For what violations do Italian police issue fines? How and when does a foreign resident who has committed a violation receive notification of a fine in Italy?
All those foreigners who think that if they commit a traffic violation on the roads of Italy, they will not have to pay for the annoying mistake because they live abroad, they are mistaken. Notices of fines received in Italy will also find the offending driver abroad.
A foreigner who decides to rent a car or comes to Italy with a personal car should keep in mind that each country (even those within the European Union) has its own Code of Road Traffic Regulations, that is, its own autonomous and independent legislation, which differs from that adopted in any other state. This means that a citizen living abroad, when coming to Italy, must comply with the rules established in that country, and not the one where his car or motorcycle is registered.
Let’s talk in more detail about fines for foreigners issued in Italy.
Traffic fines for residents abroad
A foreigner living outside Italy, especially residents of one of the European Union countries, who receives a fine for violating traffic rules in Italy, cannot avoid paying it: notification of the fine will reach the offender.
It should be noted that there is an agreement on mutual recognition of traffic violations between the countries of the European Union. This means that if a person who lives in France, for example, receives notification of a fine in Italy, the French state is not only obliged to officially recognize this sanction, but is also obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure that the fine is paid.
Traffic fines for foreigners: for which violations are you most likely to receive them?
A violation is a violation no matter where you commit it. It is unlikely, however, that a fine for parking in the wrong place will be sent to a foreigner’s home.
The latest European directive on this issue contains a number of violations of road safety regulations for which a foreigner, like an Italian, must necessarily answer.
This is about:
- speeding;
- failure to use a seat belt;
- failure to obey traffic lights;
- driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs;
- driving in the opposite direction;
- failure to use a protective helmet while riding a motorcycle;
- using a mobile phone while driving.
It is also possible that after a holiday in Italy, a foreigner will receive a notification to enter a restricted traffic zone (ZTL), marked with a special sign, but this does not always happen and depends on the diligence of the commune.
The Italian authorities will send a letter to the driver of a car whose license plate is listed in the register of offenders, which must inform:
- nature of the violation;
- place, date and time when it was committed;
- the point of the road code that was violated;
- data relating to the device used to detect the violation (for example, a video camera);
- amount of the fine.
This letter must be sent in one of the official languages of the state in which the vehicle is registered.
Traffic fines for foreigners: where does the notification arrive?
Foreigners who have violated traffic rules on Italian territory often find a fine notice in their mailbox addressed to them by the Traffic Police or the Carabinieri. It often happens, however, that the fine is sent by a private agency that collects fines from the population and with which the municipality where the violation was committed has an agreement.
When a motorist living abroad commits a traffic code violation in Italy, he receives a notice:
- directly on the spot if he was stopped by a police officer;
- home if a violation is detected by an automatic device.
In the first case, the fine will have to be paid immediately. Otherwise, you will continue your journey on foot.
In the second case, the notification will be sent to the addressee at his address abroad.
The police will initiate a procedure to identify the owner of the vehicle, and then, according to the Traffic Code, a notice of violation of the traffic code will be given to the foreigner within 360 days of discovery of the violation (i.e. almost one year). The notification time may be extended if the driver living abroad has committed an offense in the rental car: in this case, the notification is first reported to the car rental company within 90 days, after which the rental company has 360 days to send penalty home to the offender.
Fines for violating the Traffic Code are valid for 5 years. This means that if no notification is received after this time, the fine does not need to be paid.
The same mechanism applies to non-payment of tolls on toll highways. A motorist living abroad who has not paid for the toll will receive a receipt with a fine for payment by mail.