Starting with the 2025/26 winter season, Italy will make helmets compulsory for everyone on the slopes – a worldwide first. Whether you’re skiing, snowboarding, or sledding, a helmet will be legally required in all ski resorts, snow parks, and on toboggan runs. Until now, only minors had to wear helmets, but from now on the rule will also apply to adults in Italy, including in South Tyrol.
With this new ski helmet law, Italy becomes the first country to introduce a nationwide helmet requirement for all winter sports enthusiasts. The goal is to improve ski safety in Italy – especially with the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 just around the corner.
Ski Helmet Law in Italy: What the New Rules Mean
Previously, helmets were only mandatory for minors under 18. From the 2025/26 season onwards, the updated “Sport” decree (96/2025) removes that age limit. Anyone skiing or snowboarding without a helmet risks fines of up to €200. Repeat offenders may even lose their ski pass for up to three days.
On top of the new helmet regulation, Italy already requires skiers to have liability insurance. Alcohol and drug checks as well as speed limits on the slopes are also part of the country’s strict safety measures. Taken together, these laws make Italy one of the safest winter sports destinations worldwide.
How Do Other Countries Handle Ski Helmet Requirements?
Compared to Italy’s strict helmet law, most other ski nations take a softer approach.
Austria: Helmet rules vary by state. In Tyrol and Vorarlberg there is no legal requirement, while in other regions helmets are mandatory for children and teens up to 15 years. Adults are advised but not obliged to wear one. Around 90% still do. For sledding and tobogganing, helmet use is much less common.
Switzerland, Germany, France, Czech Republic: No legal helmet requirement, but many skiers wear one voluntarily. In Switzerland, awareness campaigns have led to very high helmet adoption rates. In Germany, nearly all kids and teens wear helmets, but among adults, especially in smaller ski areas, usage is lower.
Other European countries: Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia require helmets for children, while in Spain, Norway, and Sweden there are no national laws.
In North America, helmets are strongly recommended and sometimes required for ski lessons, but there is no nationwide legal rule.
Italy Becomes a Global Leader in Ski Safety
With the new helmet law, Italy is setting an international precedent. While most countries only recommend ski helmets or require them for children, Italy makes them mandatory for all. This step will not only make skiing in Italy safer, but it may also encourage other nations to follow suit. In the future, a helmet requirement for children – or even all skiers – could become the norm across Europe.
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What do you think about Italy’s new ski helmet requirement? Would you welcome a similar law in your country? Share your opinion in the comments!
