Medical visit for the Italian driving licence
Updated 2026-09-16
The medical visit for an Italian driving licence is carried out by the ASL forensic medicine office or by one of the doctors authorised under article 119 of the Codice della Strada, not by a family doctor. For a first licence the certificate must be dated no more than three months before the application. Visit fees vary by provider.
Who can carry out the licence medical visit?
By law the assessment of physical and mental fitness belongs to the local ASL forensic medicine office. Article 119, paragraph 2, also authorises other doctors, provided the visit takes place in a medical surgery. They may continue after leaving their administration if they have carried out these assessments within the last ten years.
| Who | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| ASL forensic medicine office | Art. 119, paragraph 2, first sentence |
| Doctor in charge of primary care services of the health district | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| Ministry of Health doctor | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| State Railways medical inspector | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| Military doctor, serving or retired | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| State Police doctor | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| National Fire Brigade doctor | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| Ministry of Labour medical inspector | Art. 119, paragraph 2 |
| ASL diabetologist (diabetic applicants, A, B, BE) | Art. 119, paragraph 2-bis |
| Local Medical Commission | Art. 119, paragraph 4 |
Many of these doctors see the public in private surgeries or at vehicle paperwork agencies, even after leaving service. Before booking, it is sensible to ask which art. 119 category the doctor belongs to.
How much does the licence medical visit cost?
No national rule sets the doctor's fee: the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT) states that costs and payment methods vary by provider and licence category. The fixed items are the payments to the State.
| Item | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor or ASL fee | Always | Varies by provider |
| Stamp duty on the medical certificate | First licence | €16.00 |
| PagoPA tariff N004: fees | Renewal | €10.20 |
| PagoPA tariff N004: stamp duty | Renewal | €16.00 |
| Family doctor's medical history certificate | First licence | Varies |
Rates in Sicily, Valle d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia may differ: the MIT publishes specific tables. Legal notes.
What should you bring to the visit?
- Valid identity document and codice fiscale.
- A recent passport-size photo.
- For a first licence: the medical history certificate from your own doctor (art. 119, paragraph 3) and the 16 euro stamp for the certificate.
- For renewal: the licence and the receipt for PagoPA payment N004.
- Glasses or contact lenses if you use them, and any specialist records on ongoing conditions.
- The receipt for the visit fee, if the provider asks for payment in advance.
Exact lists can differ between ASL offices and doctors, so confirm when booking.
How does the visit work, step by step?
- Booking with the ASL (often through the CUP booking centre or the forensic medicine desk) or directly with an authorised doctor.
- Payment check: for renewal the doctor may not examine anyone who cannot show the required payments (art. 126, paragraph 8, CdS).
- Medical history review, based on the medical history certificate for a first licence.
- Fitness assessment, including sight and hearing, against the requirements set by the Code's implementing regulation.
- Outcome: fit, further specialist tests, or referral to the Local Medical Commission if doubts arise (art. 119, paragraph 4, letter d).
- Transmission: for renewal the doctor sends the data to the Ministry within five days of the visit (art. 126, paragraph 8) and hands over the confirmation receipt.
How long is the certificate valid, and when is a licence renewed?
For a first licence, the certificate must be dated no more than three months before the exam application (art. 119, paragraph 3). For renewal, after a positive visit, the doctor's receipt allows driving in Italy only until the new licence arrives by insured post, with the delivery charge paid to the postal worker (MIT).
| Categories | Holder's age | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE | Up to 50 | 10 years |
| AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE | 50 to 70 | 5 years |
| AM, A1, A2, A, B1, B, BE | 70 to 80 | 3 years |
| C1, C1E, C, CE | Up to 65 | 5 years |
| C1, C1E, C, CE | Over 65 (visit at the CML) | 2 years |
| D1, D1E, D, DE | Up to 70 | 5 years |
| D1, D1E, D, DE | From 70 | 3 years |
| All categories | From 80 | 2 years |
Special AM, A1, A2, A, B1 and B licences issued to people with physical disabilities are valid five years, three after age 70 (art. 126, paragraph 5). A licence expired for more than five years can normally be renewed only after passing a driving check (paragraph 8-ter).
