History of the Italian Codice della Strada

Updated 2026-09-16

Data as of 2026-09-16. Source: Legislative Decree 285/1992 on Normattiva; Italian Government, 2024 reform.

What are the main milestones of the Codice della Strada?

Since 1993 the Codice has never been replaced, but it has been amended dozens of times. The timeline collects the changes that affect people taking a licence or driving every day, from the most recent to the oldest.

1. 2024

   Reform of the Codice (Law 177/2024)

   In force from 14 December 2024. Phone use while driving fined 250 to 1,000 euro, power limits for new drivers extended to three years, alcolock for drivers convicted of driving above 0.8 g/l, helmet, ID sticker and insurance for e-scooters, higher penalties for repeat speeding in built-up areas.

2. 2024

   Digital licence in the IO app

   Through IT-Wallet the driving licence reaches the IO app: from 23 October 2024 for the first 50,000 users, from 4 December 2024 for everyone.

3. 2021

   30-question theory test

   From 20 December 2021 the category B theory test moves from 40 questions in 30 minutes with 4 errors allowed to 30 questions in 20 minutes with 3 errors allowed.

4. 2021

   12-month foglio rosa and three practical attempts

   Decree-Law 121/2021, converted by Law 156/2021, extends the learner permit (foglio rosa) from 6 to 12 months and the practical attempts from 2 to 3, for permits issued from 10 November 2021.

5. 2017

   Single vehicle registration and ownership document

   Legislative Decree 98/2017 merges the registration certificate and the ownership certificate into one document. It was brought in over successive phases set by the Ministry.

6. 2013

   30% discount on fines

   Decree-Law 69/2013, converted by Law 98/2013, adds to art. 202 a 30% reduction for payment within 5 days, excluded for offences with licence suspension or confiscation.

7. 2010

   Zero alcohol for new and young drivers

   Law 120/2010 introduces art. 186 bis: zero blood alcohol for drivers under 21, for the first three years of a B licence and for some professional drivers. The same law introduces instalment payment of fines (art. 202 bis).

8. 2007

   Family member's insurance merit class

   Decree-Law 7/2007, converted by Law 40/2007 (the Bersani decree), allows a new vehicle to be insured in the merit class of a cohabiting family member.

9. 2003

   Points-based licence

   Set out in Legislative Decree 9/2002, it starts on 1 July 2003: every licence gets 20 points, each offence removes some, and anyone who loses them all must retake the fitness exam.

10. 1992

    The current Codice is born

    Legislative Decree 285 of 30 April 1992 replaces the 1959 Consolidated Text and comes into force on 1 January 1993. Its implementing Regulation is Presidential Decree 495/1992.

What has changed for someone taking a licence today?

Three reforms directly affect the route to a category B licence. The table compares the rules before and after each change.

What did the 2024 reform change for drivers?

Law 177 of 25 November 2024 is the broadest amendment in recent years and has been in force since 14 December 2024. For car drivers, the most visible changes are:

• Phones: use while driving without hands-free costs 250 to 1,000 euro with a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months; repeated within two years, 350 to 1,400 euro with a licence suspension of one to three months (art. 173).
• New drivers: vehicle power limits apply for three years from obtaining the B licence.
• Alcohol: drivers convicted of driving above 0.8 g/l may only drive, for the set period, vehicles fitted with an alcolock, which blocks the engine if it detects alcohol.
• Speed: exceeding the limit by more than 10 and up to 40 km/h at least twice in a year in a built-up area costs 220 to 880 euro plus a 15 to 30 day suspension (art. 142).
• E-scooters: helmet, ID sticker and insurance become compulsory.

A summary for information: the text in force governs real cases. Legal notes.

If a driver in Naples still has the pre-reform fines in mind and answers the phone holding it, he now faces 250 to 1,000 euro and a licence suspension of fifteen days to two months, rising to 350 to 1,400 euro and one to three months if the offence is repeated within two years (article 173, paragraph 3-bis, of the Codice della Strada).

What happens if you follow outdated rules? Three worked cases

If a learner from Cagliari follows his older brother, who says the foglio rosa lasts six months with two attempts, he plans his calendar badly: his permit, issued in 2026, is valid for 12 months and allows 3 practical attempts, the first no earlier than one month after issue and at least one month between a fail and the next test (article 121, paragraphs 8, 10 and 11, of the Codice della Strada).

If a new driver from Trento, with a B licence since March 2025, drives her parents' powerful car after the first year, as the rules allowed before the reform, she breaks the power limits that under Law 177/2024 last three years, until March 2028, and faces 165 to 660 euro and a licence suspension of two to eight months (article 117, paragraph 5, of the Codice della Strada).

A student from Perugia studies for the theory test with an old manual that mentions 40 questions and 4 errors. At the exam there are 30 questions in 20 minutes: with 4 errors the test is failed.

If a retired driver from Genoa renews his category B licence at 71 and counts on the ten years of validity he had when younger, he will be driving on an expired licence after three years, because past seventy a renewal lasts three years (article 126, paragraph 2): the fine is 158 to 638 euro and the licence is withdrawn (article 126, paragraph 11, of the Codice della Strada).

What are the common questions about the history of the Codice?

Sources: Legislative Decree 285/1992, Codice della Strada; Presidential Decree 495/1992; Legislative Decree 9/2002 (licence points); Law 40/2007; Law 120/2010; Law 98/2013; Legislative Decree 98/2017; Ministry circular 34647 of 10 November 2021; Italian Government, entry into force; Department for Digital Transformation.