license required for >125cc scooter

[parmley]

Hi, I am an EU citizen with an American car driving license. I have recently moved to Italy and have obtained residence and employment.

Now I would like to buy a 300cc scooter. However, as my Italian is still very poor and few people here speak English, I have been having a hard time finding out what the requirements are for driving one.

Can anyone tell me what the options are for licenses that permit me to ride such a scooter? As I understand things, I need more than a basic US car license to drive any scooter that is >125cc. However, since it is a scooter with automatic transmission, I do not need a full motorcycle license.

Any advice on what the easiest way to become legal for a >125cc scooter would be much appreciated

[Giacomina]

Go to the Questura and ask them what kind of license you need.

[parmley]

I was kinda hoping someone would have some advice for me based on experience from the perspective of being a non-Italian-speaker and/or someone familiar with the US or international licenses that might be relevant to this class of vehicle.

My experiences going through getting registered in the healthcare system, getting residency, getting an apartment, were all pretty painful. Basically no one working at these places seems to know English...

[Giacomina]

OK, I understand.

It doesent get much better even if you become fluent in Italian. After three years of speaking Italian I had to deal with a certain questura on a registration matter and they screwed up their faces everytime I spoke as if my accent was so bad they couldnt understand a word I said when in fact everyone else in town understood me perfectly well. Its enough to try the patience of saints I say.

IMO this is a tactic to cut back on immigration, even though the EU has set in place things that are supposedly a benefit to immigrants, in reality a lot of europeans dont want foreigners in their countries.

I wish I had the experience of getting a drivers license.
All I know is that as soon as possible you should get your US drivers license changed over to an Italian one. I think that can be done at the questura. If you do it soon enough, and your dr license is translated, you wont have to take the drivers test. I dont know what license you have to have for your bike, but 20 years ago in Rome one wasnt needed. Maybe things have changed.

Good luck and best wishes!