Using a phone while driving in Italy: what is banned and the fine
The calculator shows the amount, points and suspension for a phone in hand at the wheel, for a first offence or a second within two years, including for drivers licensed under three years.
The fine for using a phone while driving in Italy is set by article 173, paragraph 3-bis, of the Highway Code, as amended by law 177 of 2024: €250 to €1,000, 5 points and a licence suspension of 15 days to 2 months from the very first offence. If the same person is caught again within two years, the amount rises to €350 to €1,400, the points become 10 and the suspension runs 1 to 3 months. Because the offence always carries a suspension, the 30% discount for paying within 5 days does not apply: you pay the €250 minimum within 60 days. While the vehicle is moving the law bans phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops and similar devices that take your hands off the wheel, even briefly, and it bans headphones. Hands-free kits and a single earpiece are allowed, provided they need no hands and the driver hears properly in both ears. A new driver loses 10 points.
To pay within 60 days
€250
no 30% discount · 5 points
| Within 60 days (minimum) | €250 |
| Maximum set by law | €1,000 |
| If you neither pay nor appeal | €500 + costs |
| Points deducted | 5 |
| Licence suspension | 15 to 60 days |
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What article 173 bans
Paragraph 2 of article 173 of the Italian Highway Code bars the driver from using, while the vehicle is moving, «apparecchi radiotelefonici, smartphone, computer portatili, notebook, tablet e dispositivi analoghi» (phones, smartphones, laptops, notebooks, tablets and similar devices) that take the hands off the wheel «anche solo temporaneamente», even briefly, and from using headphones («cuffie sonore»). The text does not list activities such as calls, messages or photos: it speaks of using («far uso») the device, and the test is taking your hands off the wheel, even for a moment. Only drivers of armed forces, police and the bodies named in article 138 are exempt.
The same paragraph says what remains allowed: hands-free devices or an earpiece («a viva voce o dotati di auricolare»), provided the driver has adequate hearing in both ears and the device needs no hands to work. The car’s hands-free system, voice commands and a single earpiece are therefore fine; holding the phone, putting it to your ear or typing on the screen is not. Headphones are banned as such, even without a call.
What it costs: first and repeat offence
The amounts are those of paragraph 3-bis, rewritten by law 177 of 25 November 2024, in force since 14 December 2024 and still current in 2026. The biggest change is the licence suspension from the first offence.
| First offence | New offence within two years | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount (minimum – maximum) | €250 – €1,000 | €350 – €1,400 |
| Within 5 days | no discount | no discount |
| Within 60 days | €250 | €350 |
| Points | 5 | 10 |
| Points for a new driver | 10 | 20 |
| Licence suspension | 15 days to 2 months | 1 to 3 months |
There is no 30% discount because article 202 excludes it for offences carrying a licence suspension. You pay the minimum, €250, within 60 days of the offence being contested or the fine being served, plus the costs shown on the verbale. If you neither pay nor appeal, half the maximum becomes due, €500; the unpaid fine page explains what follows. There is no night surcharge either: article 173 is not among those listed in article 195, paragraph 2-bis.
Amount and points for an offence
Within 60 days
€250
| Minimum and maximum | €250 – €1,000 |
| Points | 5 points |
| Suspension | 15 to 60 days |
Points and suspension: what happens to the licence
The points table takes 5 points for a first offence and 10 for a second within two years; for drivers licensed under three years these become 10 and 20. Since the offence carries a suspension, the 15-point cap for offences found together does not apply: a phone and a seat belt in the same stop cost 10 points, a phone and a red light 11. The points deduction page shows more cases.
While the suspension runs (15 days to 2 months), you may not drive. Watch the three-offence rule too: three fines of at least five points within twelve months, such as three phone episodes, lead to a re-examination of an Italian licence even with points left. To see your balance after the fine, use the calculation below.
How many points I have left
Points left
15
| Licence re-examination | No |
| With a refresher course (+6) | 21 |
Prescribed glasses and other cases in the same article
Article 173 opens with a different duty: drivers whose licence requires glasses or other aids must use them at the wheel (paragraph 1). That offence has its own, lower penalty under paragraph 3 and its own row in the points table. It should not be confused with the phone fine, which only concerns paragraph 2. For other common offences, from seat belts to red lights, the Italian traffic fines list brings amounts and points together; the other changes of the reform are on the new Highway Code page.
The text of article 173 was read on Normattiva on 24 October 2026. The 2027 amounts are not published yet: the update decree is due by 1 December 2026, and until then the figures above apply.