Winter tyres in Italy from 15 November 2026: which rules

Alpine passes: where the rule really matters

The Brenner (A22) is the only route with dates confirmed by two matching sources. There, the obligation runs from 15 November to 15 April: winter tyres or chains on board, depending on the section signposted (European Consumer Centre, updated 22 October 2026).

In Aosta Valley, the period starts earlier. According to Touring.be (updated 16 September 2025), it runs from 15 October to 15 April. These dates have not been confirmed for 2026-2027: we could not consult the annual notice from ANAS. Check the signs on site.

The Mont-Blanc tunnel falls under a separate French rule: winter or snow tyres from 1 November to 31 March, according to our secondary sources. The ATMB winter service publishes a dedicated document. We could not check its rule on chains, so read it before you cross.

What changes by section

• Brenner (A22): 15 November to 15 April, winter tyres or chains on board.
• Aosta Valley: 15 October to 15 April according to Touring.be (2025), 2026-2027 dates not confirmed.
• Some ASPI sections: from 1 November 2026, according to Sky TG24, a single source for now.
• Mont-Blanc tunnel: secondary French rule, to be confirmed with the operator.

Pixidia tip: the rule can’t be worked out from a calendar. What counts is the sign showing the obligation on the section you’re driving. According to the text of Article 6 of the Italian Highway Code, without signage there is no obligation on that section.

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A reference period, not a general obligation

Two things that many guides mix up need separating. The first is the reference period: the Ministry of Transport directive of 16 January 2013 (protocol RU/1580) sets it from 15 November to 15 April. The second is the actual obligation, which only exists on the sections where an authority has ordered it and put up a sign.

The Highway Code states this in Article 6, paragraph 4, letter e: the road manager issues the ordinance, and vertical signage makes it visible. On your route, equipment is therefore required where the sign requires it, and only there.

Two calendar exceptions appear in our press sources: Aosta Valley, which starts on 15 October according to Touring.be (2025, not confirmed for 2026-2027), and some ASPI sections, from 1 November 2026, according to Sky TG24 (single source). The table below sums up what our sources let us state, zone by zone.

Dates of the winter tyre or chain obligation in Italy, by zone (2026-2027 season unless stated)

Zone or network	Period	Condition	Source
Italy, reference period	15 November to 15 April	Signposted sections only	MIT directive of 16 January 2013
Aosta Valley	15 October to 15 April	Chains or winter tyres	Touring.be (16 September 2025); 2026-2027 dates not confirmed
A1 ASPI (certain sections, Direttissima)	From 1 November 2026	ASPI ordinance	Sky TG24 (20 October 2026), single source
A22 Brenner	15 November to 15 April	Winter tyres or chains on board	European Consumer Centre (22 October 2026)
Sardinia, mountain roads (SS 131, SS 389)	1 December to 15 March (2025-2026 season)	Mountain sections	Fleet Magazine (secondary source, not opened for this check)
Lombardy, provinces	1 or 15 November to 31 March (2025-2026 season)	Provincial ordinances	Valtellina Mobile (secondary source, not opened for this check)

Source: European Consumer Centre, MIT directive of 16 January 2013, Touring.be, checked on 23 October 2026. The Sardinian and Lombard lines cover the 2025-2026 season: start dates differ between sources. For Sicily, one source gives 15 November to 15 April, but we found no ordinance.

Which motorways? A list that changes from one season to the next

Several operators are involved: ASPI, Autostrada dei Fiori, Milano Serravalle, Autovie Venete and Autostrada del Brennero, plus SITAF for the Fréjus tunnel. Their sections are not fixed once and for all. They depend on annual ordinances, and not all of them had been published for 2026-2027 when we checked.

The most recent case concerns ASPI. According to Sky TG24 (20 October 2026), some A1 sections, including the Direttissima, will be subject to the obligation from 1 November 2026. This is a single source that we could not cross-check against the text of the ordinance. Treat this date as an alert to confirm on the sign, not as an official timetable.

For the Fréjus tunnel and the SITAF route, the ordinance is annual and we did not find its 2026-2027 dates. The same goes for Autostrada dei Fiori, Milano Serravalle and Autovie Venete. The only route with dates from two matching sources remains the Brenner.

