Article 10 — Issue, validity and renewal

1. Driving licences shall be issued only to applicants who meet the following conditions: (a) they have passed a test of skills and behaviour and a theory test, in accordance with Annex II, and they meet the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving, in accordance with Annex III; (b) as regards category AM, they have passed a theory test only; Member States may nevertheless require applicants to pass a test of skills and behaviour and may apply Article 11 in respect of this category. For three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles within this category, Member States may impose a specific test of skills and behaviour. For the differentiation of vehicles in category AM, a national code may be inserted on the driving licence; (c) as regards category A2 or category A, and on the condition that they have acquired a minimum of two years' experience driving a motorcycle in category A1 or in category A2 respectively, either: (i) have passed a test of skills and behaviour only; or (ii) have completed training pursuant to Annex VI; (d) they have completed training or passed a test of skills and behaviour, or completed training and passed a test of skills and behaviour pursuant to Annex V as regards category B for driving a vehicle combination, motor caravan, emergency vehicle or alternatively fuelled vehicle referred to in Article 6(1), point (c)(ii); (e) they have their normal residence in the territory of the Member State issuing the driving licence, or fall within the exceptions laid down in Article 20(3) or (4), or can produce evidence that, at the time they submit their application, they have been studying there for at least the preceding six months. 2. The duration of the administrative validity of driving licences issued by Member States shall be as follows: (a) 15 years for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B, B1 and BE. Member States may reduce that duration to 10 years in the event that their national law allows the driving licence to also be used as a personal identification document; (b) five years for categories C, CE, C1, C1E, D, DE, D1 and D1E. The renewal of a driving licence may trigger a new period of administrative validity for one or more categories that the holder is entitled to drive, in so far as that is in conformity with this Directive. The presence of a microchip or QR code pursuant to Article 4(5) and (6) respectively shall not be a prerequisite for a driving licence to be valid. The loss or unreadability of the microchip or of the QR code, or any other damage thereto, shall not affect the validity of the driving licence. Member States may, for the purpose of improving road safety, limit the period of administrative validity of any category of driving licences issued to novice drivers in order to apply specific measures to such drivers. Member States may limit the period of administrative validity of individual driving licences for any category if it is necessary to apply an increased frequency of medical checks, self-assessments or other specific measures, including restrictions for traffic offenders. Member States shall limit the period of administrative validity of individual driving licences in accordance with Article 6(1), point (c)(i), second subparagraph. The driving licence so limited shall not be renewable. Member States may reduce the periods of administrative validity set out in the first subparagraph, for driving licences of holders residing on their territory who have reached the age of 65 years, in order to require that medical checks, self-assessments or other specific measures, including refresher courses, be carried out more frequently. Such reduced period of administrative validity shall be applied only upon the renewal of the driving licence. Member States may reduce the period of administrative validity set out in this paragraph of the driving licences of persons who have been granted a temporary residence permit or who benefit on their territories from temporary protection, or from adequate protection under national law. 3. The renewal of driving licences upon the expiry of their administrative validity shall be subject to both of the following conditions: (a) continuing compliance of the applicant for the renewal with the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving set out in Annex III; (b) that the applicant for the renewal has his or her normal residence in the territory of the Member State issuing the driving licence, or fall within the exceptions laid down in Article 20(3), or evidence that the applicant for the renewal has been studying there for at least the preceding six months, at the time they submit their application. 4. Without prejudice to national criminal laws and policing laws, Member States may apply to the issuing of driving licences national provisions relating to conditions other than those set out in this Directive. They shall inform the Commission thereof. 5. No person may hold more than one driving licence. A mobile driving licence may, however, be simultaneously displayed on more than one electronic device. A Member State shall refuse to issue a driving licence if the applicant already holds a driving licence issued by another Member State. Member States shall take the measures necessary to apply the second subparagraph. The measures necessary as regards the issuing, replacement, renewal or exchange of a driving licence shall, where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant is already the holder of another driving licence, include verifying with other Member States whether the applicant is the holder of another driving licence. To that end, Member States shall use the EU driving licence network. Without prejudice to Article 3(6), a Member State issuing a driving licence shall apply due diligence to ensure that a person fulfils the requirements set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, and shall apply its national provisions on the cancellation of the driving licence or of the right to drive if it is established that a given driving licence has been issued without those requirements having been met. 6. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 25, to amend Annexes II, III, V and VI where necessary in order to take account of technical, operational or scientific developments.