The Italian government approved an executive legislative decree on October 13, 2026, setting the stage for a sweeping overhaul of the country’s road regulations. The reform introduces a restructured system of administrative sanctions, digital documents, and targeted measures for road safety, following a public consultation period involving sector associations and operators.
The updated legislative framework is designed to balance lighter penalties for minor infractions with zero tolerance for high-risk behavior. Under the revised system, penalty tables have been reorganized from 82 to 21 brackets. The lowest tier sets fines ranging between a minimum of 25 euros and a maximum of 100 euros for minor infractions, while the highest tier provides for penalties reaching from 10,000 to 40,000 euros for the gravest violations. Common minimum fines previously set at 26 and 42 euros are reduced to 25 and 40 euros respectively, and fines originally established at 83 and 87 euros are uniformly rounded down to 80 euros. Conversely, base fines are subject to percentage increases for specific infractions when committed by drivers with fewer than 20 points, novices, or repeat offenders.
Digital Documents and Insurance Crackdown
Among the structural changes, motorists will no longer be required to carry physical paper copies of their driver’s license and vehicle registration documents while driving, as law enforcement will verify them electronically. Concurrently, the reform introduces a permanent driving ban for owners of vehicles lacking mandatory third-party liability auto insurance.
Vehicle Regulations and Speed Limits
The approved text maintains standard speed limits such as 130 km/h on motorways and 50 km/h in urban centers, while establishing conditions under which specific motorways featuring three lanes plus an emergency lane per direction and average speed monitoring systems could potentially see maximum limits raised to 150 km/h. During atmospheric precipitation of any kind, motorway limits decrease to 110 km/h and main extra-urban road limits drop to 90 km/h. The reform also addresses young drivers and vehicle modifications, raising the age limit to 70 years for operating buses and trucks under group 2 licenses, while removing a previously considered proposal to lower the minimum age for a standard B license to 17 years.
Sanctions and Enforcement Timelines
Automatic biennial indexing of pecuniary fines to inflation has been suspended under the reform, preventing automatic increases unless Istat records a variation in the consumer price index exceeding 5% compared to the last adjustment. Additionally, when violations are assessed remotely without immediate notification, municipalities will have 45 days instead of the previous 90 days to notify the contesting report to drivers. The schema remains subject to final examination by the Council of State, the Unified Conference, and parliamentary commissions.
Additional Transport and Mobility Rules
The revised regulatory package includes helmet and license plate requirements specifically targeting high-performance electric bicycles used by delivery riders, which differ from standard pedal-assist bicycles possessing a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kW. Furthermore, the legislation establishes mandatory integration for all Italian municipalities into the national European Disability Parking Badge platform.
