Italy has made ski helmets compulsory, plus other new rules skiers should know

Skiers caught without a helmet in Italy risk on-the-spot fines - Getty

Italy has become the first country in the world to make ski helmets mandatory on its slopes this winter. While skiers and snowboarders won’t be banned from taking a lift, if caught without a lid by police, they risk on-the-spot fines of €200 (£174) or confiscation of their lift pass for up to three days.

“We are communicating this widely – the Italian government wants to minimise the risk of serious accidents during winter sports,” said Diego Clara, a spokesman for the Dolomiti Superski area, which includes the resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo (host of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games). “I don’t think much will change — we believe 95 per cent of people already wear helmets when skiing.”

The rule has been creeping in — in 2021 it became obligatory for children under 14 to wear a helmet, in 2022 the age increased to 18 and from Nov 1, 2025, everyone must wear a CE-certified helmet on the slopes regardless of whether they are skiing, snowboarding or even tobogganing.

The new rules will apply across Italian ski resorts, including popular Cortina d’Ampezzo - Moment RF

“Skiers need to use what’s inside their heads — their brain — to work out why it’s important to wear a helmet,” says Lizzie Russell, ski instructor and owner of WOW Ski Tours in Alta Badia. “With the Winter Olympics coming up, Italy will not want to be seen taking any chances with safety rules.”

“Just about everyone wears helmets on the slopes anyway. Though, despite the fact that it’s been obligatory for instructors in ski schools to wear helmets for years, there are still some older instructors wearing their ‘berrettini’ (beanie hats). I imagine that will change this winter.”

In January 2022, public liability insurance became mandatory for everyone using an Italian ski resort. Cover is not included in the cost of a lift pass and resorts recommend skiers and snowboarders check with their insurance company to ensure coverage meets criteria under Italian law.

The post-ski smoke

In further tightening of the rules on the slopes, smoking in ski resorts across France looks likely to be a thing of the past, following the introduction of a country-wide smoking ban that came into force on July 1, 2025.

The ban prohibits smoking on beaches and in all outdoor public places where children are present, and covers parks, public gardens and – crucially – sports venues. Anyone found lighting up in the wrong place risks a €135 (£117) fine, but outdoor terraces of bars and cafés are exempt.

While there has been no official announcement regarding ski resorts, industry officials at the Domaines Skiables de France – which represents all ski lift companies in France – believe smoking is likely to be banned on ski lifts and pistes. The organisation is still interpreting the new law and how it applies to resorts.

Smoking is already banned in some ski resorts across North America – Whistler called time on cigarettes in 2015 – but Les Gets in the French Alps became the first European resort to ban smoking in 2022, sparked by 3,000 cigarette butts being found during a one-day voluntary mountain clean-up.

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Cyril Tardieu, Les Gets spokesman, says there has been a “clear improvement in the cleanliness” of the mountain since then and that no fines have been needed.

“The number of cigarette butts we collect at the end of each season has reduced by two thirds,” he said, adding: “Guests consistently tell us they appreciate skiing in a cleaner resort.”

Drinking on the slopes

Safety-conscious Italy has a zero tolerance policy for skiing under the influence of drugs and strict rules on drinking on the slopes, with a blood-alcohol content limit for skiers of just 0.50 per cent – the same level as for driving a car.

While there are no specific rules on drinking and skiing in France, Switzerland and Austria, if you’re found to be drunk after an accident, things could be different. Anyone found guilty of endangering others in France – whether by causing a collision while drunk or triggering an avalanche – risks a fine of up to €15,000 (£13,000) or a year-long jail sentence. And being drunk in public is a criminal offence in France, carrying a fine of up to €150 (£130).

Over the pond, if you’re found drunk on a ski lift or run in Colorado, the fine goes up to $1,000 (£746) and, regardless of where you are, it’s worth remembering that most insurance policies exclude cover for accidents when skiers are under the influence of alcohol.

Eating on a lift and partying in ski boots

Some other minor infringements to remember include, according to the UK Foreign Office website, eating and drinking on ski lifts in Italy, or their boarding areas, is banned – as is “climbing a slope with snowshoes except in an emergency”.

And since 2016, anyone still walking around the ski resort of Ischgl in Austria in ski boots between the hours of 8pm and 6am risks a fine of €2,000.

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