Since 14 December 2024, new drivers in Italy can drive noticeably more powerful cars than before, but the restrictions now last three years instead of one. For anyone swapping a foreign licence for an Italian one, or sitting the Italian test from scratch, that changes which cars are worth looking at.
This guide covers the power limits, who counts as a new driver (neopatentato), and the other rules that come with it. It was checked against article 117 of the Codice della Strada in October 2026.
Who counts as a new driver
If you are a non-EU resident, your foreign licence is valid in Italy for one year after you become resident. After that you need an Italian licence, either by conversion, if your country has an agreement with Italy, or by passing the Italian theory and practical tests. The Ministry of Transport keeps the list of countries on its page on converting a foreign licence.
The new-driver period runs from the date you first obtained your licence. If you pass the Italian test, you are a new driver for the next three years. If you convert a foreign licence, the Italian card should carry the original issue date (field 10), so someone who has driven for decades at home is not usually caught by the limits. Check that date on your new card, and ask the Motorizzazione to correct it if it shows the conversion date instead.
The new power limits
Under the old rules, new drivers were limited to 55 kW per tonne and, for passenger cars, 70 kW, for one year. The 2024 reform of the Road Code (law 177/2024) raised both figures.
Today, for the first three years, a category B licence holder cannot drive a car with a power-to-weight ratio above 75 kW per tonne. For passenger cars (category M1), including electric and plug-in hybrid models, there is also an absolute ceiling of 105 kW, about 143 hp. Both limits apply together: a car that passes one and fails the other is still off limits.
The limits do not apply when an experienced driver sits beside you as an instructor: someone aged 65 or under who has held a licence for the same category for at least 10 years. Breaking the rule costs €165 to €660 and a licence suspension of two to eight months (article 117, Codice della Strada).
What that means at the dealer
Most compact hatchbacks, small SUVs, estates and family saloons on Italian forecourts now fit inside the limits, and so do many hybrids and electric cars. Before you sign, check the power (kW) and the kerb weight in the registration document, the libretto or Documento Unico, and do the division yourself. Our guide to buying a car in Italy covers residency, registration and paperwork.
On used-car lots around Lecce, the cars that sell fastest tend to be small diesels and petrol hatchbacks that would have passed even the old limits, which says something about narrow streets and parking in the old towns as much as about the law.
The other new-driver rules
The power limits come with the rest of the Codice della Strada rules for new drivers. For the first three years:
- the speed limit is 100 km/h on motorways (instead of 130 km/h) and 90 km/h on main roads outside towns (instead of 110 km/h);
- the alcohol limit is zero, so no glass of wine with dinner if you are driving home;
- penalty points for some offences count double.
The 90 km/h limit is the one new drivers in Salento notice. Newly licensed drivers often find the dual carriageway between Lecce and Brindisi slow at 90, until they see how many cars are pulled over at the speed checks.
Why the rules changed
Modern cars, even with more power, come with better brakes, stability control and driver-assistance systems than the small cars new drivers were once limited to. The reform widened the choice of car and, in exchange, tripled the length of the restrictions.
If you are planning ahead, we also cover applying for an Italian tax code.
