Seat belt fines in Italy: amount, points and who pays
The calculator shows the amount within 5 and 60 days and the points for a seat belt or child seat not used, including for drivers licensed under three years.
The Italian fine for not wearing a seat belt is set by article 172, paragraph 10, of the Highway Code: €83 to €332, cut to €58.10 if paid within 5 days of the offence being contested or the fine being served, and 5 points off the licence (10 for a new driver). The same fine applies to not using a child restraint for a child under 1.50 m tall, and to carrying a child under four without the anti-abandonment alarm, compulsory in cars registered in Italy or driven by Italian residents. The duty covers the driver and every passenger, front and back, «in qualsiasi situazione di marcia», whenever the vehicle is moving. An adult passenger without a belt answers for their own offence; for a minor it is the driver or, if on board, the person responsible for supervising the child. If the driver commits the offence twice within two years, the second time also brings a licence suspension of fifteen days to two months. These are the 2026 amounts, the same by day and by night.
To pay within 5 days
€58.10
€83 within 60 days · 5 points
| Within 5 days (−30%) | €58.10 |
| Within 60 days (minimum) | €83 |
| Maximum set by law | €332 |
| If you neither pay nor appeal | €166 + costs |
| Points deducted | 5 |
| Licence suspension | no |
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Who must wear a belt
Paragraph 1 of article 172 of the Italian Highway Code requires the driver and passengers to wear seat belts «in qualsiasi situazione di marcia», in any driving situation, in cars, vans and lorries (categories M1, N1, N2 and N3) and in closed heavy quadricycles. It applies to front and rear seats alike, in town and on the motorway. On coaches and buses (categories M2 and M3), every occupant over three must wear a belt when seated if one is fitted, and the rule must be shown by signs or pictograms on each seat (paragraphs 6 and 7). The driver must also make sure belts and child seats work (paragraph 2).
What it costs and how many points
Paragraph 10 sets the same penalty for not using a seat belt, a child restraint, or the anti-abandonment alarm where it is required. Anyone who uses the belt but tampers with it or blocks it falls under paragraph 11, with a lower amount. The points table takes 5 points for both paragraphs.
| Case | Amount | Within 5 days | Points | New driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt, child seat or alarm not used (para. 10) | €83 – €332 | €58.10 | 5 | 10 |
| Driver, second offence within two years (para. 10) | €83 – €332 and a 15-day to 2-month suspension | no discount | 5 | 10 |
| Device tampered with or blocked (para. 11) | lower amount of paragraph 11 | yes, −30% | 5 | 10 |
Paying within 5 days costs €58.10 instead of €83, plus service costs: the article 202 discount applies because a first offence carries no suspension. The reduced payment page works out the exact date. Article 172 is not among those that article 195 raises by a third at night, so the time of day changes nothing. When several people in the car are unbelted, each receives their own fine.
Amount and points for an offence
Within 5 days (−30%)
€58.10
| Minimum and maximum | €83 – €332 |
| Points | 5 points |
| Suspension | none |
Who pays: passengers, children and the driver
Paragraph 10 fines «chiunque non fa uso», anyone who does not use the restraint. An adult passenger without a belt is therefore responsible for their own offence and pays their own fine. For minors the law shifts responsibility: «della violazione risponde il conducente ovvero, se presente sul veicolo al momento del fatto, chi è tenuto alla sorveglianza del minore stesso», the driver answers or, if present in the vehicle, whoever is responsible for supervising the child. A parent sitting in the back next to an unrestrained child answers, not the driver. The table gives points for paragraphs 10 and 11, but the text does not say how they apply to a passenger who holds no licence.
The suspension affects only the driver and only on repetition: when, within two years, they have committed a paragraph 10 offence at least twice, the last one adds a licence suspension of fifteen days to two months. Seat-belt and phone fines often come together in one stop: then the 15-point cap does not apply, because a phone at the wheel carries a suspension.
Children: child seats, airbags and the anti-abandonment alarm
| Situation | What article 172 says |
|---|---|
| Child under 1.50 m tall | approved child restraint suited to their weight (para. 1) |
| Child under four in a child seat | anti-abandonment alarm, in cars registered in Italy or driven by residents (para. 1-bis) |
| Rear-facing child seat in front | banned if the front airbag is active (para. 5) |
| Vehicle with no restraints | children up to three may not travel; over three in front only above 1.50 m (para. 3) |
| Taxi and chauffeur-driven hire | no child seat needed under 1.50 m if the child is not in front and is with a passenger aged sixteen or over (para. 4) |
| Coach or bus | child restraints used only if fitted and approved (para. 6) |
The test for a child seat is height, not age: under 1.50 m a restraint is needed, approved under the rules of the Italian transport ministry in line with UNECE regulations or the equivalent EU directives. The anti-abandonment alarm, which warns if a child is left in the car, must meet the specifications set by ministerial decree. Selling or importing unapproved restraints carries a much higher penalty (paragraph 12), and the devices are seized even if already fitted.
What I pay within 5 days
Within 5 days
€58.10
| Saving | €24.90 |
| From day 6 to day 60 | €83 |
Plus the service costs printed on the fine, which are not reduced.
Exemptions set by the law
Paragraph 8 lists who is exempt: police and local police officers on emergency service; drivers and crews of fire and medical vehicles during an emergency; drivers of refuse collection vehicles working in built-up areas, industrial zones included; private security guards on escort duty; driving instructors during lessons; people with a medical condition incompatible with a belt, certified by the local health unit (unità sanitaria locale) or by the authority of another EU state; pregnant women with a gynaecologist’s certificate of a particular risk; standing passengers on authorised urban buses; and the armed forces in emergencies.
The medical certificate must state how long it is valid, bear the symbol set by directive 91/671/EEC and be shown to the police on request: carrying it in the car is part of the exemption. The text of article 172 was read on Normattiva on 24 October 2026. For all other common offences, the Italian traffic fines list gathers amounts and points.