Used Car Fermo Amministrativo: How to Check Before Buying

Buying a used car well below market price is tempting, but there is one check many buyers skip: the fermo amministrativo, Italy's administrative vehicle block. A car under fermo cannot be driven, and the problem becomes yours the moment you buy it. This guide explains what it is, how to check in minutes, what it costs and what to do if it shows up.

What a fermo amministrativo is

A fermo amministrativo, also called ganasce fiscali, is a lien-like block that a public creditor registers on a vehicle at the PRA, the national vehicle registry run by ACI, to recover unpaid debts: tax collection notices, unpaid fines, road tax, social contributions. No court is needed. It is an administrative measure taken by the public creditor.

According to Money.it (October 2025), the fermo is registered if, 30 days after the preavviso di fermo (the advance notice), the debtor has not paid, has not appealed and has not applied for an instalment plan by paying the first instalment. The same source says there is no longer a minimum debt threshold: the old 800 euro limit was an internal Equitalia directive, not a law. So even a small debt can lock up a car worth thousands.

Why it matters when you buy used

The fermo follows the vehicle, not the person. If the seller has a fermo registered and sells you the car, the block stays on the plate after the ownership transfer. As reported by Money.it and Auto.it, the consequences are concrete:

• the car cannot be driven or parked on a public road;
• it cannot be scrapped or exported;
• if the debt stays unpaid, the creditor can ultimately force a sale of the vehicle;
• if you bought without knowing, your only remedy is a court claim against the seller, a long process with no guarantee you recover what you paid.

That is why the check matters most with private sellers and when the price looks too low against market quotes. Auto.it (6 May 2026) lists it as the first step, noting that a car under fermo cannot be treated as an ordinary used car.

How to check: three routes, fastest to most complete

1. ACI online service or the ACI Space app. You log in with SPID or CIE and enter the plate, vehicle type and the tax code of one of the registered owners. The result is instant and shows whether there are encumbrances (fermi, mortgages, seizures), as SicurAuto explains. The limit: it tells you a block exists but not its nature, and you need the owner's tax code, so it only works if the seller cooperates.

2. PRA visura by plate. This is the full check. It costs 6 euros online or at an ACI office; an ACI delegation or a car-paperwork agency adds its own service fee, which each sets freely. The section on encumbrances shows any fermo, mortgage or other claim. It works on vehicles you do not own, which makes it the right tool when buying from a private seller.

3. IO app. Since April 2025, Money.it notes, you can log in with CIE or SPID to see the vehicles registered to you, including any fermi or mortgages, and switch on ACI alerts when something is recorded at the PRA. Handy if you are selling, not for checking someone else's car.

What to look for in the visura

Check four things: the registered owner is the person selling you the car; the vehicle data (chassis number, plate, emissions class) match the registration document; there is no fermo amministrativo; and there are no mortgages or seizures. A mortgage or a financing deal with retention of title means someone else has a right over the car, and it must be cleared before or at the time of sale.

What to do if a fermo appears

You have three options. First, walk away: if the seller will not fix it, do not buy. Second, ask the seller to settle the debt before the deal closes; once paid, the vehicle is freed. Third, and riskier, agree to pay the debt out of the sale price, but only with a written agreement and ideally by paying the creditor yourself rather than handing cash to the seller.

On instalment plans the sources are cautious: Money.it says that if a plan is granted the fermo should be suspended, and recommends confirming with a fresh visura. Do not accept a verbal promise: ask for an updated visura.

Costs and cancellation

For revocation or suspension measures issued after 1 January 2020, cancellation at the PRA happens automatically on notice from the collection agent, at no cost to the citizen, again per Money.it. For older measures you must apply at an ACI delegation and pay a 32 euro revenue stamp. Always check how recent the measure is before trusting a figure.

There is also a case that favours buyers: if the sale predates the fermo and the ownership transfer was recorded, SicurAuto reports that the agency removes the fermo from the PRA free of charge. This is why sellers should record the transfer promptly: as long as the car is registered in your name, your debts can land on it.

A practical checklist before you sign

1. Ask for the plate and the registered owner's tax code and confirm the owner is the seller.
2. Order the PRA visura (about 6 euros plus any service fee) before paying any deposit.
3. Compare the chassis number and data with the registration document.
4. If there is an encumbrance, require proof of settlement or cancellation before payment.
5. Record the ownership transfer without delay and keep a copy of the visura.
6. Be wary of prices far below market and of sellers in a hurry.

The bottom line

A fermo amministrativo can turn a bargain into a car parked in your garage for good. About 6 euros and a few minutes of PRA visura remove the main risk. If you are selling, run the same check on your own car: showing a clean record helps you close faster and at a better price.

Further reading

[1] Money.it, Come verificare il fermo amministrativo di un'auto, 29 October 2025. [2] SicurAuto, Verifica fermo amministrativo gratis, 26 November 2024. [3] Auto.it, Fermo amministrativo auto, come evitarlo prima che scatti, 6 May 2026. [4] Motori Magazine, Cosa fare se l'auto ha un fermo amministrativo.