulator allows you to search for the collective agreement with the name of the company or its Siret number:
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