Italian motorcycle licences A1, A2 and A: ages, bikes and exams
Italy has three motorcycle licences: A1 at 16 for bikes up to 125 cc and 11 kW, A2 at 18 up to 35 kW, and A at 24, or at 20 after two years of A2. A car licence (B) holder takes only the riding test. A course can replace the exam to move up a category, according to the MIT.
Updated 2026-09-17
This site has no motorcycle quiz: the patente B quiz covers category B only. The guide summarises the A1, A2 and A rules from the pages of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), cited sentence by sentence.
What can you ride with A1, A2 and A?
| Category | Minimum age | Motorcycles allowed | Tricycles |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 16 | up to 125 cc, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg, all three limits together | up to 15 kW |
| A2 | 18 | up to 35 kW and 0.2 kW/kg, not derived from versions with more than twice the power | |
| A | 24, or 20 with A2 for 2 years | any power | over 15 kW from 21 |
The A1 limits come from the MIT page on the A1 licence, which states that the bike must meet all three values; the same category covers agricultural machines within motorcycle size and mass limits. The A2 limits and the absence of limits for A are set by article 116 of the Codice della Strada. The other categories, from AM to DE, are in the guide to licence categories.
Example. A 125 with 11 kW and 150 kg has a ratio of about 0.07 kW/kg: it falls under A1. A bike with 35 kW and 160 kg reaches about 0.22 kW/kg: it exceeds the A2 limit even though its power is exactly 35 kW.
At what age can you get each motorcycle licence?
The MIT page on A2 and A by exam sets 18 for A2 and, for A, 24 or 20 if A2 has been held for at least two years. A1 is available at 16. The quickest path is therefore A1 at 16, A2 at 18 and A at 20.
Example. A young man in Bologna gets A2 on his 18th birthday. He can apply for A on his 20th birthday, exactly two years later. A woman in Bari who starts at 22 with no motorcycle licence takes A2, or waits until 24 for direct access to A.
How do the motorcycle licence exams work?
For A1, A2 and A the MIT pages set a theory test and a practical riding test, with the same attempts as category B: 2 theory attempts within 6 months of the application and 3 riding attempts within 11 months from the month after the theory pass. The foglio rosa follows the theory pass. The theory format for motorcycle categories is not stated on those pages, so none is given here; for B the format is explained in how the theory exam works.
The application goes to the Motorizzazione on form TT 2112, stating the specification of the test bike with a photocopy of its registration document. The fee is 26.40 euros in rights plus 16.00 euros stamp duty, and booking the practical test adds 16.00 euros, according to the fees listed on the MIT pages.
What does a B licence holder need for A2 or A?
Only the riding test. The MIT page on A2 and A by exam states that holders of A1, B1, B or BE obtain A2 or A by taking only the practical riding test. The application fee is paid even without a theory test. It also works the other way: according to the MIT page on the B licence, holders of A1, A2, A or B1 obtain B with the practical test only.
Example. A newly licensed 19 year old car driver in Turin wants a 30 kW bike. She applies for A2, pays 42.40 euros, receives the foglio rosa without a theory test and books the riding test for another 16.00 euros. The A2 age and limits still apply.
Can you ride a 125 cc motorcycle on a B licence?
In Italy, yes, within the A1 limits. Among the vehicles of the B licence, the MIT page on the B licence lists, for use in Italy only, motorcycles up to 125 cc, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg. The MIT page on progressive access calls this an A1 recognised automatically, without an exam, for B holders. Before riding, read the conditions that go with it on the MIT page.
Two practical consequences. That A1 is not valid abroad. And it does not count towards progressive access to A2: that requires a real A1, obtained by exam, held for at least two years.
How do you get A2 or A without an exam?
Through progressive access (accesso graduale), described on the MIT page on progressive access without exam. Instead of the exam, a training course is taken at a driving school or at a training centre of the consortium the school belongs to.
- Requirements for A2: age 18 and an A1 licence, including special, held for at least 2 years.
- Requirements for A: age 20 and an A2 licence, including special, held for at least 2 years.
- Application: filed by the driving school on the Portale dell'Automobilista, stating category and gearbox type.
- Fee: code N003, 10.20 euros in rights and 32.00 euros stamp duty, plus the medical certificate receipt.
- Foglio rosa: produced the day after the application, after the ministry data centre checks. Only the one issued for progressive access is valid.
Example. A young man in Palermo passed A1 by exam at 16. At 18 his A1 is two years old: the driving school files the progressive access application, he pays 42.20 euros in fees and takes the course on an A2 category bike, with no exam.
Which motorcycle is needed for the practical test?
| Category | Motorcycle without sidecar with |
|---|---|
| A1 | maximum rated power 11 kW, at least 120 cc, at least 90 km/h |
| A2 | 20 to 35 kW, at most 0.2 kW/kg; at least 250 cc if combustion, at least 0.15 kW/kg if electric |
| A | at least 600 cc, at least 50 kW, unladen mass over 180 kg; at least 0.15 kW/kg if electric |
The MIT pages for A1 and A2 and A allow a tolerance of 5 cc below the minimum displacement, and for A 5 kg below the minimum mass. The A2 requirement is the one updated by circular prot. 30724 of 30 October 2020. For progressive access to A, the MIT page gives at least 0.25 kW/kg for electric bikes. If the test is taken with an automatic gearbox, the licence carries code 78: automatic vehicles only.
What are the most common mistakes?
- Riding a 125 abroad on a B licence alone.
- Counting the A1 recognised with B towards progressive access to A2.
- Checking only the 35 kW of A2 and not the 0.2 kW/kg ratio.
- Turning up to the A2 test on a bike under 20 kW or under 250 cc.
- Taking the test on an automatic scooter without knowing the licence will carry code 78.
Motorcycle licence questions
What can you ride with an A2 licence in Italy?
Motorcycles up to 35 kW with a power to weight ratio up to 0.2 kW/kg, not derived from a version with more than twice the power. It is available at 18. The limit is set by article 116 of the Codice della Strada and repeated on the MIT licence pages.
Can I ride a 125 cc motorcycle with a car licence in Italy?
Only in Italy and on the conditions on the MIT page. Among the vehicles of the B licence the MIT lists, for use in Italy only, motorcycles up to 125 cc, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg. It is an A1 recognised without an exam: it is not valid abroad and does not count towards progressive access to A2.
Does a B licence holder have to retake theory for A2?
No. According to the MIT, holders of A1, B1, B or BE obtain A2 or A by taking only the practical riding test. The application fee is still paid, 26.40 euros in rights and 16.00 euros in stamp duty, and then 16.00 euros for the practical test.
Can you get A2 without an exam?
Yes, through progressive access: at 18, with an A1 held for at least two years, a driving school course replaces the exam. The A1 recognised automatically for B holders does not count. The same route leads from A2 to A at 20, after two years of A2.
At what age can you get the A licence?
At 24 with direct access by exam, or at 20 if you have held A2 for at least two years. A1 is available at 16 and A2 at 18. This is stated on the MIT pages on obtaining the A1, A2 and A licences, last modified on 13 November 2025.
Sources: MIT, Conseguimento patente A1; MIT, Conseguimento patente A2 and A by exam; MIT, progressive access without exam; MIT, Conseguimento patente B (last modified 13/11/2025); Codice della Strada, article 116.