Drivers will be able to choose their own letters and numbers under the new Highway Code, but the first custom plates are unlikely to appear before 2027.Italian motorists will be able to pay to choose the letters and numbers on their number plates under the reformed Highway Code, prime minister Giorgia Meloni announced at the press conference that followed Wednesday’s cabinet meeting on the 2027 budget.Meloni presented the measure as "a note of colour". "People will be able to let their imagination run more or less as they see fit, obviously at a cost," she said, adding that "Italians’ creativity could come into its own". Cost Personalised plates were already provided for in law but have never been introduced because the implementing rules were missing. The new code sets a price for the first time. For cars, which need front and rear plates, the cost is €500 paid to the State Mint (Poligrafico dello Stato), plus a 20 per cent surcharge of €100 for the transport ministry, making €600 in total. Motorbikes, which carry only a rear plate, will pay €360: €300 plus a €60 surcharge. Those who opt for a personalised plate will not pay for a standard one, which is currently included in registration costs and is priced at €41.78 for the standard format and €45.31 for the square one. A personalised plate therefore costs more than 14 times as much as an ordinary one. Rules The draft decree says the ministry may issue plates with “a personalised sequence and use of alphanumeric characters” on request. The ministry sees this as an extension of the option already available for historic vehicles. Italian plates currently follow a fixed pattern of two letters, three numbers and two letters. The new rules will allow more freedom, but the format, maximum number of characters and structure will remain restricted. Offensive, ambiguous or misleading combinations will be excluded, and every plate must be unique. According to the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), cars already on the road should also be able to get a personalised plate, but only when a vehicle is re-registered because its existing plate has been stolen, lost or damaged. Other countries News agency AGI reports that personalised plates already exist in several European countries, including Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Croatia, with rules and prices varying widely. In Belgium, where drivers can request a combination subject to availability, the cost is €1,030, bringing in about €12 million a year for the state. In Germany the choice of a combination costs €12.80, excluding standard registration and production fees, and in Austria the total cost is €235. In the UK, sales of private number plates by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reportedly brought in more than £274 million in 2024-25. When Drivers hoping to display their name on the bumper will have to wait. The new Highway Code was given preliminary approval by the cabinet on 13 October and is being examined by the Council of State, the State-Regions Conference and parliamentary committees. The final legislative decree is expected by spring 2027, and the code is due to take effect on 30 April 2027. ACI has warned that custom plates will not necessarily be available from day one, as this will depend on the implementing rules, the same rules that have held up the measure for years.

Italian motorists will be able to pay to choose the letters and numbers on their number plates under the reformed Highway Code, prime minister Giorgia Meloni announced at the press conference that followed Wednesday’s cabinet meeting on . Meloni presented the measure as "a note of colour". "People will be able to let their imagination run more or less as they see fit, obviously at a cost," she said, adding that "Italians’ creativity could come into its own". Personalised plates were already provided for in law but have never been introduced because the implementing rules were missing. The new code sets a price for the first time. For cars, which need front and rear plates, the cost is €500 paid to the State Mint (Poligrafico dello Stato), plus a 20 per cent surcharge of €100 for the transport ministry, making €600 in total. Motorbikes, which carry only a rear plate, will pay €360: €300 plus a €60 surcharge. Those who opt for a personalised plate will not pay for a standard one, which is currently included in registration costs and is priced at €41.78 for the standard format and €45.31 for the square one. A personalised plate therefore costs more than 14 times as much as an ordinary one. The draft decree says the ministry may issue plates with “a personalised sequence and use of alphanumeric characters” on request. The ministry sees this as an extension of the option already available for historic vehicles. Italian plates currently follow a fixed pattern of two letters, three numbers and two letters. The new rules will allow more freedom, but the format, maximum number of characters and structure will remain restricted. Offensive, ambiguous or misleading combinations will be excluded, and every plate must be unique. According to the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), cars already on the road should also be able to get a personalised plate, but only when a vehicle is re-registered because its existing plate has been stolen, lost or damaged. News agency AGI reports that personalised plates already exist in several European countries, including Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Croatia, with rules and prices varying widely. In Belgium, where drivers can request a combination subject to availability, the cost is €1,030, bringing in about €12 million a year for the state. In Germany the choice of a combination costs €12.80, excluding standard registration and production fees, and in Austria the total cost is €235. In the UK, sales of private number plates by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) reportedly brought in more than £274 million in 2024-25. Drivers hoping to display their name on the bumper will have to wait. The new Highway Code was given preliminary approval by the cabinet on 13 October and is being examined by the Council of State, the State-Regions Conference and parliamentary committees. The final legislative decree is expected by spring 2027, and the code is due to take effect on 30 April 2027. ACI has warned that custom plates will not necessarily be available from day one, as this will depend on the implementing rules, the same rules that have held up the measure for years.