Italy implements the new EU legislation: no car insurance for unusable vehicles, more flexibility for historic cars and motorbikes and seasonal policies for those who only use the vehicle a few months a year. What changes and for whom.
Is car insurance always mandatory for everyone? With the transposition of European Directive 2021/2118, changes are made and Italy clarifies the rules once and for all: who must continue to pay car insurance and who, however, can be exempted from it. All without introducing new taxes or additional costs for the State. The administrations involved, from the competent ministries to IVASS, will operate with the resources already available, without new burdens for the State. Here’s what really changes with the new European rules and for whom.
Car RCA: when insurance is no longer mandatory
The most important change concerns vehicles that cannot circulate stably. The legislative decree clarifies that the RCA insurance obligation ceases when the vehicle is objectively unusable. It does not mean that, if the owner decides to use the car, he can then not pay the insurance. But the obligation ceases only in the event of a structural condition of the vehicle (vehicles reduced to scrap or without essential parts that make circulation impossible permanently). In these cases, the insurance is no longer due. But be careful, it is not enough to dismantle easily reinstallable components, such as wheels or battery, and put the car aside like this, to avoid payment. A vehicle that can potentially be put back on the road remains subject to the RCA obligation. The principle introduced by the EU directive, and now implemented in Italy, is clear: what counts is the real impossibility of using the vehicle, not the owner’s temporary desire to keep it still.
Historic cars and motorbikes: insurance tailored for real use
Then there are vintage vehicles of historical interest. According to the most recent data, in 2025 the vehicles with a Certificate of Historical and Collectible Relevance registered in the Motorization Office will exceed 300 thousand units, including cars and motorbikes. For these vehicles the insurance obligation is not cancelled, but the coverage method changes. The decree opens up the possibility of insurance schemes other than the classic annual RCA, distinguishing between the static risk, when the vehicle is stopped in a garage, in a museum or in a private collection, and the dynamic risk linked to road traffic. The objective is to guarantee adequate compensation in the event of damage caused even by a stationary vehicle, as required by European standards and at the same time to prevent those who use these vehicles only occasionally from being penalized by policies designed for daily use.
Seasonal car insurance: more flexibility for those who only use the vehicle for a few months
The new European rules also introduce a long-awaited principle: the possibility of RCA policies lasting less than a year, for vehicles used seasonally. Just think of motorbikes, open cars or vehicles used only in certain periods of the year. Today the legislation provides for a minimum annual duration of insurance contracts, with few exceptions. The decree instead paves the way for compulsory intra-annual policies, which would allow insurance to be paid only for the months of actual use of the vehicle.
Tenders, controls and risk certificate: what changes for the system insurance
Finally, for races and motorsports competitions, the decree allows organizers to take out, as an alternative to the traditional car RCA, a general civil liability policy, more suited to the specificities of sporting events. The role of IVASS, the Institute for Insurance Supervision, is also strengthened, which regains full control powers over the risk certificate database. This tool, which certifies the insurance history of each vehicle, is central to the calculation of premiums and market transparency.