For Veneto, we found no ordinance in our sources: the A4 Milan-Venice should be checked on the signs. For the Dolomites, the municipality of Bolzano applies, according to Eurocampings (23 September 2025), the period from 15 November to 15 April, under an ordinance cited without a date (no. 1318) that we could not date for 2026-2027. For Trentino, we have not settled whether the obligation applies by signposted section or on all roads. For the Dolomite passes (Stelvio, Pordoi, Sella), we checked no dates and publish none.

Source: Sky TG24, Touring.be, Eurocampings, European Consumer Centre, checked on 23 October 2026.

How to check before you leave

In the week you leave, check the website of each operator on your route, then look at the signs at the entrance to mountain sections. The sign is the reference: it shows the obligation actually in force on the section, not a calendar published in advance.

Winter tyres, four-season tyres, chains: what is allowed

When a section is subject to the obligation, the law does not require one single type of equipment. You can drive on winter tyres or four-season tyres marked M+S, with chains on board, or with approved snow socks. 3PMSF is not required in Italy, and M+S is enough, according to Sky TG24. Several French guides nevertheless present it as a legal requirement.

Chains and snow socks

Chains and snow socks must comply with standard UNI EN 16662-1:2020, under the Ministry of Transport decree of 23 February 2023 (Sicurauto, December 2025). The date of publication in the Official Journal varies between sources, from 16 to 23 March 2023. We do not use it, because it has no effect on what you need to carry. Chains must be fitted at least to the driven wheels (Sky TG24), and Touring.be gives a maximum speed of 50 km/h with chains.

Four tyres or two?

Touring.be requires the marking on all four wheels, whereas the daily Il Sole 24 Ore speaks of a recommendation. The point is not settled. If you travel on four-season tyres, fit them on all four wheels: that is the choice that won’t leave you open to any argument at the roadside.

Tread depth

The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm (Sky TG24). On snow, the same outlet recommends 3 to 4 mm. That margin is what really matters for safety, not the threshold set by law.

Source: Sky TG24, Autoblog, Altroconsumo and MotorBox, consulted on 23 October 2026. Prices are indications taken from sellers or a renter, not guaranteed rates.

The speed index trap

This is the most technical point, and the one guides skim over. According to Sky TG24 (20 October 2026), a winter tyre must meet the speed index shown on the registration document, unless an exemption applies. The same outlet cites an exemption for the period from 15 October 2026 to 15 May 2027, based on a 2014 ministerial circular that tolerates a Q index, i.e. 160 km/h. We could not open this circular (no. 1049 of 17 January 2014): the tolerance is reported from the press.

Outside that window, that is from 16 May to 15 October, a winter tyre whose index is lower than the one on the registration document is banned, according to Profile.be and the European Consumer Centre (updated 22 October 2026). If you keep your winter tyres for a summer trip, this rule applies to you.

The size of the fine is the second tricky point. Sky TG24 cites €430 to €1,731 for a non-compliant index outside an exemption, with the registration document withdrawn. Other summaries give similar but different amounts (€422 to €1,697, €419 to €1,682): the amount is disputed, and we have not checked it against any law text we read.

Fines and points: what is confirmed and what isn’t

Three penalties are documented in the texts and press we consulted. Outside built-up areas, failing to fit required equipment is punished with €87 to €344 (Article 6, paragraph 14 of the Highway Code). Inside built-up areas, the fine is €42 to €173 (Article 7). In both cases, the officer can prohibit you from continuing your journey until the vehicle complies (Article 192, paragraph 3, according to Sicurauto, 14 October 2026).

Source: Highway Code, Article 6 (ACI), ACI, 6 October 2026, Sky TG24, 20 October 2026, Sicurauto, 14 October 2026, checked on 23 October 2026.

On driving licence points, be careful. Guides cite 3 or 10 points, but no official text we read provides for that deduction for this offence. So we do not write that figure.

According to ANSA and Sky TG24 (press of 14 and 15 October 2026), the Council of Ministers approved a draft decree on 13 October 2026 reforming the penalties of the Highway Code. We could not open these articles or the approved draft: only an earlier draft, published by Il Fatto Quotidiano in September, was read. This text is not in force, and no entry date is confirmed in our sources. To our knowledge, the press does not attribute any change to winter tyres to it.

Motorbikes, rental cars and foreign-registered vehicles

Motorbikes and mopeds

They are excluded from the standard obligation. The 2013 directive and Sky TG24 state that they only travel on the sections concerned when there is no snow or ice. Outside those conditions, the rule offers the rider no protection: on snow, caution must come first.

