Getting Your Italian Driver’s Licence: What Americans Need to Know
How hard could it be??
The Italians are serious about driving - and they should be. Some of the roads are suuuppper narrow and have lots of zig zags, otherwise known as hairpin curves. And they have the Autostarda system which is like the state turnpikes. They are limited access toll roads that are pretty fast and efficient. I wrote about this in a previous blog, the left lane is for passing - if you aren't passing - get.out.of.the.way!! They mean it!
Driving in Italy is serious business. As an expat, you can drive on your American drivers license for exactly one year, and in that one year, you should be studying and practicing for your exam. Italy does not have a reciprocal agreement with the United States, so you would have two options - 1) find a country that does have a reciprocal agreement; UK, Japan, Switzerland or 2) study and do all the necessary things to get your license.
Things to do:
1. Get medical clearance - get a medical certificate verifying that you are mentally and physically fit to drive
2. Apply to the Civil Motorization with your Codidi Fiscale, a valid ID, proof of residency and pay about 90 Euro
3. Pass the theory exam. This is the hard part because up until now, the process has been easy. You have to pass a 30 question multiple choice written exam - in Italian only. I'll repeat - in Italian only. You can make three mistakes - three only. I highly recommend downloading the study app. In the play or Apple store search for 'Quiz Patente Official' - it is incredibly helpful to use this and even though I've been driving for more than 30 years, this app really tests your knowledge.
4. Once you pass, you'll get your learners permit that allows you to practice for 12 months
5. Take classes with a certified instructor. This person will also help you navigate the bureaucracy of the Italian government as well as make sure you can pass the driving test.
6. Take the test. You can try three times in 11 months. If you can't pass, you need to reapply and start all over again at the theory test. Yikes!
After you successfully take your test and get your official drivers license, you are limited to a strict power to weight rule for three years. Double yikes! For more detailed information, search 'Che macchine possono guidare i neopatentati' - it's a bit involved.
Then - TaDa!! All done and official to drive in Italy.
You say - well I'll never have a violation or an accident, so they'll never know that I'm driving without a license after the first 12 months. You'd be wrong about that. They love to pull people over just to check.
Storytime - one of the last times we were there, we were driving on a secondary road just doing some sightseeing. At the bottom of a long hill, there were two traffic policemen set up in a turnoff. They see you coming down the hill and hold out their stop paddle and you pull over - simple as that. Thankfully, I had my AAA international drivers license, my passport and all of the rental car information. I was definitely intimidated because all he said was 'Patente' (drivers license) when he walked up to the car. They took all of my information back to their setup and made sure I was legit. They came back, said - Grazie, and we were free to go. So don't think that you'll be ok to not get your license. Just get it and you won't have to worry.
