Modena 2026: Two Rules, and Winter Is the Euro One
LEZ · Italy · Active since 2020
Source: official source · Verified: 2026-09-19
Two rules, not one. The historic-centre ZTL needs a permit 24 hours a day. From 1 October to 31 March a wider ban also stops diesel up to Euro 4 and petrol up to Euro 2, 08:30 to 18:30.
Locally the zone is called LEZ Modena (Italy) — that is the wording on the boundary signs, on the official portal and on any penalty notice, so it is the phrase to search for once you are there.
Next
- Check your own car against Modena — enter your fuel and Euro class, get a yes or no in one step.
- Reggio Emilia has a zone too — the nearest one to Modena, and the rules are not identical.
- Where to park outside the ZTL in Modena — which car parks stay outside the camera-enforced zone, and the walk from each into the centre.
- If a fine arrives after you get home — who pays on a hire car, and what is actually enforceable across borders.
Practical answers for Modena
- When is the Modena zone active?
- ZTL: cameras active 24 hours a day at 13 entry points. Anti-smog circulation limits: 1 October to 31 March, 08:30-18:30 Monday to Friday and every Sunday; Saturdays suspended unless emergency measures are active.
- How much does it cost to drive into Modena?
- N/A · No sticker required - camera enforced Get it wrong and the penalty is ZTL entry without authorisation: EUR 83-332 (Art. 7 comma 14). Circulating below the prescribed emission class: EUR 168-678 (Art. 7 comma 13-bis) with 15-30 day licence suspension on repetition within two years..
- Do I need to register or buy anything first?
- Entry is controlled by permit or residency, not by your engine’s emission class — a brand-new car still needs authorisation.
- Who is exempt in Modena?
- Electric vehicles, Residents with permit, Disabled badge holders, Emergency vehicles and Public transport. Exemptions are usually not automatic — most require registering your number plate in advance.
Modena LEZ Map
The shaded area is the zone boundary as mapped in OpenStreetMap — zoom in to see which streets fall inside, and confirm the signs at the edge on arrival.
Requirements
Who pays in a hire car, whether insurance covers it, and how to appeal.
Can My Vehicle Enter Modena?
Select your fuel type and Euro emission class to check instantly.
Exemptions
Driving Guide: Italy
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Modena stacks two rules on top of each other and they work on opposite principles. The ZTL covers the historic centre 24 hours a day and asks a single question: is your plate authorised. The Liberiamolaria ordinance covers the whole centro abitato from 1 October to 31 March and asks a different one: what is your Euro class. Between 08:30 and 18:30, Monday to Friday and every Sunday, petrol up to Euro 2 and diesel up to Euro 4 may not circulate there, permit or no permit (comune.modena.it).
Your case: If your trip falls between April and September, only the ZTL matters and your engine is irrelevant. From October the order reverses — check the Euro class first, because it governs a far larger area than the centre.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| ZTL area | Historic centre, 13 camera-controlled entry points |
| ZTL hours | Cameras run 24 hours a day, every day |
| ZTL entry | Authorised plates only; bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, two-front-wheel L5e and public-service vehicles need no authorisation |
| Winter ban area | The whole centro abitato defined by the ordinance |
| Winter ban period | 1 October to 31 March |
| Winter ban hours | 08:30-18:30, Monday to Friday and every Sunday; Saturdays suspended |
| Banned petrol | Euro 0, 1 and 2 |
| Banned diesel | Euro 0 to Euro 4, even with a particulate filter; Euro 5 as well on Sundays |
| Always allowed | Electric and hybrid cars, electric mopeds and motorcycles, car-pooling with 3 people aboard, special-purpose vehicles under Art. 54 CdS |
| ZTL fine | EUR 83-332, Art. 7 comma 14 Codice della Strada |
| Emission-class fine | EUR 168-678, Art. 7 comma 13-bis |
| Sticker | None — nothing to buy |
Can your car enter Modena?
Enter your vehicle's fuel + Euro class → instant verdict for Modena (ZTL). Fine if wrong: ZTL entry without authorisation: EUR 83-332 (Art. 7 comma 14). Circulating below the prescribed emission class: EUR 168-678 (Art. 7 comma 13-bis) with 15-30 day licence suspension on repetition within two years..
