The route to a category B licence
A patente B takes six steps. The application is valid for six months with two attempts at theory; the foglio rosa is valid for twelve months and three practical attempts, not before one month. According to the Portale dell'Automobilista fee schedule, payments are 42.40 euro for theory and 16.00 euro for the practical test.
What are the six steps to a category B licence?
The route is the same through a driving school or as a private candidate. The table sums up deadlines and payments; each step, with documents and common mistakes, is detailed in the sequence that follows.
| Step | Time rule | Official payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application | Valid 6 months | N067: 42.40 euro |
| 2. Theory | 2 attempts, at least 1 month apart | included in N067 |
| 3. Foglio rosa | Valid 12 months | none |
| 4. Eight driving hours | 4 modules, before the practical test | varies (driving school) |
| 5. Practical test | Not before 1 month from the foglio rosa; 3 attempts | N019: 16.00 euro |
| 6. New driver | Limits for 3 years | none |
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Step 1 Licence application The application is valid for 6 months
What happens
The application goes to the local Motorizzazione office (UMC), either through a driving school (autoscuola) or on your own as a private candidate (privatista) with form TT2112. The six months for the theory test start from that day.
What to bring or pay
- Form TT2112, filled in and signed (parents sign for minors).
- PagoPA receipt for fee N067: 42.40 euro (26.40 euro in fees plus 16.00 euro stamp duty).
- Medical certificate from an authorised doctor or the ASL.
- Copy of your ID document and codice fiscale.
- Non-EU citizens: a valid permesso di soggiorno or, if expired, the renewal request.
- If you qualify for audio support, request it with the application (see step 2).
What can go wrong
- Missing documents: the exact list varies between offices, so confirm it with your UMC.
- An old medical certificate: some offices want it no older than three months.
- Details on the permesso di soggiorno that do not match your ID document.
Read more: How to book the exam · Medical check · Driving school or private candidate
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Step 2 Theory test 2 attempts within 6 months, at least 1 month apart
What happens
Thirty true or false statements on a computer, 20 minutes, 3 errors at most. The test is in Italian; French or German can be requested. Candidates with a DSA (specific learning disorder) certificate get the audio file and more time (40 minutes).
What to bring or pay
- A valid ID document.
- No extra payment: fee N067 was paid with the application.
What can go wrong
- A failed attempt: the second can be taken after at least one month, still inside the six months.
- Second attempt failed, or six months gone: a new application is needed.
- Audio support not requested in time: without a DSA certificate, the request goes in with the application.
Read more: How the theory test works · Failed the theory test · Exam in 7 days
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Step 3 Foglio rosa (learner permit) Valid 12 months, 3 practical attempts
What happens
After passing theory you receive the foglio rosa, the permit to practise driving. A private accompanying driver must be 65 or under and have held a licence of the same category for at least 10 years (60 or under if the car has no dual pedal controls).
What to bring or pay
- A car showing the P sign for practice (driving-school cars show scuola guida instead).
What can go wrong
- The foglio rosa expires before you pass, or all three attempts are used: ask the office or the school how to start again.
- Practising with an accompanying driver who does not meet the requirements.
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Step 4 Eight compulsory driving hours 8 hours, 2 per day at most: at least 4 days
What happens
Ministerial decree 294/2025 requires eight hours with a qualified instructor at a driving school, in four modules: A (2 hours, vehicle, ADAS and emergencies), B (3 hours, urban), C (2 hours, motorway or extra-urban roads), D (1 hour, at night). Private candidates must do them too. Trade press reports the operational start as 22 April 2026.
What to bring or pay
- No official fee: the school sets the price of the hours, so ask for a written quote.
What can go wrong
- Hours not completed before the practical test.
- The certificate for the hours has expired: it is valid for 18 months.
Read more: Licence B cost and modules
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Step 5 Practical test Not earlier than 1 month after the foglio rosa
What happens
The driving test cannot be taken until one month has passed since the foglio rosa was issued, and it is taken in a car with dual controls. After a failed attempt at least one month must pass before the next.
What to bring or pay
- PagoPA receipt for fee N019: 16.00 euro stamp duty.
- A valid ID document.
- A car with dual controls: at a driving school, the school's car.
What can go wrong
- A failed attempt: wait at least one month, within the twelve months and three attempts of the foglio rosa.
- As a private candidate, a car without dual controls is not accepted. Some offices ask private candidates to take the practical test through a driving school.
