The Italy Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has circulated 15 proposed amendments to the national Highway Code among more than 100 industry stakeholders and associations, a move that will fundamentally reshape how Italians drive, park, and face penalties for traffic violations by 2027. The consultation period runs until September 13, 2026, and the final text aims to balance road safety with less punitive enforcement.
Why This Matters:
• Younger drivers: Teenagers will be able to obtain a Class B license at 17 years old (with mandatory supervision until 18), aligning Italy with upcoming EU directives.
• Speed fine overhaul: Penalties will scale by €10 per km/h over the limit on highways, meaning a driver doing 170 km/h in a 130 km/h zone faces €400 instead of a flat rate.
• Motorcycle relief: Two-wheelers gain legal access to emergency lanes during traffic jams and see parking fines cut in half.
• E-bike crackdown: High-powered electric bicycles used by delivery riders must now carry registration plates and helmets for all riders.
Speed Enforcement Gets a Calculator
The Ministry is scrapping inflation-linked automatic increases to fines and replacing them with a progressive, kilometer-based system. On highways with a 130 km/h limit, each additional km/h of speed costs €10—so hitting 140 km/h results in a €100 fine, while 170 km/h (40 km/h over) jumps to €400. Urban roads with 50 km/h or 30 km/h limits will charge €5 per km/h excess. The goal is to penalize extreme speeding far more severely than minor infractions, addressing complaints that current flat-rate fines treat a 10 km/h slip and a reckless 50 km/h overage too similarly.
All fine revenue—100% of it—will be earmarked for road safety projects, not general municipal budgets. The Ministry also proposes cutting the notification window for remotely detected violations (speed cameras, red-light cameras) from 90 days to 30, reducing the limbo period drivers face when wondering if a ticket is coming.
What This Means for Residents
Teenage Drivers: Earlier Access, Stricter Supervision
In line with EU Directive 2025/2205, which Italy must adopt by late 2028, 17-year-olds will be able to sit for the Class B exam and receive a license stamped with code 98.02. (European directives are EU laws that member states must incorporate into national legislation by a specified deadline.) Currently, Italians must be 18 to obtain a full Class B license, making this change significant for families with teenagers.
Until their 18th birthday, they must have an accompanying adult—at least 24 years old, holding a Class B or higher license for more than five years, with no driving bans in the prior five years—in the front passenger seat at all times. This differs from the current guida accompagnata (supervised driving) system, which only allows practice after completing a course with an A1 or B1 license. The new rule grants full licensure earlier but keeps the supervision requirement.
The Ministry is also exploring Class C and C1 licenses at 17 with a Drivers' Qualification Card (CQC) or enrollment in a qualification course, targeting the chronic shortage of truck drivers in Italy's logistics sector.
Motorcyclists: Emergency Lane Access and Parking Breaks
Riders stuck in highway gridlock will legally be able to use the emergency lane (corsia di emergenza) to filter forward, provided they yield to ambulances and rescue vehicles. The proposal also halves fines for motorcycles parked in no-stopping zones, acknowledging the smaller footprint and lower obstruction risk compared to cars.
E-Bikes and Delivery Riders: New Category, New Rules
The draft introduces a distinct class for "propulsion-assisted cycles"—electric bikes that exceed the power or speed thresholds of standard pedal-assist e-bikes. These "super-bikes," common among gig-economy couriers, will require registration plates and helmets for all riders, not just minors. Standard e-bikes and traditional bicycles will see helmet mandates extended to all riders under 14, up from the current patchwork of local ordinances.
Right-Lane Passing and Digital Documents
On three-lane highways and expressways, the Ministry is evaluating parallel-lane circulation, effectively legalizing passing on the right when traffic is heavy. Separately, drivers may soon leave paper licenses and vehicle registration cards at home, relying instead on digital verification through national databases during roadside checks.
Enforcement and Consumer Protections
The revised code consolidates the current 82 fine brackets into 21, simplifying the penalty structure. A new mechanism called "divieto di guida" (driving ban) will impose automatic, predetermined license suspensions for serious violations, removing discretion from prefects and speeding up enforcement. Appeals to the prefect's office will be streamlined, and authorities will have expanded powers of self-correction (autotutela) to cancel erroneous tickets without requiring a formal challenge.
Vehicles without insurance face a tougher crackdown, and municipalities must join the CUDE platform (the European Unified Disabled Parking Permit system, which standardizes disabled parking badges across EU countries) or lose the ability to use automated enforcement cameras for ZTL (limited traffic zones) and reserved parking violations. The Ministry also plans stronger measures to recover unpaid fines from foreign drivers and remove abandoned vehicles.
European Context and Enforcement Trends
Italy's proposed fine structure mirrors approaches in Germany, where exceeding the limit by 26 km/h twice in a year triggers a driving ban, and Spain, where going 50 km/h over in urban zones can result in €600 fines, six points lost, and criminal prosecution. France recently made speeding over 50 km/h above the limit a criminal offense carrying up to three months in jail and a €3,750 fine, while the Netherlands enforces a near-zero-tolerance policy with penalties reaching €520 and tribunal referrals for extreme cases.
The EU's Vision Zero initiative, aiming for no road deaths or serious injuries by 2050, underpins many of these reforms. Italy's adoption of progressive fines and stricter enforcement aligns with broader continental efforts to harmonize road safety rules and cross-border fine collection under Directive 2015/413/EU, which facilitates data sharing between member states to identify and penalize foreign violators.
Safety as the Stated Priority
The Ministry's accompanying statement emphasizes "a text as close as possible to the needs of motorists, with road safety as the priority." The 15-point revision package targets vulnerable users (pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders), proportionate penalties, enhanced guarantees for citizens, and more transparent enforcement. The consultation period, closing mid-September 2026, invites feedback from driver associations, insurance groups, road safety advocates, and disability organizations to refine the proposals before parliamentary review.
What Residents Should Do Now
Residents affected by these proposed changes can submit feedback through the Ministry's consultation portal until September 13, 2026. Those with teenage children should monitor updates on the 17-year-old licensing requirements, while motorcyclists and e-bike users should review the specific technical requirements that will be published in the final regulations. As the amendments move through parliamentary review, updates will be released through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport's official channels.
