Italy tightens insurance system: City cameras to automatically detect lack of mandatory coverage

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini has announced the introduction of new regulations aimed at drastically reducing the phenomenon of evading mandatory third-party liability insurance. The reform, details of which were presented on March 11, 2026, is set to come into force by the summer of this year and will introduce modern tools for monitoring drivers. A key element of the changes will be enabling the use of existing urban monitoring infrastructure for automatic insurance verification. Currently, these systems are used to a limited extent, which, according to the government, fosters impunity for those driving vehicles without valid Rc auto insurance.

The main instrument in the fight against dishonest drivers will be the use of cameras installed in limited traffic zones (Ztl) to detect vehicles without valid insurance. Until now, these devices have been used almost exclusively to check permits for entering historic city centers, but the new legal norm will expand their functionality to include automatic checks against insurance databases. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport assumes that this will drastically reduce the number of uninsured cars on Italian roads. Matteo Salvini indicated that the new regulations are part of a broader package of changes to road traffic laws aimed at improving safety and law enforcement.

The Italian road traffic control system has for years relied on a dense network of speed cameras and Ztl cameras, but their use for purposes other than speed or entry control required legislative changes. According to data from Italian insurance organizations, the problem of lacking mandatory insurance affects a significant percentage of vehicles, especially in the southern regions of the country. Previous attempts to tighten the system were mainly based on random roadside checks conducted by the police and Carabinieri. The reform announced for the summer of 2026 represents the first such broad attempt to digitize the supervision of the insurance obligation using existing urban infrastructure.

Parallel to the insurance regulations, the ministry plans to regulate the issue of measurement devices on roads. Matteo Salvini announced that only those speed cameras that received approval after 2017 will be considered legal. Older devices will only be allowed to remain in use if they are adapted to new, rigorous technical requirements. The ministry aims to standardize homologation standards, which is intended to prevent the mass contesting of fines by drivers in court. All these changes are to be finalized in the coming months so that the system can be fully operational before the end of the summer holiday season.

Transport reform timeline: March 11, 2026 — Minister Salvini announces introduction of anti-evasion regulations; Summer 2026 — Planned entry into force of norms concerning Ztl cameras and mandatory insurance