Vehicle registration plates of Italy

Present Italian car number plates have black characters on a rectangular white background, with small blue side-fields on the right and left (see European vehicle registration plates). The current numbering scheme, in use from 1994, is unrelated to the geographical provenance of the car. Italian plates are printed by the state (i.e. nation, country).

History

1903-1905

The very first Italian number plates gave the unabbreviated name of the place of origin, followed by a number, as GENOVA 83.

1905-1927

Plate was white. The registration number was a numeric code (in red), different for each province, and a progressive number, unique for that province (in black). E.g. 63 – 2993, where 63 is the code for Turin.

1927-1976

1948-1976 Italian vehicle licence plate from Livorno.

Plate was black with white digits. Rear plate was 27.5 × 20 cm (since 1951), front plate was 26.2 × 5.7 cm. Note that single line rear registration plates (similar to the ones used by other European countries) will not be available until 1976. The registration number was the provincial designator, which is a two-letter code (exception: Rome's code is Roma), and a progressive code, unique for that province, up to 6 characters long.

From 1927 to 1932, the progressive code was before the provincial designator. Then, the progressive code was before the provincial designator in front plates and after it in rear plates.^[1]

The progressive code for the first 999999 cars of the provinces was just a progressive number, not filled with initial zeroes; in the rear plate the last four digits are in the second row and the first ones (when present) in the first row. For cars from 1000000, it was A00000-A99999, B00000-B99999 etc. Possible letters were, in this order, A B D E F G H K L M N P R S T U V Z X Y W. After that, it was 00000A-99999A, 00000D-99999D etc. Possible letters were, in this order, A D E F G H L M N P R S T V W X Y Z; then, the letter was moved to the second position, and then to third (same range as in second position).

1976-1985

1976-1985 front and rear Italian vehicle licence plates from Rome.

Front plate was identical as in the period 1927-1976. Rear plate, instead, came in three pieces. One, size 10,7 × 33 cm, black with white digits, contains the progressive code and, very small, the provincial designator. The other two were black with orange letters, and contained the provincial designator. One was 10,7 × 33 cm, the other one was 10,7 × 20 cm. Only one of the latter two was used: for a long plate, the small province code piece is put left of the progressive code, for a roughly square plate, the big province code piece is put above the progressive code.

1985-1994

1985-1994 Italian vehicle licence plate from Verona.

Plates become white with black digits. Rear plate was identical as in the period 1976-1985. Front plate becomes larger (32.5 × 10.7 cm) and the progressive code on it is moved after the provincial designator, as it was already for rear plates.

1994-present

1994-1999 Italian vehicle licence plate.

An entirely new numeration system was introduced which omitted any explicit reference to the place of origin. A simple alpha-numeric serial code takes the form AA 999 AA. Here ‘A’ can be any letter of the Latin alphabet except I, O, Q, U and is treated as a base-22 digit; ‘9’ can be any decimal digit. e.g. AK 514 RH, AX 848 LK, BA 924 NS, etc. The three-digit number changes first, then the letters from right to left. So, first plate is AA 000 AA, followed by AA 001 AA...AA 999 AA, then AA 000 AB to AA 999 AZ, then AA 000 BA to AA 999 ZZ, then AB 000 AA to AZ 999 ZZ, then BA 000 AA to ZZ 999 ZZ.

Rear plates are no more in two pieces. Instead, a square plate can be chosen instead of the ordinary long one. If the rear plate is square, the numbering scheme starts from ZA 000 AA.

1999-present Italian vehicle licence plate from Bolzano.

In 1999, the plates were redesigned, starting from the serial number BB 000 HH. The digits are thicker. The last decimal digit is now very close to the third letter. The standard European blue band has been added on the left side, with the European flag motif (12 yellow stars) and the country code I. Another blue band was added, on the right side, bearing a yellow circle with the year of registration (optional).

The two-letter provincial code is optionally present on the right band in capital letters (90% of circulating vehicles bear such code). For the capital city of Rome, the word Roma replaces the two-digit provincial code. Provincial codes are in capital letters except for three cases, where the second letter is expressed in small caps for the provincial codes of the autonomous provinces of Bolzano/Bozen (Bz) and Trento (Tn) and the autonomous region Aosta Valley (Ao), that are surmounted by the local coat of arms.

The reintroduction of the provincial code (although no longer as a compulsory element of the plate) was implemented because the 1994 suppression of the two-letter provincial codes proved extremely unpopular. Unlike before, the provincial code is not part of the registration number, which is the same for the whole nation.

Special plates

Motorbike plates

Motorbikes have plates formed by two letters and five digits, starting from AA 00000. For these vehicles the provinces' codes are not used to avoid confusion (for example, the plate after AF 99999 is AH 00000, because AG means Agrigento). Plates size is 177x177 mm (6,96x6,96 inches).

Moped plates

Registration plates of small mopeds where introduced in 1994 (before that date Italian moped had no plate at all) they were trapeze-shaped and have a registration system based on a five letter-and-digit combination (treated as a 31-base numeric system), with the first two placed on top and the following three below (such as 47 A23 or K3 561 or 8X 4RF whereby whole sets of series are assigned locally). In 2006 new moped plates are introduced; new plates have a square shape measuring 12 by 14 cm. The registration shows six characters: the first is always "X" ("Y" for Local Police plates), the other five follows the same scheme of the old system; but the digit 1 and 0 and the letters A, E, I, O, Q and U are not used. Since 2012 old moped plates are no longer valid and have to be replaced by new ones.

Trailer plates

Trailer plate until 2013.

