Finding a missed-delivery notice in your mailbox—whether it is the white slip left by the mail carrier or a green card—always causes a certain amount of anxiety. One’s mind immediately jumps to potential fines, tax demands, or legal notices. However, not all registered letters bring bad news. Understanding the meaning of the registered mail codes and the CMP (Postal Mechanization Center) codes listed on the notice is the first step toward gaining clarity and facing the situation with peace of mind.
What is a delivery attempt notice, and what do the colors mean?
A “notice of attempted delivery” (or “notice of holding”) is the notification left by the postal worker when no one is home to receive a registered letter. Ignoring this notice is never a good idea, because under Italian law—specifically the rule regarding “deemed delivery” (*compiuta giacenza*)—the registered letter is considered served regardless after a certain period (usually 30 days for standard registered mail and 10 days for judicial documents).
The color of the notice is a major first clue:
- White or Yellow: Usually indicates a standard registered letter sent by private individuals, banks, companies, or public bodies for general communications.
- Green: Definitely indicates a judicial document or an administrative penalty (e.g., fines issued by the Prefect, traffic violations).
All Registered Mail Codes: The Definitive Table
The first 2, 3, or 4 digits of the barcode (or numeric code) printed on the delivery attempt notice reveal the type of shipment. Below is the complete, comprehensive, and up-to-date list of all registered mail codes , allowing you to identify the sender in advance.
Codes 05, 12, 13, 14, 15 (151, 152, 153, 1513, 1514, 1515)
These correspond to standard registered mail (or “Raccomandata 1” for urgent items). Common senders include private individuals, lawyers, banks (e.g., sending a new credit or debit card), insurance companies, or employers (e.g., a formal warning or dismissal letter). They rarely contain bad news regarding tax matters.
Codes 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 787, 788, 789
This family of codes (particularly those starting with 78) is almost always associated with communications of significant legal or tax importance. They often involve judicial documents , fines, traffic violations, or notices from the Italian Revenue Agency – Collection (Agenzia delle Entrate Riscossione) or the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate).
Codes 200, 201
Typically used for sending communications from companies (e.g., soft debt collection) or payment reminders (e.g., unpaid electricity and gas bills).
Codes 386, 388, 393, 3815
These codes almost unequivocally indicate a formal legal notice . They usually refer to fines issued by the Municipal Police or the Traffic Police. They must under no circumstances be ignored, to avoid a drastic increase in the penalties.
Codes 527, 549, 572, 573, 5276
Standard “Market” registered letters . The most likely senders are INPS (regarding pension matters, recalculations, or verifications) or the Revenue Agency (for administrative issues or minor tax audits).
Codes 608, 609
These codes identify communications from local public bodies, such as municipalities or regions (for example, regarding unpaid local taxes or administrative matters).
Codes 612, 613, 614, 615, 616, 617, 618, 619, 6194, 6195, 6197
This category covers communications of a commercial, contractual, or administrative nature from private senders . It does not include legal documents. Senders include banks, insurance companies, utility providers (electricity, telephone), debt collection agencies, and Poste Italiane itself.
Codes 620, 621, 622, 630, 6200, 62000
Commonly used for personal finance , INPS communications (e.g., outcomes of disability claims, pension recalculations), or bureaucratic notices from public administration bodies.
Codes 647, 648, 649, 650
They usually indicate communications from INPS or, in some cases, from the Revenue Agency. They may also indicate registered letters sent by banks regarding unilateral contract amendments.
Codes 664, 665, 666, 668, 669
They are part of the “Raccomandata Market” service. They may contain payment reminders or communications from insurance companies or banks regarding mortgages and loans, but in some cases, they could also involve penalties or formal reprimands from an employer. They do not necessarily signal bad news.
Codes 670, 671, 673, 674, 675, 6740, 6756
These are the most dreaded codes , as they are often associated with the * Agenzia delle Entrate Riscossione* (formerly Equitalia). They typically signal tax payment demands, reminders for unpaid taxes (such as IMU, TARI, or vehicle tax), or urgent official tax-related communications.
Codes 685, 686, 687, 688, 689
They frequently indicate a payment reminder (electricity, gas, water), INPS notifications regarding pension recalculations or family allowances, or communications from debt collection agencies. They rarely contain legal documents in the strict sense.
Codes 693, 695, 696, 697, 698, 6970, 6975, 6977, 6980, 6982
These codes are also widely dreaded, as the Revenue Agency frequently uses them for tax audits , amicable notices, or requests for clarification regarding tax returns. Sometimes, they are also used for the delivery of new identity cards or health insurance cards.
