Check Car Access to Milan's Area C by License Plate: Step-by-Step Guide
Driving into Milan’s city center usually means entering Area C. Area C is one of Milan’s main ZTLs (Zona a Traffico Limitato), alongside Area B and the Fashion District. It covers the Cerchia dei Bastioni, the historic city center, and is designed to reduce traffic, cut emissions, and improve air quality.
Active Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 19:30 (excluding public holidays), Area C is monitored by cameras at every entrance. Access isn’t the same for all vehicles—whether you can enter for free, need to pay an entry fee, or are completely restricted depends on your car’s emission classification, fuel type, and age.
To help you figure out where your vehicle stands, the City of Milan offers an official online tool that lets you check your car’s access rights just by entering your license plate number. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how to use it—step by step.
But before you check your license plate, let’s take a quick look at the rules that determine which cars can, and can’t, enter Area C.
Vehicle Categories and What They Mean for Area C
Your car’s environmental classification, also known as its Euro emission class, determines whether you can drive into Area C freely, need to pay, or are completely forbidden from entering the zone. The Euro emission class reflects how much your vehicle pollutes, based on EU emission standards ranging from Euro 0 (most polluting) to Euro 6 (cleanest). Here’s a summary of the main access categories for Area C, based on your vehicle’s Euro emission class:
Free Access
- Electric vehicles
- Mopeds and motorbikes
- Hybrid vehicles classified as M1 with CO₂ emissions ≤ 100 g/km
These vehicles can enter Area C without paying, as part of Milan’s effort to support sustainable mobility.
Paid Access
- Most modern petrol cars (Euro 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- Diesel vehicles: Euro 6 and Euro 5 (starting October 2024 only if enrolled in the Move-In program)
- Some hybrid vehicles that do not meet the free-access emissions threshold
These vehicles can enter, but must purchase an Area C ticket and activate the ticket before midnight of the next day.
For a full breakdown of ticket costs and available options, see our guide on how much an Area C ticket costs.
Access Prohibited
- Petrol cars: Euro 0 and Euro 1
- Diesel cars: Euro 0 to Euro 4 (and Euro 5 from October 2024 unless enrolled in the Move-In program)
These cars cannot enter Area C at all. Cameras will detect unauthorized entry and issue a fine automatically.
Step-by-Step Guide: Check If Your Car Can Enter Area C by License Plate
Now that you know the rules, here’s how to use the City of Milan’s official online tool—available only in Italian—to check your car’s Area C access using your license plate number, step by step.
1. Go to the Official Area C Vehicle Class Checker
Open this page in your browser: https://areac.atm-mi.it/Areac/iweb/CercaClasse.aspx
2. Enter Your License Plate Number
In the box next to the sentence “(inserire la targa senza spazi e premere il pulsante RICERCA),” which means "insert the license plate without spaces and press the SEARCH button", type your full license plate number (no spaces).
Example (Italian car plate): FZ535CS
3. Select the Country of Registration
Use the dropdown menu in the box next to the license plate number box, labeled “Nazionalità del veicolo,” to choose the country where the vehicle is registered.
- Italy: I - REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
- Germany: D - REPUBBLICA FEDERALE DI GERMANIA
- France: F - REPUBBLICA FRANCESE
- Switzerland: CH - SVIZZERA
You can scroll through a full list of countries.
4. Click on RICERCA
This means "Search." Once clicked, the tool will highlight one of the following access categories:
Accesso Gratuito (Free Access)
Your vehicle can enter Area C without a ticket.
OR “Accesso gratuito veicolo dotato di alimentazione elettrica, ibrida (solo M1 con campo V.7 minore o uguale 100 g/km), motoveicoli e ciclomotori” which means: Free access for vehicles equipped with electric, hybrid (only M1 with V.7 field less than or equal to 100 g/km), motorcycles and mopeds.
Accesso a Pagamento (Paid Access)
You must buy and activate a ticket to enter.
Accesso Vietato (Access Prohibited)
Your vehicle is not allowed to enter Area C at any time.
5. License Plate Number is Not Recognized?
If you see a red warning that says no match was found for your license plate (Siamo spiacenti ma non è stata trovata corrispondenza tra le categorie Area C per il veicolo indicato...), it means the system couldn’t detect your plate or determine your vehicle’s emission category.
In this case:
- Double-check that the license plate is correct and entered with no spaces or extra characters.
- Make sure you selected the correct country.
- If the issue persists, contact the call center at 02 48684001
Final Tips
- Always check your vehicle status before entering Area C. Fines for unauthorized access are automatic and enforced by cameras.
- If you have paid access, you must activate the ticket online or by SMS before midnight the next day.
- If your car is prohibited, consider parking outside the zone and using Milan’s public transport, such as the metro, trams, or buses, or park-and-ride facilities to reach the center.
- Remember: staying informed is the best way to enjoy Milan responsibly and avoid unnecessary fines.