Car's and truck's trailers had two plates: the trailer's own one was quite small and bore the word "RIMORCHIO" (trailer) and a two letters-five digits code, the other had the same size of vehicles' rear plates and bore the same registration of the prime mover written with black stickers on a retroflective yellow base. From February 2013 new trailer plates have been introduced: they use the same pattern of standard vehicle plates, the numeric scheme is XL 000 LL where "L" is a generic letter, "0" is a digit and "X" is the reserved letter. Mover repetition plates are no longer needed on trailers registered with new plates; but they are still compulsory for old trailers with small plates and small unregistered "appendix trailers".

Police plates

Registration Plate of Polizia Nazionale

Registration Plate of Guardia di Finanza

Local police forces have the word "POLIZIA LOCALE" (local police) in blue. They have the same pattern as trailer and civilian plates, the scheme is YL 000 LL where "L" is a letter, "0" is a digit and the "Y" is the reserved letter. Unlike civilian plates they don't show up the code. National police plates have "POLIZIA" in red followed by numbers only. Customs police plates start with prefix "GdiF" in red. The serial letters and three serial numbers are in black.^[2]

Diplomatic plates

[[File:Italia (Cuerpo Diplomático, Actual).jpg|thumb|Registration Plate of Corpo Diplomatico]]

Registration Plate of Corpo Diplomatico

Diplomatic plates have blue letters. The consular plates have "CC" (Corpo Consolare) and four numbers, while "CD" (Corpo Diplomatico) plates have three. Scheme is CC 0000 AA or CD 000 AA. The "AA" is a country code while "0" is a digit. Front and rear plates are identical and both measure 34 by 11 cm.

Military plates

Registration Plate of Esercito Italiano

Registration Plate of Marina Militare

Military plates have the prefixes EI (Esercito Italiano, Army), AM (Aeronautica Militare, Air Force) and MM (Marina Militare, Navy), all of them red, the trailers have the indication "RIMORCHIO". There is a code same as mentioned before, but it is small and it is black. The scheme is EI LL 000. While "EI" is the prefix, "LL" is a letter and "0" is a digit. Between the letter and number there is a green dot. In 1980 Army plates adopted the 11 by 34 cm size for both front and rear plates, but more recent plates use the 1994-99 civilian plate standard for rear plates.

Dealer plates

Italian dealer plates have a square (16.5 by 16.5 cm) size and follows the format XXpX/XXXX (where "X" could be a letter or a digit) arranged in two lines. They are the only kind of Italian plates whose code could be chosen by the owner.

Red Cross plates

Registration Plate of Croce Rossa Italiana

Have the prefix "CRI" (Croce Rossa Italiana) in red, the style is CRI 000LL, while "L" is a letter, and "0" is a number. Between "CRI" and the other characters there is the Red Cross sign. They use the same style of pre-1999 plates; the final code of two-line plates always starts with the letter "Z".

Firefighters

Have the prefix "VF" (Vigili del Fuoco) in red. They have the same style and dimension of Port Authority plates, but they don't have text in the bottom section. Firefighters of autonomous regions use special Firefighters plates issued locally.

Port Authority plates

Have the prefix "CP" (Capitaneria di Porto) in red. They have the text "GUARDIA COSTIERA" at the bottom. Those plates are considerably shorter than a standard one (circa 35 by 52mm), front and rear plates have the same size and square rear plates are not available.

Temporary plates

They have the same style of Diplomatic plates, but they start with "EE" instead of "CD". The upper part of the plate has a small space for accommodating expiry date stickers.

Agricultural plates

Agricultural machines have motorcycle-sized plates following the AA-0/00A scheme written in black on yellow. Agricultural trailers have the text "RIM AGR." in red on the upper part. The style is same as the old trailer plates but background is yellow and the serial is AA-000A. Agricultural trailers have to show both their own plates and a prime mover repetition one.

State Forestry Corps plates

These plates have the prefix "CF" (Corpo Forestale) in red. The format is CF L00 AA, "CF" is a prefix, then "L" is a letter, two numbers and then "AA" suffix which is unknown, for example "CA", in red. Forestry Corps of autonomous regions use special dedicated plates, showing the province (or region) of registration.

Road Machinery plates

The style of these plates is LL LL000. They are red on yellow background.

Civil Defense plates

These plates only exist in autonomous regions, they have the prefix "PC" in red and an alfanumeric serial chosen by local authorities. Cars of national Civil Defense department have special plates bearing the "DPC" code followed by an alfanumeric serial, while operative vehicles usually use civil plates.

Carabinieri plates

Registration Plate of Corpo di Carabinieri

These plates have the prefix "CC" in red. The style is CC LL 000 where "CC" is a prefix, "LL" is a letter, and "0" is a digit.

Province Codes

Province Codes 1927 to present day

These abbreviations for the names of provinces are extensively used in contexts other than vehicle registration. For example, "Trino (VC)", to indicate a place called Trino in the province of Vercelli, could appear on letterheaded paper or in a postal address or in a guide book and very often on business cards and trade signs. The abbreviations even count as valid words in crosswords and in Scarabeo, the Italian version of the board game Scrabble. Sometimes, the code RM is used instead of Roma for the province of Rome, in postal addresses or documents.

Sardinia formed four new provinces in its territory in 2001, but this act was recognized by national authorities only in 2008; these provinces gained the right to put their codes on cars, which are VS for the Province of Medio Campidano (from its capital cities Villacidro and Sanluri), CI for the Province of Carbonia-Iglesias, OG for the Province of Ogliastra and OT for the Province of Olbia-Tempio.^[3]

Province Codes 1905 to 1927

Province Codes which have been abandoned (post-1927)

References

External links

• Plates in Rome provides detailed coverage of Italian number plates from 1903 onwards.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to License plates of Italy.