📰 Guides & articles · Updated 30 August 2026

New drivers in Italy 2026: limits, duration and allowed cars 🚗

📌 In short: Under the reformed Highway Code (in force since 14/12/2024), anyone obtaining a licence B is a «neopatentato» for 3 years (previously 1). The limits: maximum specific power 75 kW/t and maximum output 105 kW for cars (more permissive than the old 55 kW/t / 70 kW), reduced speeds (100 km/h on motorways, 90 on main extra-urban roads), 0.0 g/l blood alcohol and doubled point deductions. Licences obtained before 14/12/2024 follow the old rules (1 year, 55 kW/t / 70 kW).

Updated 30 August 2026 · Sources: Italian Highway Code (L. 177/2024), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, official portals cited in the text. Leggi in italiano 🇮🇹

The limits in force, item by item (table)

LimitRule
Duration of status3 years from licensing (1 year for pre-14/12/2024 licences)
Specific powerMax 75 kW/t of kerb weight (before: 55 kW/t)
Maximum power (cars)Max 105 kW ≈ 143 hp (before: 70 kW)
Speed100 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on main extra-urban roads
Alcohol0.0 g/l: any positive value is sanctioned
Licence pointsDeductions doubled; slower bonus growth

How to check whether a car is allowed: the registration document (libretto) shows power (kW) and mass; divide kW by the kerb weight in tonnes for the specific power. Many apps and the Portale dell'Automobilista allow a check by plate — do it before buying or renting.

Alcohol and sanctions: why 0.0 really means zero

For new drivers even a minimal reading (e.g. 0.1 g/l) brings a fine and a 10-point deduction, with administrative and criminal sanctions growing past the ordinary thresholds. In practice: if you drive, you don't drink — not even «just one beer». The rule covers the first 3 years and stacks with the ordinary sanctions described in the drink-driving guide.

Living the 3 years well

The limits aren't a punishment but an on-ramp: crashes and licence revocations concentrate in the first driving years. Practical advice: verify the kW before buying the car, set the limiter to 100 on motorways, and review the new rules — plenty of today's exam questions target exactly these changes: the full summary is here. Expats note: the 3-year clock counts from your first licence, so a converted foreign licence with years of history usually isn't «new».

📖 Useful definitions
  • Kerb weight (tara) — the vehicle's empty mass, printed on the registration document.
  • Specific power — the kW-to-tonnes ratio used for new-driver limits.
  • Neopatentato — a driver within the restricted period after their first licence.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long do new-driver limits last in Italy?
3 years (licences from 14/12/2024); 1 year before that.
What car can a new driver drive in Italy in 2026?
Cars up to 75 kW/t and 105 kW (~143 hp).
How much can a new driver drink before driving?
Zero (0.0 g/l): any positive value is sanctioned.
What speed limits apply to new drivers?
100 km/h on motorways, 90 on main extra-urban roads.

🚦 Esercitati con i quiz patente

Hai studiato la teoria? Mettiti alla prova con oltre 7.000 domande ufficiali del Ministero.

📝 Inizia ora con SuperQuizPatente
🚀 Take a free driving quiz