Terms of service

Last updated: 31 October 2026. Available in English; for a translation write to [email protected].

Current status: opening soon. We are not filing appeals or taking payments yet. Sections 3 onwards describe the service as it will work when it opens.

1. Who we are

Italian Fine Check is a service of Nicola Ghisalberti ("we"). Contact: [email protected].

2. What we do

• Free check. An online calculator that compares the dates you enter with the deadlines of Italian law and shows a result. It is general information, not legal advice for your specific case.
• Appeal service (Standard and Plus). At your request we check your documents, prepare the letter in Italian from templates reviewed by an Italian lawyer, give you a translation, and, after you have read and signed it, file it on your behalf with the competent Italian authority by certified email (PEC). For 12 months we translate the letters you receive about that fine.
• Lawyer referral. On request we give you the contact of an independent Italian lawyer. The lawyer quotes and works directly for you. We take no commission and are not responsible for the lawyer's work.

3. What we do not do

We are not a law firm. We do not represent you before a court (Giudice di Pace) and we do not handle cases with licence suspension or criminal aspects: for these you need a lawyer. We do not guarantee the outcome: the decision belongs to the Italian authority.

4. Prices

• Opening soon: the appeal service is not open yet. Today you can use the free check and join the waitlist. Nothing is ordered or paid, and we do not file anything for you.
• Free verification: you upload photos of the notice and the envelope. We verify the dates and deadlines on your documents, usually within 1 working day, free of charge. If our verification finds that the fine cannot be contested, we tell you why and we do nothing further. Nothing is owed.
• Quote: if the fine can be contested, we send you a fixed quote. You pay only if you accept it, before we write the appeal. Prices per fine, VAT included:
• Standard €19 (parking, ZTL, bus lanes, agency letters) or Plus €49 (speed cameras, red lights, police fines); 20% off each additional fine from the same trip;
• complex cases (for example many fines from the same trip, very high amounts or missing documents): custom quote, sent after the free verification.
• Cover if rejected: if an appeal that we recommended and filed is rejected by the Prefetto, we refund the price you paid and we compensate you for (a) the difference between the amount ordered by the Prefetto and the amount on your original notice and (b) the procedure and notification costs of the Prefetto's order. For fines over €500, (a) and (b) together are compensated up to €150. The amount on your original notice always remains payable by you. To receive the compensation, send us the Prefetto's decision and proof of payment within 60 days of receiving the decision.
• Not covered: cases where you gave us wrong or incomplete information or documents, cases where you did not follow our instructions, and cases with licence suspension, which we refer to a lawyer.

5. Your part

You give us true and complete information and documents, answer our questions in time, and read the letter before signing it. If you pay the fine, the appeal is no longer possible: tell us at once.

6. Deadlines

You have 60 days from receiving the notice to appeal to the Prefetto. We file within 3 working days of your signature and no later than 5 days before the deadline, if we have everything we need. If fewer than 10 days are left when you contact us, we take your case only if you send all documents within 48 hours; if we cannot file in time, we tell you at once and you pay nothing.

7. Risks you should know

If the Prefetto rejects the appeal, the amount due is at least double the minimum fine (art. 204 of the Italian Highway Code). We explain this risk before you order and recommend an appeal only when there is a solid reason.

8. Our responsibility

We perform the service with professional care; this is an obligation of means, not of result. If an appeal is filed late or rejected for a formal error that is our fault, we refund the price and pay the increase in the fine caused by our error. Beyond this, our liability is limited to the price paid, except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence (art. 1229 of the Italian Civil Code) and except where consumer law does not allow a limitation.

9. Right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer, you can withdraw within 14 days of ordering. Because the service often has to start at once to meet legal deadlines, the order form asks you, with a separate tick box, whether you want us to start before the end of that period and whether you acknowledge that you lose the right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed; we confirm your choice by email. If you withdraw after asking for an early start, you pay only for the part already performed. While the service is free, withdrawal has no cost for you.

10. Law and disputes

These terms are governed by Italian law. If you are a consumer, you keep the protection of the mandatory rules of the country where you live, and you can bring a claim before the courts of that country. You can also use the European Consumer Centre network for help.