How to read categories and codes on the back of an Italian licence

A table on the back of an Italian driving licence associates each category with dates and harmonised codes. The category identifies the vehicles you may drive; dates and codes add duration, restrictions or conditions. Read every column in the row, not just the category letter.

What the columns mean

The European licence format uses numbered fields and a legend. The Italian Portale dell’Automobilista explains that the back contains a category table: column 9 identifies the category, column 10 gives the date of first issue, column 11 the expiry date, and column 12 may contain additional codes. A category printed in the table does not by itself prove you obtained it; check the row and associated dates.

Harmonised codes describe conditions or adaptations. Code 78, for example, restricts driving to vehicles with automatic transmission; code 01 concerns visual correction. A licence can therefore show a valid category together with a restriction that changes which vehicles or conditions are allowed. Read each code in the context of its row.

A quick check before driving

To check a licence, identify the category required for the vehicle, compare it with the category you hold, check the expiry date and read all codes beside the row. If the card is damaged or a number cannot be read, use official services or ask the Motorizzazione; do not reconstruct information from a blurry photograph or an old licence.

For example, a valid B category with code 78 does not automatically authorise a manual car. If category A appears with a date or restrictive code, that information also matters. Keep the current document and compare its categories after renewal, replacement or reclassification, especially if you rely on a particular vehicle class.

Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps you study and review licence categories and codes through relevant theory quizzes.