Practical exam checklist
Before the Italian driving test a candidate needs a valid foglio rosa held for at least one month, the certificate for compulsory driving school lessons (6 hours on the MIT page, 8 under ministerial decree no. 294/2025 once in effect) and tariff N019 of 16 euros. The foglio rosa gives three attempts in twelve months.
What is needed, item by item, before the driving test?
The foglio rosa and attempts follow articles 121 and 122 of the Codice della Strada; compulsory lessons, payment and vehicle follow the MIT page on obtaining a category B licence and DM 294/2025. The driving school or the Motorizzazione confirms the documents to bring on the day.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Foglio rosa | Valid, issued at least 1 month earlier |
| Compulsory lessons | Certificate for at least 6 hours; 8 hours in 4 modules under the new rules |
| Payment | PagoPA tariff N019, 16.00 euros in stamp duty |
| Vehicle | Category B, dual controls, at least 100 km/h |
| Attempts | 3 within 12 months, 1 month between a fail and the next test |
| Documents on the day | Foglio rosa and identity document; the office confirms the rest |
How many compulsory driving hours are required for category B?
The answer currently has two layers. The MIT page on obtaining a category B licence asks, when the practical test is booked, for a certificate of at least 6 hours of driving school lessons on motorways, main extra urban roads and at night: the regime of the decree of 20 April 2012. Ministerial decree no. 294 of 17 November 2025 raises the total to 8 hours, split into four modules with digital certification. No lesson can exceed two hours a day.
| Module | Hours | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Module A | 2 | Safe use of the vehicle: moving off, clutch, steering, braking, gears, reversing, ADAS driver aids and emergency simulation (breakdown, warning triangle, high visibility vest, calling for help). |
| Module B | 3 | Urban roads: junctions, roundabouts, traffic lights, giving way to pedestrians and cyclists, hill starts, turning round, parking. |
| Module C | 2 | Motorways or extra urban roads: speeds above 50 km/h, top gear, fuel efficient driving. |
| Module D | 1 | Driving in night conditions, on urban roads, extra urban roads or motorways. |
| Total | 8 |
The order is not entirely free. Module A comes before all the others. Modules B, C and D have no fixed order, but module C requires at least one hour of module B. After A and B the Motorizzazione platform issues a partial certificate; after C and D as well, the final one.
From when do the eight hours apply?
The decree was published in Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 297 of 23 December 2025, but article 6 makes it effective from the day an implementing decree on the certification platform enters into force. The new rules apply to foglio rosa permits issued after that date; earlier permits stay under the 2012 decree. Many news outlets have printed a start date, but this page does not repeat it until an official act confirms it. The rules for a given application should be checked with the driving school.
Can a learner practise with an accompanying driver before finishing the compulsory lessons?
No. Since law 177/2024, paragraph 5-bis of article 122 of the Codice della Strada says that a category B learner may practise with a private accompanying driver only after the driving school lessons on motorways or extra urban roads and in night conditions. Under decree 294/2025 it is the final certificate that unlocks private practice. The requirements for the accompanying driver (65 or under, licence held at least ten years) are in the guide to the foglio rosa.
If a learner in Pescara, foglio rosa in her pocket, drives alone to the supermarket with nobody beside her acting as instructor, she faces a fine of 430 to 1,731 euro and three months' administrative impoundment of the car (article 122, paragraph 8, of the Codice della Strada).
When can the driving test be taken, and how many times?
No sooner than one month after the foglio rosa is issued, and the permit lasts twelve months. Three tests are available. At least one month must pass between a failed test and the next (article 121, paragraph 10, of the Codice della Strada). The MIT sums up the calendar as three tests in eleven months, starting from the month after issue.
If a candidate in Verona collects the foglio rosa on 3 March and asks to take the practical test on 20 March, the date is not allowed: the driving test cannot be taken until one month has passed since the permit was issued (article 121, paragraph 8, of the Codice della Strada), so the first possible date is 3 April, booked no later than the fifth day before (article 121, paragraph 11).
How is the practical test organised?
Annex II of EU directive 2006/126/EC, transposed in Italy by legislative decree 59/2011, splits the test into three parts:
- Preparing and checking the vehicle. Adjusting seat, mirrors and seat belt, checking lights, tyres and controls before moving off.
- Manoeuvres. For example reversing, turning the vehicle round and parking, as the examiner requests.
