Winter tyres and snow chains: the rules in Italy and in Romagna
From 15 November to 15 April, on most roads of Romagna, you need winter tyres fitted or snow chains on board. Also on the plain and also when it is not snowing. Here are the calendar, what counts as a snow tyre, where the rule applies road by road and what changes in the other regions.
The calendar 2026-2027
The dates apply all over Italy: they were set by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport with the directive of 16 January 2013 and the circular of 17 January 2014. Then each road has its own ordinance, which can change them.
15 October 2026
You may fit them
From this day you may fit winter tyres, even those with a lower speed rating than the one in the registration document (not below Q, that is 160 km/h). It is not an obligation: it is the day from which the change is allowed.
15 November 2026
The rule starts
On the roads with the sign you need winter tyres fitted or snow chains on board, the right size for your wheels. It applies all season long, also with sunshine and dry asphalt.
15 April 2027
The rule ends
After this day winter tyres are no longer required. But where it snows or there is ice the sign applies out of season too, and on some mountain roads the season lasts longer.
15 May 2027
You take them off
Last day to remove winter tyres with a lower speed rating than the registration document. Those with the right rating may stay on all year, even if in summer they brake worse and wear out faster.
There is no single rule for all of Italy
The rule applies only where the road operator decides so with an ordinance: Anas, Autostrade per l'Italia, the Province or the town. It is shown by a round blue sign with a wheel and chains, with the dates below. Where the sign stands you must comply. In Romagna the signs are almost everywhere: on the motorway, on the Via Emilia, on the Adriatica, on the E45 and on the ring roads, not only in the hills.
What counts as a winter tyre
The M+S marking
In Italy a tyre counts as a winter tyre when it has the M+S marking (or MS, M&S, M-S) on the sidewall and is approved for your car.
The snowflake on the mountain
The three-peak mountain with the snowflake (3PMSF) means the tyre passed a test on snow. In Italy M+S is enough, but in Germany since 1 October 2024 only the snowflake counts: if your trip goes on abroad, check that country's rules.
All-season tyres
They count as winter tyres if they carry the M+S marking or the snowflake and are approved for your car.
Chains on board
With summer tyres you may drive if you carry chains the right size for your wheels, ready to fit. You put them on when the road is covered with snow or ice.
Snow socks
Textile snow socks count as chains if they comply with the UNI EN 16662-1 standard (ministerial decree of 23 February 2023) and fit your tyre size.
Motorbikes and scooters
They are exempt. During the ordinance, though, they may only ride when there is no snow or ice on the road and it is not snowing.
Where it applies in Romagna, road by road
The ordinances of the 2025-2026 season for the roads of Romagna, from the official list published by the Polizia di Stato. They are usually renewed unchanged every autumn: on the road, the sign is what counts.
| Road | Where | Period | Decided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| A14 Bologna-Taranto | From Bologna to Rimini and Cattolica, and then all along the Marche | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Autostrade per l'Italia |
| E45 (SS 3 bis) | The Apennine pass, from Canili (Verghereto) to Sarsina Nord: here it starts earlier and ends later | 1 Nov - 30 Apr | Anas |
| E45 (SS 3 bis) | From Sarsina to Cesena and Ravenna | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 9 Via Emilia | In sections from Rimini to Cesena, Forlì, Faenza, Imola and towards Bologna | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 16 Adriatica | In sections from the Ferrara area to Ravenna, Cervia, Cesenatico, Rimini and Cattolica | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 67 Tosco-Romagnola | From the Muraglione pass (border with Tuscany) to Castrocaro Terme, and some sections in Ravenna | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 71 Umbro-Casentinese | From the Mandrioli pass towards Bagno di Romagna | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 72 di San Marino | From Rimini to the San Marino border | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 258 Marecchia | The Marecchia valley, from the Tuscan border to Novafeltria and towards Rimini | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas and Province of Rimini |
| SS 309 Romea | From Ravenna towards Comacchio and Venice | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| SS 726, SS 727, SS 727 bis | The ring roads of Cesena and Forlì and the Forlimpopoli bypass | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Anas |
| Provincia di Forlì-Cesena | Many provincial roads, also on the plain: for example the Cervia road, the Villafranca road, the Rabbi and Bidente valleys | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Province of Forlì-Cesena |
| Provincia di Rimini | The inland roads: Marecchia valley, Conca valley, Montefeltro and the road from Rimini to San Marino. On two hill roads it applies from 1 December to 31 March | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Province of Rimini |
| Imola and its valleys | The Montanara road to Castel del Rio, the Santerno valley, the Sillaro valley and the Casolana road | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Metropolitan City of Bologna |
| Ravenna | In town the overpasses, the underpasses and the swing bridge, where ice forms first | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | Local authorities |
| Riolo Terme, Casola Valsenio | All municipal roads | 15 Nov - 15 Apr | The two towns |
Outside these dates the rule applies anyway when it snows or there is ice, if the sign says so. Before leaving for the Apennines, also check the traffic page and the weather. Traffic · Weather
Are there differences between the regions?
