Patente B Age Requirements Italy — Minimum Age & Rules

Italy has clear age requirements for the Patente B, including special rules for young and new drivers. Here is what you need to know.

Minimum Age to Start Learning

You can begin the theory preparation and medical visit at any age — there is no minimum for studying. Patente B itself is issued from 18 years old.

Accompanied Driving at 17 (Guida Accompagnata)

At 17, a holder of an A1 or B1 licence may practise guida accompagnata (CdS art. 115):

• You drive with GA plates, accompanied by a driver who has held a Patente B for at least 10 years
• You need at least 10 prior driving lessons
• It is not a Patente B: you still take the Patente B exams and receive the licence from 18

It gives young drivers more practice hours in real traffic before they drive alone.

Solo Driving at 18

From your 18th birthday:

• If you begin the process at 18, you follow the standard route (theory → Foglio Rosa → practical)

New-Driver Rules (First 3 Years After Obtaining Patente B)

For the first 3 years after obtaining Patente B:

• Lower speed limits at all hours: 100 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on main extra-urban roads (CdS art. 117)
• Zero alcohol tolerance: 0.0 g/L — this also applies to all drivers under 21 (CdS art. 186-bis)
• Power limits: no vehicles over 75 kW/tonne, and M1 cars also capped at 105 kW (CdS art. 117)

The Points System for New Drivers

Every licence starts with 20 points. For licences issued after 1-10-2003 to people with no previous licence, point deductions are doubled for offences in the first 3 years. If you reach 0 points you must take the revision exam (esame di idoneità tecnica); if you do not sit it within 30 days of notification, the licence is suspended indefinitely (CdS art. 126-bis).

Elderly Drivers

There is no maximum age for holding a Patente B. However, renewal intervals shorten as you age (see our Patente B renewal guide), and the medical visit becomes more thorough.

Start Preparing Today

The Driving Freedom app is used by thousands of people of all ages preparing for the Italian theory exam.

Download for iOS | Download for Android