Waiting times for the Italian driving test
There is no official waiting time for the category B test, national or per office. The wait depends on the Motorizzazione calendar, the examiners available and the number of candidates. Meanwhile deadlines keep running: six months and two attempts for the theory, twelve months and three attempts on the foglio rosa (Codice della Strada, articles 121 and 122).
How long is the wait for the driving test?
No official source says. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport publishes no waiting time for any office, so this page gives none. City figures quoted in newspapers are not official data and are not used here. The only reliable figure is the date the office offers at booking.
What sets the wait for the theory and practical tests?
The session calendar of each Motorizzazione office and the number of candidates booked. Tests are conducted by Ministry staff qualified as examiners (article 121, paragraph 3), so the number an office has matters too. The route also counts: a driving school books for its pupil, an independent candidate books alone on the Portale dell'Automobilista.
No Ministry or Gazzetta Ufficiale document consulted attributes waits to a specific cause, such as a shortage of examiners. This page therefore names none.
Which deadlines keep running while waiting?
All of those in the table. None is paused because the test date is far away. Application validity, theory attempts and foglio rosa validity are set by article 122 (paragraphs 1 and 6); the gap after a fail, the first practical test, the number of attempts and booking by article 121 (paragraphs 8, 10 and 11) of the Codice della Strada.
| Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|
| Application validity for the theory | Theory to be passed within 6 months of the application |
| Theory attempts | No more than 2 within the 6 months |
| Gap after a fail | At least 1 month before the next attempt |
| First practical test | Not sooner than 1 month after the foglio rosa is issued |
| Foglio rosa validity | 12 months |
| Practical attempts | 3 in all: the test can be repeated no more than twice |
| Booking | No later than the fifth day before the test |
The Ministry page on the category B licence gives the same rules: 2 theory attempts within 6 months of the application, 3 practical attempts starting from the month after the foglio rosa is issued.
What happens if the test date falls after the foglio rosa expires?
The practical test can no longer be taken on that foglio rosa. The Ministry provides for the carry over of the theory pass to a new foglio rosa: it is requested with the new application, once only, within two months of expiry, and the quiz is not repeated. That notice describes circulars from 2016 and 2019, written when the foglio rosa lasted six months, so the conditions should be confirmed with the office. Current validity and attempts are on the page how long the foglio rosa lasts.
If a candidate in Bari is given a practical test date after the twelve months have run out, he cannot sit it on that foglio rosa, because article 121, paragraph 11, of the Codice della Strada allows exams only within the validity of the authorisation.
How is the first available date found?
A driving school pupil gets it from the school, which books on their behalf. An independent candidate sees it in their Motorizzazione booking system on the Portale dell'Automobilista with SPID. The Bologna office instructions warn that the booked time is only indicative. The full steps are in the guide on how to book the driving test.
Why does the MIT data not show how long the wait is?
Because it measures something else. The Esiti Esami 2025 report counts tests sat and outcomes per office and year, with no booking date and no test date. No waiting time can be derived from it, and a low pass rate says nothing about a longer or shorter wait. The method is on the methodology page, the figures by province on the statistics page.
Are opening hours or appointments needed at the Motorizzazione?
Each office sets its own opening hours and access rules. This page does not list them, because they differ between offices. They are on the official page of each office, found through the Motorizzazione office search on the Portale dell'Automobilista or through the MIT website.
What happens if the date comes late?
If an independent candidate in Verona files the application on 3 February and fails the first theory session available, in June, the second attempt cannot be sooner than a month later, and the application expires on 3 August (article 122, paragraph 1, of the Codice della Strada): without a date before then, a new application is needed.
If a candidate in Salerno receives the foglio rosa on 10 January and fails the first practical test in November, the second cannot be before December (article 121, paragraph 10, of the Codice della Strada), and the foglio rosa expires on the following 10 January (article 122, paragraph 6): there is room for one more attempt only, then the theory carry over to request from the office.
How to use the waiting time?
- Simulate the test with the category B quiz.
- In the last week, follow the seven day plan.
- Before the practical, go through the driving test checklist.
- Check the foglio rosa rules and the practical test attempts.
What are the most common questions about waiting times?
How long is the wait for the theory test?
There is no official figure. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport publishes no waiting time for any office, so this page gives none. The date offered at booking is the only reliable figure. Meanwhile the application stays valid for six months, with at most two theory attempts (article 122, paragraph 1, of the Codice della Strada).
Does the foglio rosa pause while waiting for a practical test date?
No. The foglio rosa is valid for twelve months from issue (article 122, paragraph 6) and that period runs while the candidate waits. Within it the practical test can be repeated no more than twice, so three attempts in all (article 121, paragraph 11). Booking the first attempt early leaves room for resits.
What happens if the foglio rosa expires before the practical test?
The practical test can no longer be taken on that foglio rosa. The Ministry provides for carrying the theory pass over to a new foglio rosa, possible once, requested with the new application within two months of expiry. The Ministry notice describes the 2016 and 2019 rules, so current conditions should be confirmed with the office.
Sources consulted on 2026-09-16: Codice della Strada, article 121 and article 122; MIT, obtaining the category B licence; Portale dell'Automobilista, foglio rosa and exams; MIT, carry over of the theory test.