From 16 July 2026, anyone who travels in Italy with an electric scooter must have a civil liability policy linked to the identification mark of the vehicle, but the debut of the new obligation, instead of opening up a large, transparent and easily comparable market, delivers consumers an even smaller offer, products which only appeared close to the deadline and insurance premiums which can reach 417 euros per year, a figure capable in some cases of approaching, if not even exceeding, the price paid to purchase the scooter. scooter.
The objective of the measure is to increase the protection of people involved in accidents and guarantee compensation for damage caused to pedestrians, cyclists, motorists or other road users, but the first snapshot of the market taken by Altroconsumo shows how complicated it can be, at least in the initial phase, to comply with a rule that is now fully operational. Anyone caught driving without the required coverage risks an administrative fine of between 100 and 400 euros.
Only seven companies offer an online quote
To verify how much it really costs to insure a scooter, Altroconsumo examined the websites of 17 companies between the afternoon of July 15th and the morning of July 16th, looking for a simulator through which to obtain a quote compliant with the new provisions.
Only seven companies allowed the premium to be calculated directly online, while the others did not yet offer this possibility or asked the user to fill out a form, wait to be contacted by an agent or physically contact an agency, slowing down a comparison that should have been possible even before the obligation came into force.
The number of offers is still too limited to obtain a reliable average cost that is representative of the entire Italian market, but the first estimates deny, at least for the moment, the predictions according to which the liability insurance for scooters could only cost a few tens of euros a year.
How much does it cost to insure a scooter
The investigation was conducted using a precise profile: a thirty-year-old resident in Milan, his first insurance for an electric scooter, who benefits from family liability insurance and uses the most favorable class of merit, CU01, already accrued on another vehicle.
For this specific consumer, the least expensive proposal was that of Sara, with an annual premium of 155 euros, followed by Reale Mutua with 193 euros and Allianz Direct with 213.06 euros. Higher up are Genertel, with 268.33 euros, Vittoria, with 331 euros, and finally Generali and Cattolica, both with a premium of 417 euros and with identical tariffs, being part of the same group.
The amounts do not naturally constitute a universal price list, but represent the result obtained for the profile used during the Altroconsumo survey; However, they demonstrate that, at least in the debut phase of the new market, the cost of coverage can significantly impact the economic convenience of the scooter, especially when the vehicle is used occasionally or was purchased for a few hundred euros.
The issue becomes even more evident if we consider that the scooter has spread precisely as a relatively economical alternative to the car and traditional vehicles, especially for short urban journeys: an annual premium of more than 300 or 400 euros therefore risks radically changing the relationship between the cost of the vehicle and the expenditure necessary to be able to use it legally.
The obligation started, but the products arrived the day before
The insurance should have become mandatory as early as 16 May 2026, together with the identification mark, but the deadline was postponed by two months after Ania had reported technical and organizational difficulties, also linked to the need to complete the system through which the ministry’s information is communicated with the insurance coverage database. The plate has remained mandatory since May 16th.
Those two additional months should have allowed the companies to prepare the new products and the owners of the vehicles to calmly compare conditions, limits, exclusions and prices; according to what was found by Altroconsumo, however, the first compliant policies only became available on 15 July, i.e. the day before the obligation came into force.
Such a late start inevitably limited the possibility of choice, forcing many consumers to search within a few hours for coverage that was not only economically sustainable, but truly respected the characteristics required by the new regulations.
Even identifying the correct product is not always easy. Sara and Allianz Direct, according to the analysis, stand out for clearer and more targeted estimates, while on the Vittoria, Generali and Cattolica websites the option dedicated to scooters is included within the routes relating to motorcycles and mopeds, rather than in an immediately recognizable section.
Because normal scooter insurance isn’t enough
The greatest risk, in the initial phase of application of the obligation, is confusing the new liability insurance with the numerous insurances for scooters already available online, often offered for a few tens of euros and accompanied by formulas that may appear, at least on a superficial reading, to be completely similar.
However, many of these products were designed before the introduction of the obligation and include optional coverage, such as personal civil liability, legal protection, driver injuries, theft or damage to the vehicle, without necessarily allowing the owner to comply with the Highway Code.
The new policy must be linked to the scooter’s identification mark, so that the regularity of the vehicle can be verified through the dedicated databases; for this reason, an old personal cover or a generic family liability insurance, although it can offer protection in certain circumstances, does not automatically represent the policy required from 16 July.
In some cases, explains Altroconsumo, the inadequacy of the product is clearly indicated from the first screens of the site, while in others it emerges only by reading the contractual conditions or consulting the frequently asked questions. The risk is therefore that a consumer purchases coverage convinced that he has complied with the new obligation and only discovers later, perhaps during a check or after an accident, that the chosen policy is not valid for road traffic purposes.
What is the risk of those traveling without insurance?
Anyone who uses a scooter without compulsory third-party liability coverage is subject to an administrative fine of between 100 and 400 euros. A fine of the same amount is also foreseen for those who drive without the identification mark required by the new regulations.
The policy is used to cover damage caused to third parties during traffic, for example in the event that the driver hits a pedestrian, hits a cyclist or damages a car. It does not necessarily protect those who ride the scooter, for whom additional guarantees may be provided relating to accidents, legal protection, theft or assistance.
From 16 July, the provisions relating to the Guarantee Fund for road victims also become applicable to scooters, called upon to intervene, according to the conditions established by the Insurance Code, even in cases where the damage is caused by a vehicle without compulsory coverage.
Altroconsumo requests the intervention of Ivass
Faced with a still limited offer, premiums that in some cases exceed 400 euros and the difficulty of distinguishing compliant policies from generic insurance products, Altroconsumo announced the sending of a letter to Ivass, the Institute for the Supervision of Insurance, asking it to carefully monitor the initial phase of the new market.
The point is not to question the need to protect pedestrians, drivers and accident victims, but rather to prevent an obligation introduced with the aim of increasing safety from being applied in a market in which consumers do not yet have a real possibility of choice, nor the time necessary to compare products which appeared only a few hours before the expiry date.
Then there is the issue of prices, because annual premiums capable of exceeding 400 euros risk transforming an obligation designed to increase safety into a strong disincentive to the use of a light mobility vehicle, especially for those who own an economical scooter or only use it for a few kilometres.
New companies may enter the market, quotes may decrease and products may become progressively easier to purchase and compare; in the meantime, those who own a scooter must check with particular attention that the policy contains the marking code and is explicitly compliant with the new obligation, without being convinced solely by a very low price which could hide coverage that is completely different from that required by law.
