Not always easy to understand. If digital makes life easier for many French people, it can also be a stress factor for some, who are not used to doing everything by computer. Tax return, renewal of identity papers, obtaining a driving license… Now, the most common procedures can be carried out online, but they also raise many questions. How can you be sure that you have not made any mistakes when you are alone in front of your screen? How can you be sure that your personal information will not fall into the wrong hands?
You cannot be 100% sure, but the government is putting in place various tools to reassure you during your steps. This is particularly the case of the digital photo-signature, a new dematerialized document that you must provide during your formalities. It is on the site of the ANTS (National Agency for Secure Titles) that you can add this photo, which is essential in the process of producing a driving licence. It allows the authorities to confirm the identity of the person making this online request.
If this signature photo is intended to make your life easier, it cannot be taken anywhere and the procedures can quickly become restrictive. Here is where it can be done by individuals.
If taking the photo in the right way is the first step, others must then be respected for your request to be successful. We will explain everything to you.
During your request, the ANTS website will ask you to provide your photo-signature. No question of scanning your photo, but of entering a 22-character code, which will have been provided to you when the shot was taken. At the photographer or in the photo booth booth, you had to digitally sign your signature and it has since been linked to your file. On the basis of your photo and your signature, the administration provides you with the famous code to keep preciously.
Be careful not to wait too long to use it, because it expires six months after its issue and you will then have an error message on the ANTS website. You also cannot use the code several times: you will need as many photos as you have to complete. A condition that can be problematic, because the photo-signature is not free… Here is how much it will cost you.
The cost of a photo-signature depends on where you made it. At the photo booth, you will be charged around 5 to 6 euros but, with a licensed photographer, it will cost you between 6 to 12 euros. Do you find this process too expensive and too complicated? Do not panic, it is possible to escape it. When the ANTS asks you for your photo-signature, you can tick a box indicating that you only have a classic passport photo. The administration will then ask you to print a form, sign it, then send it to ANTS.