Rules of the road
Driving in Italy
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Which side of the road
Speed limits
Speed limit on the motorway
130 km/h
110 in rain or snow. New drivers are capped lower for three years.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit on a dual carriageway
110 km/h
Main roads outside towns (strade extraurbane principali). 90 in rain.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit on country roads
90 km/h
Secondary roads outside towns.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in rain or snow
- Motorway — 110 km/h
- Dual carriageway — 90 km/h
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Motorway — 100 km/h
- Dual carriageway — 90 km/h
For the first three years after passing the test.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
How much alcohol you may have in your blood
0.5 g/l
Above 0.8 it becomes a criminal offence with licence suspension.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
0 g/l
Zero alcohol for the first three years after the test, and under 21.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Whether you need an International Driving Permit
Depends on where your licence is from
EU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Licences from elsewhere must be carried with an International Driving Permit or a certified Italian translation.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
- Warning triangle
- High-visibility vest
The triangle goes at least 100 m behind the car on motorways. The vest must be worn when leaving a stopped vehicle outside towns in poor visibility — passengers included.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Holding a phone while driving
Not allowed
Since the 2024 reform, a first offence brings a 250 to 1,000 euro fine AND licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months — visitors lose the licence they are travelling on.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Hands-free phone calls
Allowed, with restrictions
Built-in systems and a single earpiece are allowed if you can still hear with both ears. Headphones over both ears are banned.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Winter driving
Winter tyres
Required where signs say so
On signed roads — most mountain and northern routes — from 15 November to 15 April: winter tyres (M+S), or approved snow chains carried on board and fitted when conditions demand.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
When winter tyre rules apply
15 November to 15 April
On the signed roads. Fitting is tolerated a month early and a month late.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Snow chains
Required where signs say so
Carried on board they satisfy the winter rule as an alternative to winter tyres.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Tolls and city charges
Congestion charges
In some cities
Italy's version is the ZTL — limited-traffic zones covering most historic centres. They are access bans, not charges: cameras read every plate, and unauthorised entry means a fine of roughly 80 to 330 euros that reaches you by post months later, via the rental company with a handling fee added. Zone boundaries and hours are signed locally and not shown by most map apps. If your hotel is inside one, ask it to register your plate.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
If something goes wrong
Fines
Typical fines
- Holding a phone — fine 250–1000 EUR, possible driving ban (Licence suspended 15 days to 2 months even on a first offence.)
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
26 rules not yet verified for Italy
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Which side you overtake on
- Speed limit in living and residential zones
- Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Alcohol limit for professional drivers
- Youngest age you may drive
- Youngest age you may rent a car
- How long you may drive on your own licence
- What you should carry, but do not have to
- When you must switch your headlights on
- Headlights in tunnels
- Turning at a red light
- Who has priority at a roundabout
- Priority to traffic coming from the right
- Who must wear a seatbelt
- Age below which a child needs a child seat
- Height below which a child needs a child seat
- Youngest age a child may sit in the front
- What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- How you pay to park
- Parking on the pavement
- Parking facing against the traffic
- How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- What happens if you park wrongly
- How you pay for motorways
- Low-emission zones
- Whether police can fine you on the spot