June 2026

The penalty points system is one of the primary tools for monitoring drivers in Poland. Many people do not fully understand how points are calculated, when they lead to loss of a driving licence and what can be done to remove them. Several common beliefs on the subject are simply wrong. How the Penalty Points…

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A road traffic accident involving personal injury is a criminal offence. The driver responsible faces criminal proceedings and may simultaneously confront civil claims from those injured running to hundreds of thousands of zlotys. Since 29 January 2026, the penalties are significantly more severe – particularly where the driver was intoxicated or fled the scene. Criminal…

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Street racing is a criminal offence in Poland – not a misdemeanour. The organiser, a participating driver and anyone making preparations can face criminal liability. The consequences range from a lengthy driving disqualification to a custodial sentence of up to five years. The Legal Basis – Article 178c of the Criminal Code Article 178c of…

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Exceeding the permitted speed by more than 50 km/h in a built-up area is one of the few road traffic misdemeanours that automatically triggers a driving licence seizure procedure – regardless of whether the check was carried out by a police officer on the road or the photograph was taken by a speed camera. Drivers…

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Drivers often fail to realise that some over-the-counter medications – let alone stronger prescription drugs – can give rise to criminal liability for driving under their influence. The law does not distinguish between a substance that entered the body as an illegal drug and one taken as a prescribed medicine – what matters is its…

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Since 29 January 2026, drink driving can result not only in a driving disqualification and a financial contribution but also in the loss of the car. Article 44b of the Criminal Code introduces vehicle forfeiture as a consequence of conviction for certain road traffic offences. It is worth knowing the exact conditions for its imposition…

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Withdrawing from a vehicle purchase contract is the most far-reaching remedy available to a buyer in a defective vehicle case. It requires the right sequence of steps and the correct form. Below is a step-by-step procedure based on the judgment of the Poznań Regional Court of 20 May 2014 (case ref. XV Ca 330/14). The…

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You bought a car and it turned out to have serious defects. What can you do? The buyer’s rights depend on who the vehicle came from – a private individual or a trader. In both cases the legal protection is real, though it differs in its details. What a Physical Defect in a Vehicle Is…

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A conditional discontinuance of criminal proceedings is the only route to avoiding the mandatory three-year driving disqualification that applies to the criminal offence under Article 178a § 1 of the Criminal Code. Below are answers to the questions that arise most often. How a Conditional Discontinuance Differs from a Conviction On a conviction, the court…

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In cases involving defective vehicles, a key piece of evidence can sometimes disappear before the case reaches court. The car is seized by the police and is about to be released to a foreign owner. The seller plans to resell the vehicle or send it for scrapping. In such situations, the standard pace of civil…

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