When is the Local Medical Commission required?
The Local Medical Commission (CML), set up by the regions, replaces the individual doctor in the cases listed in art. 119, paragraph 4:
- people with physical disabilities, with a possible practical test on an adapted vehicle;
- drivers over 65 holding licences for lorries over 3.5 t, road trains and articulated vehicles up to 20 t, and operating machinery;
- people referred by the prefect or the Motorizzazione office;
- cases where test results raise doubts for the doctor about fitness to drive;
- diabetic applicants for, or holders renewing, C, D, CE, DE and subcategories.
The CML can shorten the licence validity or impose restrictions and adaptations, shown with harmonised EU codes (art. 116, paragraph 4). A driver who must renew at the CML and cannot get an appointment before expiry can obtain, once only, a temporary driving permit valid until the final outcome (art. 126, paragraph 8-bis).
What happens if...?
If a candidate in Naples has the visit in January and files the exam application in May, the certificate can no longer be used, because it must be dated no more than three months before the application (article 119, paragraph 3, of the Codice della Strada): she must repeat the visit before applying.
If a driver in Bologna renews a B licence at 52, the new licence is valid for five years, not ten, because he is over 50 (article 126 of the Codice della Strada). Before the visit he pays PagoPA N004 (10.20 euro plus 16 euro), and the licence arrives by insured post.
If a lorry driver in Padua with a CE licence turns 65, renewal no longer goes through an individual doctor but through the Local Medical Commission (article 119, paragraph 4, of the Codice della Strada), and the licence is valid for two years. If the CML has no slots before expiry, the commission issues a one-off temporary permit valid until the outcome (article 126, paragraph 8-bis).
If a young man in Cagliari with diabetes applies for a B licence, the assessment is done by ASL diabetes specialists, who also set the deadline for the next check (article 119, paragraph 2-bis, of the Codice della Strada).
What are the most common mistakes?
- Going to the family doctor for the visit: they can issue only the medical history certificate.
- Having the visit too early and passing the three month limit before applying.
- Arriving for renewal without the PagoPA N004 payment: the doctor cannot proceed.
- Using the renewal receipt to drive abroad: it is valid only in Italy.
- Waiting until expiry when a CML visit is needed, where waiting times can be long.
Frequently asked questions
Who can issue the medical certificate for the licence?
The ASL forensic medicine office and the doctors listed in art. 119 CdS: district primary care doctors, Ministry of Health doctors, State Railways medical inspectors, military doctors, State Police doctors, Fire Brigade doctors and Ministry of Labour medical inspectors.
Can a family doctor carry out the visit?
No, family doctors are not among the doctors in art. 119, paragraph 2. For a first licence, however, the family doctor, as the applicant's own doctor, issues the medical history certificate, which the examining doctor reviews.
How much does the medical visit cost?
The doctor's fee is not set by law and varies by provider and licence category. On top of the visit there is a 16 euro stamp duty on the certificate. For renewal the MIT also requires PagoPA payment N004: 10.20 euro in fees and 16 euro in stamp duty.
How long is the medical certificate valid for a first licence?
The certificate must be dated no more than three months before the exam application is filed (art. 119, paragraph 3, CdS). If it is older, the visit must be repeated.
Is the certificate handed to me?
For renewal the doctor sends the certificate, photo, signature and payment details to the Ministry electronically, and hands over a receipt valid for driving in Italy until the new licence arrives.
When is the Local Medical Commission involved?
In the cases of art. 119, paragraph 4: people with physical disabilities, drivers over 65 holding licences for lorries over 3.5 t, requests from the prefect or the Motorizzazione, doubts raised by the doctor, and diabetic applicants for C or D licences.
Do people with diabetes have to go to the Commission?
For A, B and BE licences the assessment is done by ASL diabetes specialists (art. 119, paragraph 2-bis). For C, D, CE, DE and subcategories the Local Medical Commission decides, with a diabetologist on the panel.
Sources: Codice della Strada, article 119; Codice della Strada, article 126; Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Licence renewal; Portale dell'Automobilista.