Patente C and CQC merci: when you need both and in which order to prepare them

Redazione PatenteInTasca, 1 November 2026, 4 minute read

PatenteInTasca is not affiliated with the Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT) or the Motorizzazione, and it is not a driving school.

Patente C and CQC merci: to drive a truck in goods transport you need both. How to get the CQC, in which order and at what age.

Last updated: 1 November 2026

In short

Driving in goods transport with vehicles that need the patente C1, C1E, C or CE requires the initial qualification and periodic training (formazione periodica), as D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 14 says.
You get the carta di qualificazione del conducente after an initial qualification course, standard or accelerated, and after passing an exam (art. 19).
To start the course you do not need to have the licence already; for the individual driving hours you need the foglio rosa (learner permit) of that category (art. 18).
For the C1 and C1E licences you must be 18, for the C and CE licences 21, subject to the rules on the CQC (Codice della strada (Highway Code), art. 115).

If you want to work as a truck driver in Italy, you hear people talk about the patente C (the truck licence) and the CQC as if they were one thing. In fact they are two different documents, with two different exams. Here you find what each one does, when you need both and in which order you can prepare them.

Patente C and CQC: what is the difference

The patente C lets you drive a truck. The CQC, carta di qualificazione del conducente, is about work instead: it is the qualification of people who drive to transport goods or passengers.

The law says that driving on roads open to the public with vehicles for the transport of goods, for which you need the patente C1, C1E, C or CE, requires the initial qualification and periodic training (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 14). For goods people speak of the CQC merci; for passengers, with the D licences, of the CQC persone (CQC for passengers).

How to get the CQC merci

You get the carta di qualificazione del conducente like this (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 19):

an initial qualification course, standard or accelerated
passing an exam

The CQC exam has its own rules, different from those of the patente C theory. You find how it works in the article on the CQC merci quiz.

In which order: you can start the course before the licence

You do not have to wait until you have the patente C to begin. To start the initial qualification course you do not need to have the matching licence already (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 18).

There is one condition, though: for the individual driving hours of the course you need the foglio rosa for the licence category that the CQC requires, that is the authorisation to practise driving. In practice you can prepare the patente C theory and the CQC path in the same period.

The age for the patente C

The Codice della strada sets the minimum age to drive the vehicles of these licences (art. 115):

C1 and C1E licences: 18 years
C and CE licences: 21 years

The same article adds that the rules on the carta di qualificazione del conducente still apply. To find out which age applies in your case, ask the office of the Motorizzazione (the vehicle licensing office).

How to prepare for the two theory exams

The patente C and the CQC have two different theory exams, so it is worth preparing them in order:

first the patente C theory, one chapter at a time
then the sections of the CQC merci, which are about the driver's work
at the end, for each exam, full timed simulations

On PatenteInTasca you find explanations and exam simulations (simulazioni d'esame) for both the patente C and the CQC merci. PatenteInTasca is not affiliated with the Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport) or with the Motorizzazione, it is not a driving school and it does not replace the initial qualification course.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need the CQC to drive a truck?

For driving on roads open to the public with vehicles for the transport of goods that need the patente C1, C1E, C or CE, you need the initial qualification and periodic training, that is the CQC merci (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 14).

How do you get the CQC merci?

With an initial qualification course, standard or accelerated, and by passing an exam (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 19).

Can I start the CQC course without the patente C?

Yes: to start the initial qualification course you do not need to have the matching licence already. For the individual driving hours, though, you need the foglio rosa of that category (D.Lgs. 286/2005, art. 18).

How old do you have to be for the patente C?

For the C and CE licences you must be 21, for the C1 and C1E licences 18, subject to the rules on the carta di qualificazione del conducente (Codice della strada, art. 115).

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