Read more: Checklist before the driving test
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Step 6 Licence and the first 3 years New-driver rules for 3 years
What happens
After the practical test you receive licence B. For the first three years stricter rules apply (neopatentato): 100 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on main extra-urban roads, zero alcohol. For licences issued from 14 December 2024 the power limit is 75 kW per tonne and 105 kW.
What to bring or pay
- No extra paperwork is described here: limits and exceptions are in the new-driver guide.
What can go wrong
- Driving a car over the power limits, or driving after even one drink: the limit for new drivers is zero.
Read more: Rules for new drivers
How long does it really take?
The timings shown are the legal minimums. Real waiting times depend on the provincial office's exam sessions, and no official data on waiting times exists. The document list can differ between offices, so confirm it with your local Motorizzazione before applying.
How much does the route cost?
There are two official payments. The N067 fee is 42.40 euro, made up of 26.40 euro in fees and 16.00 euro in stamp duty. The N019 fee for the practical test is 16.00 euro. Together they come to 58.40 euro. The medical certificate, driving school enrolment and lessons have no national tariff: details are in the guide on how much licence B costs.
What happens if...? Three worked cases
A young woman in Naples passes theory and receives her foglio rosa on 5 March. She cannot take the practical test before 5 April. Meanwhile she completes the eight compulsory hours at a driving school and practises with her father, aged 52 and holding a B licence for thirty years: he meets the requirements.
A young man in Verona practises on his foglio rosa next to a 25-year-old friend who has held a licence for three years. At a roadside check the accompanying driver does not qualify: the fine ranges from 430 to 1,731 euro and the car is seized for three months (art. 122).
A candidate in Cagliari fails the practical test three times within the twelve months of the foglio rosa. No attempts are left: to start again he must ask the office or the driving school which new application to file.
What are the most common mistakes along the route?
- Letting the application expire without using both theory attempts within six months.
- Booking the practical test too early, before a month from the foglio rosa.
- Forgetting the eight hours, assuming they only apply to driving-school candidates.
- Practising with an accompanying driver who does not qualify by age or years of licence.
- Using up the three practical attempts with no margin before the twelve months end.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum time needed to get a patente B?
The law sets no total duration, only some minimums: the practical test cannot be taken before one month from the issue of the foglio rosa (Codice della Strada, art. 121 paragraph 8). Real timings depend on the exam sessions of the provincial office, and no official data exists.
How much are the official payments for a patente B?
N067 for theory: 42.40 euro (26.40 euro in fees plus 16.00 euro stamp duty). N019 for the practical test: 16.00 euro. The official payments total 58.40 euro; the medical certificate, driving school and lessons are extra and vary.
How many times can the practical test be taken?
Three times within the 12-month validity of the foglio rosa, with at least one month between a failed test and the next.
Do the eight driving-school hours apply to private candidates too?
Yes. Ministerial decree no. 294 of 17 November 2025 sets eight compulsory driving hours in four modules, including for people not enrolled at a driving school.
Who can act as accompanying driver on a foglio rosa?
A person aged 65 or under, holding a valid licence of the same or a higher category for at least ten years (art. 122). Driving without a qualifying accompanying driver carries a fine from 430 to 1,731 euro and a three-month administrative seizure of the vehicle.
What limits apply to new drivers in the first three years?
For three years: cars with a power-to-weight ratio up to 75 kW/t and, for M1 vehicles, power up to 105 kW; 100 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on main extra-urban roads; zero blood alcohol.
Fees and procedures can change: see the legal notes.
Sources: Portale dell'Automobilista, "Foglio rosa e prove d'esame": theory test format, audio support for DSA candidates, foglio rosa validity and three practical attempts. , Codice della Strada, art. 121 (ACI text): paragraphs 8, 9 and 10, one month before the practical test, dual controls, one month between a failed test and the next. , Codice della Strada, art. 122 (ACI text): theory within six months of the application, two attempts, accompanying driver requirements, authorisation valid for twelve months. , Portale dell'Automobilista, fee schedule (undated document): N067 theory 42.40 euro, N019 practical 16.00 euro. , Ministerial decree MIT no. 294 of 17 November 2025, Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 297 of 23 December 2025: eight compulsory driving hours in four modules. , Motorizzazione office of Pistoia, instructions for private candidates (an example of one provincial office's document list): form TT2112, PagoPA N067, medical certificate, permesso di soggiorno. , Motorizzazione office of Naples, notice no. 04/2015 of 3 November 2015: audio support on a request filed with the licence application. . New drivers: Codice della Strada, articles 117 and 186-bis, as amended by law 177/2024; details and sources in the new-driver guide. The 22 April 2026 operational start of the eight hours is reported by trade press.