Italy's budget bill brings personalised car plates at 600 euros a pair

What the budget bill contains

The Council of Ministers approved the budget bill (manovra) on 28 October, and Giorgia Meloni used the press conference that followed to present a new measure: personalised car plates on request. Reports note that the possibility already exists in the Codice della strada, but the implementing rules have never been written, so the bill sets out the principle without the details. Meloni said applicants would be able to pick the content of their plate within limits and by paying a fee. Open reports that the format, the maximum number of characters and the structure will remain subject to precise constraints. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport could issue plates with a personalised sequence of alphanumeric characters, which the ministry described as an option complementing the one already granted to historic vehicles.

“We are introducing the possibility, for those who want to use it, to have personalised plates.”

What it costs

Two car plates, front and rear, cost 500 euros payable to the Poligrafico dello Stato, plus a 20% surcharge of 100 euros to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, bringing the total to 600 euros. Motorcycles pay for a single plate, with a total of 360 euros. Those who choose a personalised plate do not pay the traditional sticker, which currently costs 41.78 euros and is included in registration and road-fitting charges. The current sequence is two letters, three numbers and two letters, and offensive or ambiguous combinations will be excluded, while no two plates may be identical. The ACI, the Italian automobile club, noted that the text puts the cost in black and white for the first time. According to the ACI, personalisation for cars already registered would be possible only when a plate is reissued after theft, loss or deterioration.

Poligrafico dello Stato500

Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport surcharge100

Total for two car plates600

Poligrafico dello Stato

500 EUR

Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport surcharge

100 EUR

Total for two car plates

600 EUR

Data from the article text

Road tax and the opposition

Meloni said the government is making the car road tax structural, which exempts cars up to 80 kilowatts and motorcycles, a group she put at about 70% of vehicles in circulation. Critics had said the measure applied only in 2027 and was an electoral handout, and she replied that it is structural and definitive while the centre-right governs.

“We are making the car road tax structural.”

The opposition rejected the package. Francesco Silvestri, a Five Star Movement deputy, called the measures pseudo-measures that do not address the country's problems. He said Italians had already chosen their plate and told the prime minister to go.

What happens next

The government must issue the definitive legislative decree by spring 2027, and the reform text is currently under review by several opinions. Open reports that the detailed rules will come through the implementing decrees, so the format and the price could still change before the plates are offered. The fee structure is set in the bill itself, while the design rules remain pending.