Florence ZTL: how the limited traffic zone works

Florence’s historic centre is a Limited Traffic Zone (ZTL): when it is active, you cannot drive in without authorisation. The gates are cameras that read number plates, and every unauthorised passage can be fined: if you drive in and out twice, you risk two fines. Here is how the Florence ZTL works and how to plan if you arrive by car.

When is the Florence ZTL active?

The daytime ZTL covers sectors A, B and O (historic centre, the area inside the ring roads, Oltrarno):

• Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 8pm;
• Saturday, 7:30am to 4pm;
• Sundays and public holidays it is normally off, unless a special ordinance says otherwise.

In summer, roughly from the first Thursday of April to the first Sunday of October, there is also a night ZTL: Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11pm to 3am. It also includes sectors F (San Niccolò) and G (lungarno della Zecca Vecchia).

Hours and dates are confirmed every year by a City ordinance: check the Comune di Firenze website before you travel.

How do you recognise the gates?

Every gate has an electronic sign at the entrance. Green (“varco non attivo”): you can drive through. Red (“varco attivo”): if you are not authorised, do not enter. Your sat-nav does not always know: follow the signs, not just the map.

What if your hotel is inside the ZTL?

This is the most common case, and the most misunderstood. Many accommodations in the centre can register your plate with the system that manages permits, so your passage counts as authorised. But:

• not all of them do: some B&Bs and apartments do not offer it;
• give your plate as soon as you arrive: the accommodation passes it to the Municipal Police, and it only covers the shortest route in and out;
• it is usually meant for reaching the accommodation and unloading luggage; then the car must go to a garage.

Our advice: write to your accommodation before you leave and ask whether they register plates, by when you must tell them, and where they suggest you park. Read our guide to driving to a hotel inside the ZTL →

What if you park in a garage inside the ZTL?

Garages inside the zone can also register your plate, so the drive to reach them does not trigger fines. Here too: ask the garage how it works before you drive in, not after.

What about the Scudo Verde?

Since 1 July 2025 Florence also has the Scudo Verde (Green Shield), a wider area with restrictions on the most polluting vehicles, active every day. It is a separate system from the ZTL: complying with one does not authorise you for the other. New bans for some older cars are planned from 1 December 2026. If your car is recent, it usually does not affect you. If it is old, check the City website.

In short

• Outside the hours (weekday evenings, Saturday afternoon, Sunday) you can drive in freely, except during the summer night ZTL.
• During the hours, you can only enter if someone (a hotel or garage) registers your plate.
• If in doubt, park outside the ring roads and reach the centre on foot or by public transport.

Frequently asked questions

With Paarkii you will be able to book a partner garage in central Florence before you arrive, and your pass will tell you how to reach it. Notify me when booking opens →

Read also: driving to your hotel inside the ZTL, ZTL fines with a rental car.

Rules can change: always check hours and ordinances on the Comune di Firenze website before driving into the centre.

Sources: Comune di Firenze – Limited traffic zones (ZTL) · Feel Florence (City of Florence) – Car and ZTL · City of Florence – Official ZTL map (PDF)