Yes, but not because each region has its own law: there is one national rule, and each ordinance sets the dates. On mountain roads or in colder areas the season starts earlier or ends later; in the South and in Sicily it often ends earlier. Some examples from the official list 2025-2026:
| Area | Period |
|---|---|
| Aosta Valley, A5 motorway towards Mont Blanc | 15 Oct - 15 Apr |
| Lombardy, the Stelvio state road 38 in Valtellina | 1 Nov - 30 Apr |
| Romagna, E45 over the Apennine pass | 1 Nov - 30 Apr |
| Tuscany, some provincial roads around Arezzo | 15 Nov - 30 Apr |
| Liguria, some provincial roads around Genoa | 1 Nov - 30 Mar |
| Brenner motorway A22, like almost every motorway | 15 Nov - 15 Apr |
| Provinces of Parma and Piacenza: every provincial road | 15 Nov - 15 Apr |
| Province of Varese, every road | 15 Nov - 15 Mar |
| Basilicata and Calabria, many mountain roads and the A2 motorway | 15 Nov - 31 Mar |
| Sicily, Palermo-Mazara del Vallo motorway | 15 Nov - 15 Mar |
If you drive outside Romagna, check the ordinances of the road you take: you find them on the websites of Anas, Autostrade per l'Italia and in the Polizia di Stato list.
The fines
No winter tyres or chains, outside towns
From 87 to 344 euro (article 6 of the Highway Code).
No winter tyres or chains, in town
From 42 to 173 euro (article 7).
You may be stopped
If you are not equipped and the road is dangerous, the police may make you stop or leave the motorway until you are (article 192).
"Slow" winter tyres after 15 May
If after 15 May you still have winter tyres with a lower speed rating than the registration document, the fine is over 400 euro and the registration document is withdrawn.
Tips for visitors to Romagna
Rental car
From mid November to mid April ask the rental company whether the car has winter tyres or chains: sometimes they are an extra. Look for the M+S marking on the tyre sidewall.
Foreign number plate
The rules are the same for everyone: the Italian dates and signs apply, not those of your country.
Try the chains beforehand
Fit them once at home, calmly. On snow, in the dark and in the cold it is much harder. Keep gloves and a torch in the car.
Below 7 degrees
It is the tyre fitters' advice: below 7 degrees a winter tyre grips better than a summer one, even on dry roads.
Tyre shops town by town and who comes to you even at night · ZTL & parking
Sources
List of the ordinances, Polizia di Stato Winter operations, Autostrade per l'Italia The state roads of Emilia-Romagna, Anas
Information page, updated on 21 October 2026. Ordinances can change: on the road the sign always prevails.
Rather not drive on snow?
Romagna Transfer takes you to the airport, the station or on a trip to the Apennines, with a driver and a fixed price.
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