Electric Scooter Licenses in Italy: The 2026 Guide to Classes, Incentives and Insurance

Search interest in electric scooter without a license, electric scooter 125 and electric scooter 300 has been surging in Italy, and the timing makes sense: in the first half of 2026 the Italian two-wheeler market grew 13.29%, with 228,181 vehicles registered. Scooters led the charge, up 17.04% to 132,351 units, and June alone posted an 18.56% jump with 31,074 units registered [1]. Anyone shopping for one, new or used, quickly runs into a question that is less obvious than it sounds: which license do you actually need for an electric scooter?

Kilowatts matter more than displacement

With petrol scooters, everyone thinks in cubic centimetres: 50, 125, 300. With electric ones, the European type-approval framework looks at motor power and top speed, not cc. Manufacturers still market them as 50-, 125- or 300-equivalent for convenience, but the rules split them into distinct homologation categories: L1e for mopeds, and L3e for mid-size and larger scooters, with different power thresholds inside that same L3e bracket. Knowing which bracket a given model actually falls into before buying avoids nasty surprises with insurance or, worse, a roadside check.

The three classes and the licenses they require

An electric moped capped at 45 km/h and 4 kW of power (the 50-equivalent) requires an AM license, available from age 14 after a short theory-and-practice course. This is the class commonly marketed as an electric scooter you can ride without a license, which is misleading: without a car or motorcycle license, yes, but the AM certificate itself is still mandatory unless you already hold another qualifying license.

The 125-equivalent bracket (category L3e-A1) tops out at 11 kW, with a power-to-weight ratio that cannot exceed 0.1 kW/kg; that requires an A1 license, obtainable from age 16 [2][3]. Moving up to the 300-equivalent bracket and beyond, up to 35 kW, the rules call for an A2 license, available from age 18. Past 35 kW you are into full A license territory, rarely relevant for ordinary city scooters but very relevant for the more powerful electric sport and maxi-scooter models now reaching the market.

The carve-out for existing category B holders

One detail that trips a lot of buyers up concerns anyone who already holds a category B (car) license. If it was obtained before 25 April 1988, it entitles the holder to ride any moped, including a 50-equivalent electric scooter, without the AM certificate; a B license obtained between 1 January 1986 and that date carries equivalent rights within Italy [7]. For everyone who obtained their B license after 25 April 1988, the AM certificate remains mandatory to ride a moped, electric or petrol: a car license alone is no longer enough, not even for the smallest scooter.

Plate, insurance and helmet: no exceptions

Regardless of class or license required, every road-legal electric scooter needs a registration plate and third-party insurance (RC), plus a homologated helmet for rider and passenger. There is no exemption tied to the electric powertrain: the rules of the road are the same as for petrol models, including the restriction that keeps L1e mopeds off motorways and main extra-urban roads.

The 2026 ecobonus: the last year at these amounts

Since 18 March 2026, the state ecobonus click-day for electric and hybrid motorcycles and scooters has reopened, managed by Invitalia on behalf of the Ministry of Enterprises through the ecobonus.mimit.gov.it portal [4][5]. The discount is worth 30% of the purchase price, capped at 3,000 euros, for buyers who do not scrap an old vehicle; it rises to 40%, capped at 4,000 euros, for those who scrap a Euro 0-3 vehicle of the same category that has been registered in their name, or a cohabiting family member's name, for at least 12 months. Eligible homologation categories run from L1e to L7e, covering mopeds, scooters, motorcycles and light or heavy quadricycles. The dealer applies the discount directly at the point of sale, with no paperwork required from the buyer. The detail worth remembering: 2026 is the last year at these amounts, first introduced by the 2021 budget law; from 2027 the figures drop by roughly 1,000 euros per bracket.

What insurance actually costs

Motorcycle third-party insurance overall rose 21% year on year in 2026, according to consumer group Altroconsumo's analysis [6]. For electric scooters specifically, though, the comparison with petrol equivalents tends to favour electric: in the 125 class, the electric models studied came out cheaper to insure in every city analysed, with average premiums ranging from around 788 euros in Milan to nearly 2,000 euros in Naples depending on the model. The practical advice stays the same as ever: shopping around across insurers pays off, with a possible average saving of up to 45% between the cheapest quote and the market average premium.

What they cost today, new and used

On the new market, electric scooter list prices in Italy in 2026 run roughly from about 1,950 euros for 50-equivalent models up to 12,000 euros for the most premium 125-equivalent and larger versions, before any ecobonus discount. On the used market, the broader scooter growth seen through the first half of 2026 has started to bring more turnover into the electric segment too, with a wider selection than a year ago and prices gradually converging toward those of comparable petrol models.

What to check before buying used

Anyone considering a used electric scooter should check three things beyond what a petrol buyer would: the actual health of the battery (ideally a recent diagnostic reading, not just the seller's stated range), the availability of parts and service for that specific brand locally, and whether the power rating on the registration documents actually matches the license class you hold. On a platform like VendiVoce, it is worth checking that the class stated in the listing (50, 125 or higher) matches what is on the vehicle's paperwork before contacting the seller: it is the simplest way to avoid discovering, after the purchase, that you do not hold the right license to ride it.

Sources

1. Il Fatto Quotidiano, Mercato delle due ruote: il primo semestre chiude con un +13,2%. Gli scooter trainano la crescita (ANCMA data), 2 July 2026 — https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/07/02/mercato-delle-due-ruote-il-primo-semestre-chiude-con-un-132-gli-scooter-trainano-la-crescita/8437558/
2. Automobilista.it, Cosa puoi guidare con la patente AM nel 2026 tra scooter, ciclomotori e microcar, 2026 — https://www.automobilista.it/cosa-puoi-guidare-con-la-patente-am-nel-2026-tra-scooter-ciclomotori-e-microcar/
3. Quotidiano Motori, Che patente serve per guidare uno scooter 125 in Italia nel 2026, 2026 — https://www.quotidianomotori.com/moto/patente-per-scooter-125/
4. L'Automobile ACI, Guida Ecobonus 2026: incentivi per quadricicli, scooter e moto, 2026 — https://www.lautomobile.aci.it/attualita/guida-ecobonus-2026-incentivi-per-quadricicli-scooter-e-moto/
5. inSella, Rottamazione moto: click day per i bonus 2026 fino a 4.000 euro, March 2026 — https://www.insella.it/news/rottamazione-moto-click-day-bonus-2026-fino-4000-euro-72839
6. Altroconsumo, RC moto 2026: premi +21% in un anno, come risparmiare, 2026 — https://www.altroconsumo.it/soldi/assicurazioni/news/assicurazione-rc-moto-2026-prezzi-risparmio
7. inSella, Moto, scooter e tre ruote: cosa posso guidare con la patente B?, 2026 — https://www.insella.it/da-sapere/legge-burocrazia/patente-b-quali-moto-posso-guidare-45975