Italy Car Insurance Class: How It Works and Moves

If you are asking how the Italian car insurance class (classe di merito) works, you are probably staring at a quote and wondering why your price differs so much from a friend with the same car. In most cases the answer is a number between 1 and 18. This guide explains how it works, how it moves each year, how to borrow a relative's class, and what to check when you buy or sell a used vehicle in Italy.

What the classe di merito is

The classe di merito is the risk level your insurer assigns to you inside Italy's bonus-malus system for compulsory third-party liability (RC auto). A universal conversion scale (CU) with 18 classes is used: class 1 is the best and cheapest, class 18 the worst and most expensive. Insurers may keep an internal scale, but online quotes ask for your CU class so that offers can be compared.

Your final premium also depends on province, age, engine power, tariff type and cover limits, but all else equal, the class is among the heaviest factors. According to IVASS data reported by Teleborsa, the average RC auto premium in the second quarter of 2026 was 422 euros (up 1.6% on the year, down 0.4% on the previous quarter). 91% of contracts received a discount, averaging 212 euros, or 38.8% of the tariff. Geography matters: Naples pays on average 255 euros more than Aosta.

Where you start

A first-time policyholder starts in class CU 14, the base tariff. That applies even if you have held a licence for twenty years but never insured a vehicle in your own name. It is why the first year is expensive and why so many people look for a way to start lower.

How the class moves each year

In outline:

• A year with no at-fault claims: you drop one class (the bonus, so the premium falls).
• An at-fault claim: you move up two classes (the malus).
• 50% fault: on a first occurrence the class stays put but the claim is recorded; if another follows within five years the percentages add up and the malus applies.

The change is never instant: the new class applies at the next renewal, after the observation year is over. A single at-fault claim is therefore not a life sentence; a couple of clean years absorb most of the damage.

Bersani law and family RC: borrowing a class

The Bersani law (Law 40/2007) lets a new policy take the class of a cohabiting relative. It is the route most used by new drivers and first-car buyers. The main conditions, according to the major comparison guides:

• the relative must be on the same household record (stato di famiglia);
• their policy must be active;
• both vehicles must be registered to private individuals;
• the vehicle the class comes from must have had no at-fault claims in the last five years.

Under Bersani the benefit applies when you take out a new policy; the family RC rules extend it to renewals and to a different vehicle type, for instance from a parent's motorcycle to a child's car. Quote tools ask whether you want to use the law, and you typically need the risk certificate and household record.

Watch the downside: if you inherit a class and then cause an at-fault accident, the downgrade can reach 5 classes instead of 2. A head start can turn into a much bigger setback. New drivers should weigh a restricted-driver clause or a telematics box.

The attestato di rischio

The attestato di rischio (ATR) is the digital document summarising your insurance history: class, claims and tariff type. It is available from your insurer's online area and through IVASS services, and a new insurer retrieves it automatically when you request a quote.

If you go without a policy, the class does not vanish immediately: per the guides we consulted it is kept for five years after your last contract ends, then you restart at CU 14. For used-vehicle sellers this matters, because selling a car without replacing it does not cost you your bonus.

Buying or selling a used vehicle: what happens to your class

The class belongs to the policyholder, not the vehicle. When you sell one car and buy another you can carry your class to the new policy; when you buy second-hand you inherit nothing from the seller. Practical rules:

• Before signing: get a quote on the exact model, using the plate and your real class. A high-powered or newly registered car can cost far more than expected.
• After the ownership transfer: the seller's policy does not pass to you; insure the vehicle before driving it.
• Selling without buying: ask your insurer to suspend or cancel, and keep the certificate so you re-enter with the right class.
• Motorcycles: the same system applies; the IVASS average for motorcycles was about 321 euros in the second quarter of 2026.

Spending less with the class you have

1. Compare at least three quotes on the same CU class and the same cover limits.
2. Check the class on the certificate, not from memory: one class off shows up in the price.
3. Read the clauses (restricted driver, telematics, partner repair shops): they cut the premium but limit some choices.
4. Consider a higher excess if you drive little and the vehicle is low in value.
5. Do not wait for the last day: driving without valid cover brings fines and penalties.

The takeaway

Your class follows you for years: start at 14, drop one class per clean year, rise two per at-fault claim. If a relative has a better class, Bersani can give you a head start, with the risk of a 5-class malus. Before buying a used vehicle, always get a quote with your real class: insurance is part of the true price of the car.

Sources and further reading

[1] Teleborsa, RC Auto: average price at 422 euros (IVASS data, 24 Sept 2026). [2] Quotidiano Motori, Car insurance class: how it works and how it is inherited. [3] Facile.it, The Bersani decree explained. [4] Selectra, Risk certificate guide.