- Behaviour in traffic. A route on different roads, where right of way, junctions, appropriate speed and reactions to other road users count.
Which car is needed for the driving test?
According to the MIT page, a category B vehicle able to reach at least 100 km/h and fitted with dual controls. Driving school students use the school's car. An independent candidate must find one that meets those requirements. The gearbox matters: decree 294/2025 requires the practice vehicle's gearbox to match the licence applied for, as shown on the authorisation.
What should be brought on the day of the driving test?
The foglio rosa and a valid identity document: the test requires the practice authorisation and identification of the candidate. The full list, including any receipts and the vehicle's papers, depends on the office and should be confirmed by the driving school or the Motorizzazione that set the date. This page does not reconstruct it from memory, because a wrong list on test day can cost an attempt.
What happens if a candidate fails, runs out of attempts or practises too early?
If a candidate in Milan fails his first test on 14 June, the second cannot be before 14 July (article 121, paragraph 10, of the Codice della Strada). If his foglio rosa expires on 30 September there is still room for two tests, but only if the office gives close dates, so he should rebook at once.
If a candidate in Lecce fails her third test, the foglio rosa gives no more attempts, because the practical test may be repeated no more than twice (article 121, paragraph 11, of the Codice della Strada). Once only, she can ask to carry her theory pass over to a new authorisation. Under decree 294/2025, lessons already certified stay valid for 18 months from certification, provided the theory pass is still valid, so she does not repeat the 8 hours.
A young man in Turin goes out with his father the day after collecting his foglio rosa. He has not yet had the driving school lessons on motorways or extra urban roads and at night. Paragraph 5-bis of article 122 does not yet allow him to practise with a private accompanying driver, so if stopped he risks a penalty for practising outside the legal conditions.
What are the most common mistakes before the practical test?
- Practising with a parent before completing the compulsory driving school lessons.
- Leaving the night or motorway lessons until just before booking, which holds up the date.
- Turning up as an independent candidate in a car without dual controls.
- Forgetting the compulsory one month wait between a fail and the next test.
Why does theory still matter before the practical test?
The foglio rosa comes after the theory test, and the first part of the practical test covers the vehicle's controls and equipment. The real format, thirty true or false statements in twenty minutes with at most three mistakes, can be practised in the practice test. Practical test pass rates by province are in the driving test ranking.
What are the most common questions about the driving test?
How many compulsory driving hours are required for category B?
Ministerial decree no. 294 of 17 November 2025 sets 8 hours with a driving school instructor, in four modules: A, 2 hours on vehicle safety; B, 3 hours on urban roads; C, 2 hours on motorways or extra urban roads; D, 1 hour at night.
Show the rest of the answer
Until the decree takes effect, the MIT page asks for the certificate of at least 6 hours under the 2012 rules.
From when do the eight hours apply?
From the entry into force of the implementing decree on the certification platform, and only for foglio rosa permits issued after that date. Permits issued earlier stay under the decree of 20 April 2012. The applicable rules should be confirmed with the driving school.
Can a learner practise with a private accompanying driver before the compulsory lessons?
No. Since law 177/2024, article 122, paragraph 5-bis, of the Codice della Strada allows practice with a private accompanying driver only after the driving school lessons on motorways or extra urban roads and in night conditions.
How many times can the practical test be taken?
The foglio rosa allows three practical tests within its twelve months of validity. The first no sooner than one month after issue, and at least one month between a failed test and the next.
How much does it cost to book the practical test?
Booking requires PagoPA tariff N019, 16.00 euros in stamp duty, according to the MIT page. Driving school prices for lessons and for taking a candidate to the test are set freely and vary between schools.
What should be brought on the day of the practical test?
A valid foglio rosa and an identity document, because the test requires the practice authorisation and identification of the candidate. The full list should be confirmed by the driving school or the office that set the date: this page does not reconstruct it from memory.
Which sources is this checklist based on?
- MIT ministerial decree no. 294 of 17 November 2025 on compulsory lessons, Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 297 of 23 December 2025, articles 3, 4 and 6.
- Codice della Strada, articles 121 and 122, as amended by law no. 177 of 25 November 2024.
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, page on obtaining a category B licence.
- Directive 2006/126/EC, annex II, and legislative decree no. 59 of 18 April 2011.
- Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT), for pass rates quoted on linked pages.
Data as of 2026-09-07. Source: ministerial decree no. 294/2025 and the Codice della Strada.