The ZTL: a Permit Question
Modena’s historic centre is watched by cameras at thirteen entry points — Largo Porta Bologna, Vicolo del Cane, Via Saragozza, Via Selmi, Corso Canalchiaro, Largo Porta Sant’Agostino, Via Ganaceto at Corso Cavour, Via III Febbraio, Corso Accademia Militare, Via Mascherella, Corso Canalgrande at San Giovanni del Cantone, Via Emilia Centro between Vicolo Squallore and Via Torre, and Corso Duomo. The comune states they are “attive 24 ore su 24”, reading every plate in and out and checking it against the authorised list (comune.modena.it).
Four categories need no authorisation at all: bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles, L5e motor tricycles with two wheels on the front axle, and vehicles in public-interest service such as buses, ambulances, police and fire. Everyone else registers, through the comune or through the hotel.
The Winter Rule: a Euro Question
This is the one visitors miss, because it has nothing to do with the centre’s gates. From 1 October to 31 March, inside the perimeter of the centro abitato mapped by the ordinance, these vehicles may not circulate between 08:30 and 18:30 on weekdays and on Sundays:
- petrol Euro 0, Euro 1 and Euro 2
- LPG/petrol and methane/petrol Euro 0, 1 and 2
- diesel Euro 0, 1, 2, 3 and Euro 4, “anche se dotati di filtro antiparticolato”
- mopeds and motorcycles Euro 0, 1 and 2
And a line worth reading twice: “la domenica il divieto di circolazione è esteso anche ai veicoli diesel Euro 5”. Saturdays are suspended unless emergency measures are running. Electric and hybrid cars, electric two-wheelers, cars carrying at least three people, and special-purpose vehicles under Art. 54 of the Codice della Strada always circulate.
What the Two Offences Cost
They are different articles with different figures. Entering a limited-traffic zone without authorisation falls under Art. 7 comma 14, second period: “da € 83 a € 332”. Circulating with a vehicle whose emission category is below the one prescribed is comma 13-bis: “da € 168 a € 678”, with a fifteen- to thirty-day licence suspension if it happens twice within two years (Normattiva). Art. 202 lets you pay the minimum reduced by 30% within five days.
Driving in Modena — Quick Reference
| City centre | Metered parking available in centre |
| Park & Ride | P+R facilities at public transport hubs; roads leading to the exchange car parks stay open in both directions even during the winter ban |
Tip: Check local parking apps for real-time availability and payment options in Modena
| Service | Number |
|---|---|
| General emergency | 112 |
| Police | 113 |
| Ambulance | 118 |
| Fire | 115 |
Recent changes to this page
- Restored the half of Modena this page was missing. It stated that Euro class makes no difference in Modena; the comune's Liberiamolaria ordinance bans petrol up to Euro 2 and diesel up to Euro 4 across the built-up area from 1 October to 31 March, 08:30-18:30 Monday to Friday and every Sunday, adding diesel Euro 5 on Sundays. The ZTL fine was also corrected from 'approx. EUR 83' to the statutory EUR 83-332 of Art. 7 comma 14, with the separate EUR 168-678 penalty of comma 13-bis for an emission-class breach.
- Aligned every fine figure on the page with TyreMap zone data, which records approx. EUR 83 under Art. 7 of the Codice della Strada and marks the EUR 163 we published as unconfirmed - the key-facts table, FAQ, 2026 note and body still said EUR 163 while the opening answer said EUR 83. Retitled around the map readers search for.
- Title, description and introduction rewritten from this page's own data (no shared template wording).
- Corrected zone type: Modena's ZTL is permit/residency-based, not an Euro-emission restriction. Removed erroneous Euro 3/Euro 4 requirements.
- Confirmed permit-based access and EUR 163 fine; 2026 ruleset unchanged.
- Updated enforcement procedure notes after seasonal review cycle.
Part of the TyreMap Emission-Zone Dataset — 596 verified European emission zones, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ZTL itself is not: entry to the historic centre turns on a permit, checked by camera around the clock. But a second, wider rule does use Euro classes. From 1 October to 31 March the comune bans the dirtiest vehicles across the built-up area, and that one ignores permits.
Petrol Euro 0, 1 and 2; diesel Euro 0 to Euro 4 inclusive, even with a particulate filter; LPG and methane bi-fuel Euro 0 to 2; mopeds and motorcycles Euro 0 to 2. On Sundays diesel Euro 5 is added. Hours are 08:30 to 18:30, Monday to Friday and every Sunday.
Entering the ZTL without authorisation falls under Art. 7 comma 14 of the Codice della Strada: EUR 83 to EUR 332. Driving a vehicle below the prescribed emission class is a different offence, comma 13-bis, at EUR 168 to EUR 678 with licence suspension if repeated within two years.