Car hire

According to Altroconsumo, a 2014 decision by the Italian competition authority (AGCM) requires that the vehicle be supplied equipped, without charging it as an option. We could not read this decision. One renter charged a winter supplement of about €75 for one week (MotorBox, date not stated). Read the contract before you sign, and ask in writing what the price includes.

Foreign-registered vehicles

Profile.be, consulted on 23 October 2026, states that the rules cover vehicles registered outside Italy. We found no official text that sets up a separate regime, nor any example of a penalty applied to a foreign vehicle. The safe approach is therefore to apply the rule to your car, whatever its plates.

What other guides don’t tell you

The points below are checked against the text of the Highway Code or against the dated press we could open. They sometimes differ from what circulates on French pages on the subject.

• The obligation is not automatic. The Highway Code refers to an ordinance from the road operator, not a general rule: without a sign, there is no obligation on that section. Highway Code, Article 6 (ACI) (consulted 23 October 2026).
• The fine outside built-up areas is €87 to €344. Guides show lower ranges (€41 to €338, or €80 to €318 according to an older version). Article 6, paragraph 14 (ACI) (consulted 23 October 2026).
• No points deduction is officially confirmed. The official texts we read do not provide for a licence points deduction for this offence, and the figures of 3 or 10 points circulate without a reference. Highway Code, Article 6 (ACI) (consulted 23 October 2026).
• 3PMSF is not a legal requirement. M+S is enough in Italy, while several French guides present the alpine symbol as mandatory. Sky TG24, 20 October 2026 (consulted 23 October 2026).
• The legal basis is a 2013 directive that few people cite. The Ministry of Transport directive of 16 January 2013 (protocol RU/1580) sets the reference period and excludes motorbikes. Reproduction of the directive on Patente.it (consulted 23 October 2026).

Preparing the trip: a seven-step method

Here is the sequence we recommend for a trip between November and April, step by step.

• List the sections of your route that cross a pass, a tunnel or a mountain road.
• Check each section on its operator’s website the week you leave, then note the announced dates.
• Check the M+S marking on your tyres, or the presence of chains or snow socks certified to UNI EN 16662-1:2020.
• Measure the tread depth: 1.6 mm is the legal minimum, 3 to 4 mm for driving on snow.
• Compare your tyres’ speed index with the entry on your registration document.
• Keep chains or snow socks on board, even if your tyres comply: a signposted section can come up without warning.
• Check the condition of the pass with the operator or manager the evening before you cross.

An example: Paris to Turin via the Fréjus

For a trip from Paris to Turin through the Fréjus tunnel, SITAF states that on signposted sections, vehicles must carry chains or winter tyres ready to fit (SITAF page, updated 15 October 2025). We did not find the 2026-2027 dates of this obligation: the sign at the entrance is what counts. If your route goes through the Mont-Blanc tunnel or Aosta Valley, the period already starts on 15 October, according to Touring.be (2025). In that case, having equipment on board from 15 October is the safest choice.

Variations by profile

Travelling with family

Snow socks take up little room in the boot. Fit them once in your driveway before you leave, so you don’t discover how they work on a snowy verge.

Tight budget

An approved textile snow sock in size XL was listed at €33.18 on Amazon.it (Autoblog, January 2026), against a list price of €41.99. If you only drive in the mountains occasionally, four-season tyres marked M+S save you buying a second set of tyres. For a single trip, one renter charged about €75 for the week for an equipped vehicle (MotorBox, date not stated).

First time in the Alps

If you can, choose a route that crosses the fewest passes. Check the state of the pass with the operator or manager the evening before you cross. Set off early in the morning and leave a time margin, especially at the end of the day.

Practical information for driving in Italy this winter

• Fréjus tunnel (SITAF): chains on board or winter tyres ready to fit on signposted sections, according to the SITAF page updated 15 October 2025. 2026-2027 dates not published in our sources.
• Mont-Blanc tunnel, French side: winter or snow tyres from 1 November to 31 March according to our secondary sources. To be confirmed with ATMB before you cross.
• Aosta Valley: 15 October to 15 April according to Touring.be (2025). 2026-2027 dates not confirmed.
• Before you leave: check the website of each operator on your route the week you leave, then look at the sign at the entrance to every mountain section.