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Merit Class and Legge Bersani: How Italy's Car Insurance Bonus-Malus System Works
Merit Class and Legge Bersani: How Italy's Car Insurance Bonus-Malus System Works
Summary:
- Italy's merit class (CU) runs from 1 to 18: the lower the number, the less you pay for mandatory RCA insurance. Every claim-free year moves you one step closer to CU 1.
- The Legge Bersani lets you insure a brand-new vehicle using the best merit class held by any co-resident family member — a major saving for first-time buyers.
- The attestato di rischio (risk certificate) is your portable insurance history document, valid for 5 years, and must be presented whenever you switch insurers.
When buying a used car in Italy, mandatory RCA insurance (Responsabilità Civile Auto) is one of your biggest recurring costs. The premium you pay depends heavily on your merit class — a national risk-scoring system that rewards safe drivers and penalises those who cause accidents. This guide explains everything: how the CU 1-18 scale works, the bonus-malus mechanism, how to exploit the Legge Bersani to inherit a family member's class, and what to do with your attestato di rischio. If you're searching for your next car, CarPulse.it lists verified used-car ads across Italy with transparent pricing.
The Merit Class Scale: CU 1 to CU 18
Italy uses the standardised Classe Universale (CU) scale, running from 1 (best risk profile, lowest premiums) to 18 (entry point for drivers with no insurance history or a poor claims record). The scale is set nationally under the Codice delle Assicurazioni Private and must be recognised by every Italian insurer.
Note that insurers also maintain internal proprietary classes, which may differ; however, the official CU number is always what appears on the attestato di rischio, ensuring portability.
- CU 1: long, spotless driving history — minimum premiums.
- CU 14: typical starting class for a first-time policyholder with no prior history.
- CU 18: highest risk tier, assigned where no insurance history exists.
How Bonus and Malus Work
The bonus-malus mechanism adjusts your merit class at each annual renewal:
- Bonus (no at-fault claim): your class improves by 1 point towards CU 1. A driver in CU 5 with no claims moves to CU 4 the following year.
- Malus (one or more at-fault claims): your class worsens by 2 points towards CU 18 for each at-fault accident reported during the year.
Only accidents where you are judged wholly or partly responsible trigger a malus. Accidents where you are the injured party do not affect your class.
How Much Does It Affect the Premium?
The monetary impact varies by insurer and driver profile, but as a rough guide each class step can move the annual premium by 5–15%. The journey from CU 14 down to CU 1 can represent substantial cumulative savings — which is why your insurance history is one of the most valuable assets you hold as a driver.
The Legge Bersani: What It Is and How to Use It
The Legge Bersani — technically Article 134, paragraph 4-bis of Legislative Decree 209/2005, as amended by Decree-Law 7/2007 — allows you to insure a brand-new vehicle by borrowing the merit class of the best-insured vehicle already held by a co-resident family member.
Exact Requirements
- New vehicle: the benefit applies only at first registration, not to second-hand vehicles being transferred between owners.
- Co-resident household: the family member "donating" their class must be registered at the same residential address (verified with an identity card or residency certificate).
- No at-fault claim in the past year: the reference vehicle must not have had an at-fault claim during the most recent policy period.
- Same vehicle category: the original rule applies to cars; motorbikes and mopeds fall under specific variations — always verify with your insurer.
Practical Example
A first-time buyer would normally start at CU 14. If a co-resident parent holds CU 3 with no recent claims, the first-time buyer can insure their new car straight from CU 3, skipping years of incremental improvement.
Before you buy, browse verified listings on CarPulse.it and factor in your insurance saving from the Bersani rule to get an accurate total cost of ownership.
The Attestato di Rischio: What It Is and How It Works
The attestato di rischio (risk certificate) is the official document certifying your insurance history. It is issued by your insurer at renewal or policy termination and contains:
- Your current CU class and the previous year's class.
- Any at-fault accidents in the last 5 years (date, settlement amount, and degree of responsibility).
- Policyholder details, the insured vehicle, and the observation period.
Validity and Use
The certificate is valid for 5 years. It is essential when switching insurers: the new insurer is legally required to accept the CU class shown on the certificate. Without a valid attestato, you restart at CU 14.
How to Obtain It
Since 2015, the document is available digitally. You can download it free of charge from the IVASS portal (ivass.it) using SPID or CIE authentication — no need to contact your insurer directly.
Transferring Your Class When Changing Vehicles
When you sell or scrap your old car and buy a replacement, your accumulated merit class is not lost — it can be transferred to the new vehicle, provided the policyholder is the same. The process:
- Obtain your attestato di rischio via IVASS or your insurer.
- Present it to the new (or existing) insurer when taking out the new policy.
- The insurer applies the CU class shown on the certificate.
If you are adding a second vehicle rather than replacing one, the class does not transfer automatically. In that case, consider whether the Legge Bersani applies, or negotiate with your insurer. Use CarPulse.it's price valuation tool to negotiate the purchase price before committing.
Practical Tips to Lower Your RCA Premium
Merit class is the biggest pricing lever, but not the only one:
- Exclusive vs. open driving cover: naming yourself as the sole declared driver is generally cheaper than open cover if you are the only regular user.
- Black box (telematics): some insurers offer discounts of 20–30% for fitting a telematics device — particularly useful for young or new drivers.
- Excess (franchigia): agreeing to pay a portion of each claim yourself lowers the premium but increases personal financial exposure.
- Shop around at renewal: Italy's liberalised RCA market means you can switch insurer every year with no penalties — bring your attestato di rischio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What class do you start at with no insurance history?
Without a prior attestato di rischio you start at CU 14. Thanks to the Legge Bersani, if a co-resident family member holds a better class and had no at-fault claims in the past year, you can start from their CU class when first insuring a brand-new vehicle.
What happens to your class if you don't renew insurance for a year?
If the attestato di rischio expires (5-year validity) after a gap of more than 12 consecutive months without insurance, your history is lost and you restart at CU 14. If the certificate is still valid within its 5-year window, the class is preserved and can be transferred to the new vehicle.
Does the Legge Bersani apply to motorbikes?
The original rule was designed for cars. For motorbikes and mopeds, some insurers accept the Bersani mechanism while others do not. Always check with your chosen insurer, as pricing freedom leaves discretion to individual companies.
Does a claim handled via direct settlement (CARD) affect your merit class?
It depends on fault. If you are the injured party (zero fault), no malus applies. If you are wholly or partially at fault, a 2-class malus is applied regardless of whether the claim was handled via the CARD direct-settlement procedure.
Conclusion
Italy's merit class system rewards responsible driving over time: starting from a low class or using the Legge Bersani can be worth hundreds of euros in annual RCA savings. Before buying a used car, it's worth understanding your insurance position and calculating the true total cost of ownership. On CarPulse.it you'll find verified listings with transparent prices and valuation tools to help you negotiate the best purchase price — the first step to a genuinely good deal.