Article 4 — Physical driving licences

1. Member States shall issue physical driving licences based on the Union standard specifications laid down in Annex I. 2. Member States shall take all necessary steps to avoid any risk of forgery of driving licences, including driving licences issued before 19 January 2013. They shall inform the Commission of the steps taken. Physical driving licences shall be protected against forgery, at the minimum, by means of the Union standard specifications laid down in Annex I, Part A2. Member States may introduce additional security features. 3. Where the holder of a valid physical driving licence which does not have a period of administrative validity, takes up normal residence in a Member State other than the Member State of issuance, the host Member State may, as of two years from the date on which the holder has taken up normal residence on its territory, apply the periods of administrative validity set out in Article 10(2), by renewing the driving licence. 4. Member States shall ensure that, by 19 January 2033, all physical driving licences issued or in circulation fulfil all the requirements of this Directive. 5. Member States may decide to incorporate a microchip as part of the physical driving licence. Where a Member State decides to incorporate a microchip as part of its physical driving licence, it may, where its national laws related to driving licences so provide, also decide to store on the microchip data additional to those specified in Annex I, Part D. Where Member States provide for a microchip as part of the physical driving licence, they shall, at the minimum, apply the relevant technical requirements laid down in Annex I, Parts B to B4. Member States may introduce additional security features. Where Member States adopt a decision to incorporate a microchip in the physical driving licences that are issued by them, or where they subsequently amend that decision, they shall inform the Commission within three months of the adoption of the relevant decision. Member States that have already incorporated a microchip in their physical driving licences shall inform the Commission accordingly by 26 February 2026. 6. Member States may decide to incorporate, in the space reserved for the microchip in the physical driving licences that are issued by them, a QR code instead of, or together with, the microchip. The QR code shall make it possible to verify the authenticity of the information reported on the physical driving licence. Member States shall inform the Commission of any measure aimed at the introduction of a QR code on their driving licences and of any subsequent amendments to such a measure, within three months of its adoption. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down detailed provisions concerning the interoperability features and the security measures to be complied with by QR codes incorporated in physical driving licences. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 26(2). 7. Member States shall ensure that the personal data necessary for the verification of the information reported on the physical driving licence are not retained by the verifier, unless such retention is authorised by Union or national law, and shall ensure that the authority which issued the driving licence is not notified of the verification. 8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 25, to amend Annex I, Parts A1 and A2, B to B4 and D, where necessary in order to take account of technical, operational or scientific developments.