Italy Moves to Allow Personalised Vehicle Number Plates

On October 29, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni unveiled a proposal to let motorists personalise their vehicle registration plates as part of Italy’s 2027 budget law, the final budget before a general election scheduled for next year. The measure is presented as a “colourful note” intended to generate additional state revenue.

The Independent

A decree released alongside the budget sets the price of a personalised plate at roughly €600 for cars and €360 for motor-bikes. The current Italian format—two letters, three numbers, two letters—may be altered, though the exact degree of flexibility has not been specified. A Treasury official declined to estimate how much revenue the policy could generate.

The Independent

Taxi drivers welcomed the change, arguing that distinctive plates could help passengers identify legitimate operators and curb illegal services. Opposition parties on the centre-left criticised the initiative as a distraction from more pressing budgetary concerns. Francesco Silvestri, a lawmaker from the Five Star Movement, mocked the policy, saying Italians have already chosen a plate that reads “Meloni, go away.” The reform has also sparked a wave of memes on social media, with some expressing worries that personalised plates could become venues for insults or profanity.

The Independent

• “One will be able to indulge oneself more or less as one sees fit, obviously at a cost. Something tells me that Italians' creativity could shine here,” — Giorgia Meloni, prime minister

The Independent

• “Meloni should know that Italians have already chosen their personalised plate, and it reads: 'Meloni, go away',” — Francesco Silvestri

UsNews and World Report

If implemented, the scheme would align Italy with countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom that already offer personalised registration plates. While the government hopes the fees will boost fiscal resources, the lack of a revenue estimate and concerns about possible misuse suggest that the policy’s overall impact remains uncertain.

The Independent