Since July 2026, the Italy Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has disabled 144 speed cameras across Lombardy following the enforcement of nationwide certification rules that took effect on 12 July. The reform leaves 413 devices operational out of 557 originally deployed—the first comprehensive overhaul of automated speed enforcement in over three decades. The change directly affects how you navigate the region's highways, what fines you may contest, and how municipalities fund road safety budgets.
Why This Matters
• Financial impact: Milan alone saw speed camera revenues plummet 35% in 2025, dropping from €10.6M to €6.9M as legal uncertainty mounted before the reform took full effect.
• Legal clarity: Fines issued by non-certified devices between 2024–2026 remain contestable in court, offering a potential avenue for refunds.
• Nationwide scope: Approximately 850 speed cameras have been shut down across Italy, with 3,150 remaining active under the new rules.
The Technical Overhaul Behind the Shutdown
For over 30 years, Italy's Highway Code required "duly certified" speed detection equipment, yet most municipalities relied on devices that carried only ministerial "approval" rather than formal certification. This semantic gap—between approvazione and omologazione—spawned thousands of court challenges, particularly after Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation ruled in 2024 and 2025 that fines from merely "approved" devices lacked legal standing.
The 8 June 2026 decree, published in the official gazette on 11 July and effective the following day, mandates that all speed cameras pass prototype certification by the ministry and meet strict performance benchmarks:
• 90% vehicle detection accuracy under varied traffic conditions.
• 95% correct pairing between vehicle and recorded speed.
• 95% image capture and license plate recognition rates.
Devices failing periodic calibration or verification checks must be taken offline until compliance is restored. Independent accredited laboratories now conduct conformity audits throughout the production lifecycle, targeting both new units and legacy equipment installed before June 2017—the latter group accounting for most of Lombardy's 144 deactivations.
What This Means for Lombardy Drivers
The reform introduces geographic constraints designed to prevent "revenue traps." Speed cameras may only be placed on roads with documented accident rates justifying enforcement, and require prefectural authorization before installation. Minimum spacing rules now prohibit clusters of devices along the same corridor. Cameras cannot operate on urban roads with limits below 50 km/h, nor on rural routes where posted speeds drop more than 20 km/h below the standard for that road class. Outside built-up areas, warning signs must appear at least 1 km before the camera.
Lombardy's Metropolitan Milan area has already deployed certified devices along the SP ex-SS 415 Paullese and SP 14 Rivoltana corridors as part of a pilot program aligning with the new framework. Municipalities now face a choice: invest in certified equipment meeting the ministry's technical specifications, or abandon automated enforcement where accident data cannot justify continued operation.
The ministry has not yet published a complete list of deactivated camera locations by municipality. Residents should check with their local police (polizia locale) or municipal websites for updates on which specific routes in their area have had cameras removed.
Revenue Collapse Pressures Municipal Budgets
The Italy National Consumers Association (Codacons) reported that the 20 largest Italian cities collected €56.5M from speed cameras in 2025, down 8.9% from €62.1M in 2024. The decline accelerated in early 2026 as drivers increasingly contested tickets and local authorities preemptively suspended non-compliant devices.
Lombardy felt the squeeze acutely. While the region as a whole generated over €120M from all speed-enforcement systems in 2025—including fixed cameras, mobile radar, and motorway monitoring—Milan's dedicated camera haul shrank by more than a third. Smaller provincial capitals like Varese, Cremona, Bergamo, and Como posted even steeper percentage drops, with some generating less than €500,000 annually from automated enforcement.
Highway Code regulations earmark speed-camera revenue for road safety improvements, maintenance, and public transport. The sharp contraction forces councils to either absorb shortfalls or redirect general funds, complicating infrastructure planning at a time when Lombardy is expanding cycling lanes, pedestrian zones, and school-zone protections.
Nationwide Implementation and Regional Variations
Contrary to early media framing, Lombardy did not pioneer a regional experiment—the reform applies uniformly across all 20 Italian regions. Emilia-Romagna and Veneto are undertaking similar audits, with preliminary tallies suggesting comparable rates of non-compliance. The Italy Ministry of Infrastructure emphasized that the decree eliminates patchwork local interpretations, ensuring drivers face consistent rules whether crossing the Po Valley or the Apennines.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini framed the overhaul as a dual mandate: uphold road safety through transparent enforcement while preventing municipalities from treating fines as a "non-transparent cash machine at citizens' expense." The ministry's statement underscored that after 34 years of regulatory chaos, uniform criteria now govern all devices nationwide.
Legal Recourse and Pending Cases
Motorists who paid fines issued by devices lacking formal certification between 2024 and mid-2026 may challenge those penalties in magistrate's court, citing the Cassation rulings and the ministry's implicit acknowledgment that only 74% of Lombardy's cameras met legal standards. Consumer advocacy groups recommend drivers review ticket metadata—particularly the device serial number and certification reference—and file claims within the statute of limitations, typically 90 days from notification.
What You Should Do If You Received a Fine:
• Check your ticket for the device serial number and certification reference
• Visit your municipality's website to verify if that specific camera was among the 144 deactivated
• File a claim within 90 days of notification (standard statute of limitations)
• Consumer groups like Codacons can provide template appeals and legal guidance
Legal analysts caution that success rates vary by jurisdiction and the specific grounds cited. Tickets issued after 12 July 2026 by devices still operating are presumed valid unless plaintiffs can demonstrate calibration lapses or procedural errors. The backlog of pending cases could take months to resolve, but the Supreme Court's precedent offers a strong foundation for well-documented appeals.
Summer Travel Window and Infrastructure Coordination
In parallel, the Italy National Roads Authority (ANAS) announced it will suspend or close 1,175 construction sites—83% of active projects—from 24 July through 7 September to ease holiday travel. The agency will deploy 2,500 personnel for round-the-clock traffic monitoring and roadside assistance along high-volume corridors, many of which traverse Lombardy en route to Alpine resorts and Mediterranean beaches.
Salvini endorsed the initiative as part of a broader safety campaign titled "Guida e Basta" (Just Drive), developed with ANAS and the Italy State Police to combat distracted driving. The ministry emphasized that while speed enforcement becomes more selective under the new rules, other traffic violations—including mobile phone use and tailgating—remain priority targets during the summer surge.
Long-Term Implications for Road Safety Policy
The reform's success hinges on whether accident rates decline in areas where cameras remain operational, and whether municipalities reallocate enforcement resources effectively. Early data from pilot zones suggest that clearly signposted, strategically placed cameras on high-risk stretches deliver measurable safety gains without generating widespread motorist backlash.
Critics argue that shutting down 26% of Lombardy's cameras could embolden speeding on secondary roads, particularly during off-peak hours when police patrols are sparse. Proponents counter that the previous system's legal fragility undermined deterrence, as drivers learned tickets could be easily overturned. By establishing a defensible certification standard, the ministry aims to restore credibility to automated enforcement and ensure fines withstand judicial scrutiny.
Lombardy's provincial road agencies must now decide whether to invest in new certified devices or rely more heavily on mobile radar units and increased police presence. Budget constraints and the multi-year procurement timelines for certified equipment mean the current 413-unit network will likely remain static through 2027, even as traffic volumes continue rising.
