Italy Shuts Down 850 Speed Cameras After Court Ruling on July 12

Italy has shut down 850 speed cameras effective July 12 after its highest court invalidated a decades-long licensing loophole. The new decree establishes uniform approval standards for all 4,000 radar devices nationwide. Only 3,150 cameras now meet legal requirements. The ruling stems from court decisions that found the government had used a weaker approval process than the law required since 1992, leading to thousands of successful driver appeals against speeding fines.

Why Italy’s courts stopped the old system

Since 1992, Italian law required each speed camera to receive formal type approval before use. However, the Transport Ministry used a simpler, legally weaker licensing process for decades. Italy’s Supreme Court ruled in multiple decisions that both procedures were not equivalent. Drivers who challenged their speeding fines often won because the court clarified the distinction between technical approval and legal homologation.

New strict standards for all cameras

The July 12 decree creates one unified approval process. All speed cameras must now achieve 90 percent accuracy in vehicle detection and 95 percent accuracy in license plate recognition and speed assignment. Device tolerance remains unchanged: up to 3 km/h below 100 km/h, or 3 percent above. Cameras must also automatically blur driver faces in frontal images to protect privacy. Devices already approved since 2017 are considered compliant under certain conditions.

Revenue impact and municipal concerns

Italy’s 20 largest cities collected 306.3 million euros from speed cameras between 2021 and 2025. Revenue fell 9 percent in 2025 as municipalities like Bolzano preemptively stopped using unverified equipment. Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini stated the new rules aim to improve traffic safety, not fill municipal budgets at drivers’ expense. Consumer groups welcomed the clarity after 34 years of legal chaos.

What happens to the 850 deactivated cameras

The 850 non-compliant devices cannot measure speed until manufacturers submit additional documentation for approval. Only then may they resume operation. The remaining 3,150 approved cameras are now legally operational nationwide. This ends the uncertainty that had allowed drivers to successfully contest fines in court based on equipment licensing defects.

Final Thoughts

Italy’s speed camera overhaul eliminates a legal gray zone that cost municipalities revenue but protected drivers from improperly licensed enforcement. The new rules clarify which cameras are valid, though 850 devices remain offline pending manufacturer compliance. Drivers and municipalities now face certainty where confusion once prevailed.

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