RKE code or RK registered mail
It refers to a special registered letter sent directly by the Italian Revenue Agency . These typically involve amicable notices, notifications of irregularities, or requests for documentation. It is an official, tracked notification.
CMP: Postal Mechanization Centers
You might see the acronym CMP followed by a city name on the missed delivery notice. The CMP is not the sender , but rather the Postal Mechanization Center where the registered mail was sorted. Here are the main CMPs in Italy through which your mail passes:
- Northern Italy: CMP Milano Borromeo (Peschiera Borromeo), CMP Milano Roserio, CMP Torino Romoli, CMP Genova Aeroporto, CMP Padova, CMP Venezia, CMP Verona, CMP Bologna.
- Central Italy: CMP Florence Sesto Fiorentino, CMP Ancona, CMP Rome Fiumicino.
- South and Islands: CMP Naples, CMP Bari, CMP Pescara, CMP Lamezia Terme, CMP Catania, CMP Palermo, CMP Cagliari.
Seeing “CMP Milano Borromeo” or “CMP Fiumicino” does not mean that the Revenue Agency or the Milan Police are writing to you; it simply means that the nearest (or originating) automated logistics hub has processed the letter.
Difference between “Raccomandata Market” and a Judicial Document
The “Raccomandata Market” is a delivery service used on a large scale by public bodies and major private companies to send payment reminders or formal notices (codes 64X, 66X, 68X, 69X). A ” judicial document” (*Atto Giudiziario *), on the other hand, carries strict legal weight (codes 76, 77, 78, 79, 38X); its service (delivered in a green envelope) is subject to the stricter rules of the Code of Civil Procedure, and it often concerns fines, court summons, or asset seizures.
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In Brief (TL;DR)
The codes on a registered mail delivery notice reveal the sender’s category, making it possible to determine whether the item involves tax-related communications, legal documents, bank notifications, or ordinary letters.
It is crucial to collect the communication within the holding period (30 days for standard mail, but with legal effects taking hold after 10 days for judicial documents), because the notification becomes legally effective even if not collected, through the mechanism of “deemed service” (*compiuta giacenza*).
This definitive guide provides all the tools to interpret codes, understand pickup and authorization procedures, and handle any type of registered mail without anxiety.
Conclusions
Receiving a notice of undelivered mail should not cause immediate panic, but it must never be ignored . As we have seen in this guide, many codes refer to routine administrative communications, the dispatch of new debit cards, utility payment reminders, or minor notifications.
However, even in the most sensitive cases—such as court documents (the dreaded green envelopes) or notices from the *Agenzia delle Entrate Riscossione* (tax collection agency)—pretending nothing is happening only makes the situation worse. Italian law applies the principle of “deemed delivery” (*compiuta giacenza*): after a set number of days (usually 10 for court documents and 30 for standard registered mail), the notice is considered effectively served. This triggers deadlines for payments, appeals, or penalty surcharges, regardless of whether or not you actually collected the envelope.
The ultimate advice, therefore, remains the same: go to the post office indicated on the notice as soon as possible (or schedule a new pickup online) to collect your registered letter. Only by opening the envelope will you have absolute certainty regarding its contents and be able to act accordingly with the utmost clarity and promptness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Receiving a green slip indicates the formal notification of a judicial document or an administrative penalty. These typically involve traffic fines, citations, or legal notices from the court or the prefect. It is crucial to collect this notice promptly to avoid increased penalties and to ensure the opportunity to mount a defense in the appropriate forums.
To identify the sender before collecting the item, you need to check the first digits of the barcode on the slip left by the postal worker. Starting numbers such as 05 or 12 indicate standard correspondence from private individuals or banks. Conversely, codes beginning with 78 or 670 often signal legal documents or tax demands.
Ignoring the communication does not nullify its legal effects, due to the principle of “deemed delivery” (or “completed holding period”). After thirty days for standard mail and ten days for judicial documents, the letter is considered legally delivered and known to the recipient. This course of action prevents the recipient from learning the document’s contents and makes it impossible to file any appeals within the statutory time limits.
These identification numbers are among the most dreaded by Italian taxpayers because they are used almost exclusively by the Revenue Agency’s collection division (*Agenzia delle Entrate Riscossione*). In most cases, they signal the arrival of tax bills or payment reminders for unpaid levies, such as municipal taxes or vehicle registration tax. Collecting the document immediately makes it possible to arrange an installment plan for the debt or to contest any formal errors.
The code identifies the Postal Mechanization Center—the logistics hub where mail is automatically sorted. Seeing a city name next to this code does not reveal the sender’s actual location, but rather the letter’s transit point. It serves solely to allow Poste Italiane to track the envelope’s physical route across the country.
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