Can Italy collect a traffic fine in your country?

Last checked: 31 October 2026 · 3 min read

Short answer. Inside the EU, yes, in some cases. An Italian fine of €70 or more can be passed to the authorities of the EU country where you live, which can then collect it like a domestic fine. Below €70 your country may refuse. Private collection agencies can only ask you to pay. Either way, an unpaid fine stays open in Italy and grows if you ignore it.

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Two different EU systems

1. Finding out who you are. Directive (EU) 2015/413 lets EU countries exchange vehicle registration data to identify the owner for eight road-safety offences: speeding, not wearing a seat belt, running a red light, drink-driving, driving under the influence of drugs, not wearing a helmet, using a forbidden lane and using a mobile phone while driving. The letter to you must be in the language of your registration document or an official language of your country. ZTL violations are not on this list.

2. Collecting the money. Council Framework Decision 2005/214/JHA lets an EU country recognise and enforce another country's financial penalties, including those for conduct that breaks road traffic rules, also when the decision was taken by an administrative authority, provided you could take the case to a court. The country where you live may refuse when the penalty is below €70 (art. 7(2)(h)).

In practice this goes through national authorities: in Germany, for example, the Federal Office of Justice; in the Netherlands, the CJIB. A private collection agency is not part of this system and cannot force payment.

What changes from 2027

Directive (EU) 2024/3237 updates the 2015 rules. EU countries must apply it by 20 July 2027. Among the changes:

more offences are covered, including breaches of vehicle-access restrictions, which can include ZTLs, with some exceptions;
the notice must be issued no later than 11 months after the offence when the automated search for the owner was successful;
countries must help each other identify the person responsible and serve documents;
documents must be in the language of the registration document, and you can ask for follow-up documents in another official EU language.

Until Italy and your country apply it, the 2015 rules and Italian law continue to govern your case.

If you ignore an Italian fine

If you neither pay nor appeal within 60 days, the notice becomes enforceable for half of the maximum fine (art. 203(3) of the Highway Code). That is often more than double what you would have paid with the 5-day discount. The right to collect expires 5 years after the violation (art. 209), unless it is interrupted, for example by a new notice.

Ignoring a fine is a bet on non-collection. Checking whether the fine was valid in the first place is usually the better move: if you live abroad and the notice was mailed more than 360 days after the violation was recorded, you can appeal and have it cancelled. If you neither appeal within 60 days nor pay, it becomes enforceable anyway. See the 360-day rule step by step, or use our free check.

Outside the EU

The EU rules above apply between EU member states. For the UK, Switzerland, the US and other countries, collection depends on agreements between the states concerned; in practice letters usually come from private agencies, which can ask but not force. The fine remains open in Italy.

Questions

Can a collection agency take money from my account?

No. A private agency can ask you to pay, but it cannot seize anything on its own. Forced collection in another EU country goes through the authorities of that country under the EU rules on financial penalties.

Does the €70 threshold mean I can ignore smaller fines?

Not safely. Below €70 the country where you live may refuse to collect an Italian fine, but the fine stays valid in Italy, and ignoring it raises the amount to half of the maximum.

Are ZTL fines covered by the EU exchange of vehicle data?

Not under the 2015 directive, which covers eight offences such as speeding and red lights. The 2024 revision adds breaches of vehicle-access restrictions, which can include ZTLs, once member states apply it from July 2027.

What if I live in the UK or Switzerland?

The EU rules described here apply between EU member states. Outside the EU, collection depends on agreements between the countries; in practice letters usually come from private agencies. The fine still stays open in Italy.

Sources

General information, checked against the sources listed on the date shown. It is not legal advice for your case. Italian Fine Check is not an Italian authority.