Compulsory Ski Helmets in Italy Confirmed
15th August 2025
Last modified on September 13th, 2025
Italy is the first ski country in the world to make it mandatory. After online claims, social media speculation and AI generated stories PlanetSKI can confirm people on the slopes in Italy will need to wear a helmet next winter. UPDATED
If you ski or snowboard in Italy this coming season you will need a helmet on your head.
It needs to be a CE-certified helmet that meets European safety standards.
Offenders will face a fine and the withdrawal of their ski pass for one to three days.
It will be applied to all people on snow – skiers, snowboarders and also those on sledges & toboggans.
The first stage of the extension to the law was passed in July 2025 and we reported on it at the time on PlanetSKI:
We have now heard from the lift company in Bardonecchia and from the director of the Llimone Piemonte Ski School who is also the President of the Collegio del Piemonte.
Both confirm the development.
Helmets will be compulsory for all ages and it is an extension of a law passed in 2021 for it to be compulsory for all under 18 years of age.
“All health and safety measures are a good development as skiing is inherently dangerous and is practiced in an environment with dangers,” said the Ski School Manager of the Supreme Ski & Snowboard School, James Salomoni, who grew up in the Italian resort of Sauze d’Oulx.
The company currently runs ski instructor training courses in Sauze d’Oulx.
“The season is still quite far away so it’s not been released and reported widely for that reason.”
James contacted other bodies and organisations in Italy for PlanetSKI in order to confirm the development.
James Salomoni. Image c/o Supreme Ski School.
Representatives of the FISI (Italian Winter Sports Federation) and Dolomiti Superski have welcomed the rule noting that most adult skiers already wear helmets.
Skiing in the Aosta Valley. Image © PlanetSKI
“It is long overdue and all people on our courses across the mountains are required to wear a ski helmet,” said Warren Smith, from the Warren Smith Ski Academy to PlanetSKI.
The Academy runs summer courses in the Italian resort of Cervinia, and a group has been out on the slopes this week.
All wearing helmets.
Warren Smith Ski Academy group in Cervinia, Italy. Image c/o WSSA.
However, there are some skiers & snowboarders who prefer wearing a helmet to be a matter of personal choice.
There have been reports that the protection they offer can be over-rated and may increase the risk of injury in certain circumstances.
“I would normally advocate personal choice, but that might just ensure that the least sensible skiers don’t wear a helmet,” said the MD of the UK ski operator SNO, Richard Sinclair.
“I always wear a helmet, but equally I don’t like it when some feel they can criticise other people for their choice not to.
“I understand why the old French ESF instructors don’t wear a sweaty helmet all day when they’re just shepherding beginners around a slushy nursery slope in the April sunshine.
“In the biggest cycling nation on earth, under 4% of Dutch cyclists wear a helmet, in a sport with similar speeds and no soft snow to fall on, but perceptions of what is reasonable do change, and none of us would think riding a motorcycle with no helmet is acceptable now.”
The transition to people wearing a helmet as a matter of course is interesting.
“As a ski instructor working in Verbier, twenty odd years ago, I remember well turning up for work wearing a helmet,” said PlanetSKI editor, James Cove.
“The director of the ski school asked me to take it off in no uncertain terms as he thought it would intimidate clients and make them feel we were about to go and do dangerous skiing.
“How things have changed.
“I now get social media comments if I am not wearing a helmet in PlanetSKI images and videos, even when I have just been going up the mountain to do a couple of gentle runs, take a few images, update PlanetSKI from a mountain restaurant or meet a contact for a chat over lunch.”
James Cove, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI
“Mostly I do wear a helmet, whether in Italy or anywhere else, and suggest others do the same.”
La Thuile, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI
It is unclear how the new helmet law may be policed in Italy.
Helmet Rules at Other Ski Nations:
Andorra: A ski helmet is not compulsory but strongly recommended. If you are going off-piste then a helmet is compulsory.
Austria: A ski helmet is compulsory for children up to 15 years in all federal states except the Tirol and Vorarlberg. If you go to these states without a helmet, the ski school may require it anyway. There is no ski helmet requirement for adults, but it is strongly recommended.
Croatia: A ski helmet is compulsory for children up to 14 years.
France: A ski helmet is not compulsory, though wearing a helmet is recommended.
Germany: No helmet requirement, but the German Ski Association and German Ski Instructor Association recommend always wearing a ski helmet.
Norway: A ski helmet is not compulsory, but is encouraged.
Poland: A ski helmet is compulsory for children up to 16 years of age. Not wearing a helmet can result in the confiscation of their ski pass and a fine.
Slovakia: A ski helmet is compulsory for children up to the age of 15.
Slovenia: A ski helmet is compulsory for children up to 14 years. Not wearing a helmet can result in a fine.
Spain: A helmet is encouraged, but is not compulsory.
Sweden: A helmet is not obligatory, but children are turned away at some lifts without helmets.
Switzerland: No helmet is required, but research has shown that the percentage of people wearing helmets is highest in Switzerland.
In Canada and the USA a helmet is not compulsory, though many resorts require their employees to wear a helmet when on the slopes for work.
It remains to be seen if other countries and ski areas follow the example of Italy.
Pila, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI
UPDATE:
There has been reaction from readers over on the PlanetSKI Facebook page.
Dale Thomson: Till about five years ago I never wore one. Was kind of guilt tripped into it but had a big crash last season that broke a rib and completely tore a tendon in my shoulder. Still waiting for surgery on it. However, I can honestly say if I hadn’t had a lid on I would it be typing this message today.
Annie Gardner: Mad if you don’t! Does it apply to ski school instructors? That’ll never happen in France!!
Joanne Dyle: Absolutely can’t see 60 year old ESF instructors going for it.
Nick Davies: More and more common in France … Especially the younger generation of instructors coming thru. In our resort it’s common place for ESF instructors to be wearing them… year in year, more and more.
Scott Hammond: That’s gonna be about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit! Can you imagine all them AMSI – Associazione Maestri Sci Italiani who only ski in sunglasses.
Graham Garfoot: Of the 35 people who died in the US last winter season 30 were wearing helmets!! In the UK approx 1600 people p.a. die in car crashes. How many of them were wearing crash helmets?? Would it not therefore make more sense to make it legal to wear a helmet while in a car? I wonder what the reaction to that would be, after all motorcyclists have to weare them when riding.
Philippe De Smet: Stupid. Oblige then also a helmet in a car for everyone.
Anite Smit: I think 98% of skiers already wear them anyway.
Ged Hughes: To bear in mind … the soft squishy thing inside the skull can still be damaged whatever helmet you are wearing if the impact is significant.
John Roberts: Just common sense nowadays. Not always the snow depth around. Certainly not uncomfortable either.
Bev England: Been wearing one for years – makes sense.
Adrian Gravil: I forwarded this link to my crew earlier that I’m going Cervinia with. One has never worn a helmet skiing to date.
Richard J Stephens: Hmmm considering the French & Italians seem to treat rules as guidelines rather than absolutes it’ll be interesting to see if this follows through in real life next season.
Ian Findlater: Excellent news. Not before time. I love skiing in Italy 
in fact I just love Italy, the people are the best Europeans.
Casey Clark Obert: Great idea.
Feel free to add your view over on the PlanetSKI Facebook page.
PlanetSKI: Number 1 for digital ski news
Your digital platform for ski news, resort information, travel, equipment rental, sport, money saving deals and everything connected with snowsports – web site, social media & more.
