Police organisation
Arma dei Carabinieri
An armed force of the Italian state in permanent public-security service: a gendarmerie answering to the Minister of Defence as a military service and to the Minister of the Interior as a police force.
At a glance
- Official name
- Arma dei Carabinieri
- System
- Italy
- Level of government
- National
- Kind of body
- Gendarmerie-type force
- Status
- Currently operating
- Official website
- https://www.carabinieri.it/ — confirmed against the organisation’s own pages on 13 September 2026.
- Facts last checked against sources
- 13 September 2026
What it is
Legislative Decree 66/2010 gives the Arma a dual status — "Forza armata" and a police force "in servizio permanente di pubblica sicurezza" — and Law 121/1981 lists it among Italy’s police forces in exactly those terms. The dual dependence follows: as an armed force it depends on the Minister of Defence through the Chief of the Defence Staff, and functionally on the Minister of the Interior for public order and security. Several specialised commands additionally depend functionally on other ministers for the protection of particular public interests.
What it covers
National, with a territorial organisation. Its own account names territorial control, public-order services and the protection of collective interests.
Broad responsibilities
- Territorial control and public-order services
- Judicial-police functions, under the authority of the judiciary
- Defence of the state and international peace and security operations
- Civil-protection duties during public emergencies
- Protection of collective interests through specialised commands
Who it answers to
As an armed force, on the Minister of Defence through the Chief of the Defence Staff; functionally, as a police force, on the Minister of the Interior.
Elsewhere on this site
- Who polices what — how Italy is structured, against other systems
Other organisations to compare
- Polizia di Stato — Italy
- Corpo della guardia di finanza — Italy
- Gendarmerie nationale — France
- Guardia Civil — Spain
Where this connects
Institutions: Gendarmerie.
Sources
Compiti, funzioni e dipendenze — Arma dei Carabinieri
Arma dei Carabinieri · Institutional (self-description) · link verified 2026-09-13
SCOPE: the Arma dei Carabinieri only. The Arma’s own page, read directly. Supports its dual status under Decreto legislativo 66/2010 as a "Forza armata" and as a police force "in servizio permanente di pubblica sicurezza"; that as an armed force it depends "tramite il Capo di Stato Maggiore della Difesa, dal Ministro della Difesa", and functionally on the Minister of the Interior "quale Forza di polizia" for public order and security; and its stated functions including "controllo del territorio, ai servizi di ordine pubblico, alla tutela degli interessi diffusi" and judicial-police functions under the judicial authority. Does NOT support operational method of any kind.
Law No. 121 of 1 April 1981 (new organisation of the public-security administration)
Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri — Ufficio Studi (official government text) · Legislation · 1981-04-01 · link verified 2026-07-26
The official government text of Law 121/1981, fetched as a PDF and text-extracted, verified verbatim in both passes. Art. 16 lists the police forces: the Polizia di Stato plus "a) l'Arma dei carabinieri, quale forza armata in servizio permanente di pubblica sicurezza; b) il Corpo della guardia di finanza", and (Art. 16(2)) the custodial and forestry corps. Art. 17 provides that judicial-police functions "sono svolte alla dipendenza e sotto la direzione dell'autorità giudiziaria" (are carried out under the dependence and direction of the judicial authority). Establishes the multiple national police forces and that criminal investigation is directed by the prosecuting magistracy.