The PEC is not yet mandatory for those who own a car or motorbike. This is the main concept that you should take home by reading this article. However, there is a big “but”, as if the reform of the Highway Code contained in the current basic text were to pass, for the first time a large category of private citizens could be in all respects obliged to have a digital domicile in order to carry out some procedures related to their vehicle, such as inspection or transfer of ownership.
But let’s underline this further: the text in question is still in the public consultation phase. This means that sector associations can still submit observations to the Ministry of Transport (they can do so until 13 September 2026 for the record) and only then will the final version of the text be drawn up, which will then have to be approved by the Government. This last phase should take place by 14 October 2026. So rest assured: at least for the moment, no private citizen will be obliged to activate a PEC simply for being the owner of a vehicle.
Certified e-mail for motorists and INAD registration: who would be obliged to do it
If the rule were to be confirmed, it will only then be necessary to obtain a PEC and register the address at INAD, theNational Index of Digital Domiciles. The Digital Administration Code on the other hand, it already provides for the obligation for professionals registered in registers and lists and for subjects who must be registered in the Business Register. If the reform passes in its current formulation, it will therefore be the first time that a similar obligation is extended, for a specific category of practices, to private citizens who are not professionals or businesses.
For those who purchase a new car, the change would be immediate: without a registered PEC it would not be possible to obtain the license plate and registration certificate. Digital domicile would therefore become a necessary requirement at the very moment of registration. For those who already own a car, however, the obligation would be progressive. If the reform were to pass, it would not necessarily be necessary to immediately activate a PEC and register it with INAD, but it would become indispensable when the need to carry out some administrative procedures arises.
What would change and the practices that should be carried out according to the new CdS
Among the practices in which the PEC would be required are the periodic inspection of the vehicle, the updating of the registration certificate, the transfer of ownership, nationalization and re-registration.
Among all these, the case destined to involve the most motorists is probably the inspection, which must be carried out for the first time four years after registration and then periodically every two years.
Particularly interesting would be the case of buying and selling a used car. To transfer ownership, two PECs would be needed: one from the seller and one from the buyer. Car processing agencies, which often carry out these procedures on behalf of citizens, should verify the presence of the digital domicile before starting the transition. A missing PEC could therefore block an already agreed sale.
The same principle would apply for the necessary re-registration after the theft or loss of license plates. Even in a situation independent of the owner’s will, the practice would require digital domicile. The obligation would also affect those who live in Italy and use a vehicle registered abroad. To register the vehicle at REVE, the Register of Foreign Vehiclesit would be necessary to have a PEC. The provision would therefore also concern some foreign citizens resident in Italy and cross-border workers.
How much could it cost us
We conclude by opening a small parenthesis relating to costs. If the reform were to be approved as written in the basic text, citizens who will be forced to open a PEC could incur the payment of some costs not incurred so far. We are not referring to registration with INAD (which is free), but to opening the PEC to be associated with your digital domicile. Unless you use some offer that allows you to have a free certified email inbox, you would have to pay an annual fee, the cost of which varies from provider to provider: roughly speaking, this can amount to a few tens of euros per year.
