Florence: ZTL — Centro Storico (sectors A, B, O)
Florence's UNESCO-listed historic center is a camera-enforced limited traffic zone divided into lettered sectors. Access is permit-based, not emissions-based: what matters is whether your plate is authorized, not what your car emits.
Restricted Traffic Zone (ZTL) · LAST VERIFIED 2026-09-12When it's active
Electronic gates are active Monday–Friday 07:30–20:00 and Saturday 07:30–16:00. A separate summer night ZTL ("ZTL notturna estiva") runs from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October, with the exact nights and hours set each year by municipal ordinance — check the current year's before you travel.
Which vehicles are affected
Restriction is by authorization rather than emissions class. There is no general exemption for electric or low-emission vehicles, unlike Milan's Area C.
Registering a foreign or rental vehicle
Access, transit and parking inside the ZTL require buying an authorization ("titolo autorizzatorio") beforehand. Hotels and garages inside the zone can register a guest's plate for the stay — give them your exact plate and dates in advance, and confirm they have actually done it. Temporary access is otherwise arranged through Servizi alla Strada, the municipal operator.
Fees & fines
Authorization is priced by permit category rather than as a single visitor fee. Unauthorized entry is penalized per gate crossed, so one trip in and back out can produce more than one fine, and notices typically reach foreign drivers months later through the rental company. Confirm current amounts on the official site.
How it's enforced
Camera-enforced at electronic gates ("porte telematiche") on every entry route. There are no barriers and no warning at the gate.
Exemptions
Residents and permit holders, plus guests whose hotel or garage has registered the plate in advance.
Where the zone is
The daytime ZTL covers the historic center in sectors A, B and O (Oltrarno). The summer night-time ZTL covers sectors A, B and O plus two further sectors, F and G, which apply only under the summer ordinance.