Car inspection in Poland: deadlines, cost and fines

The vehicle inspection (przegląd techniczny) is Poland’s equivalent of the MOT, and every car needs one. Below you’ll find the deadlines, current prices and what happens if you drive without a valid inspection — every figure links to its source.

When a new or used car needs its inspection

For a passenger car, the deadlines are counted from the date of first registration²:

The longer intervals don’t apply to cars with a gas fuel system (instalacja gazowa, e.g. LPG or CNG), taxis, or cars used for driving lessons or the state driving test, among others. These must be inspected every year, starting from first registration².

For a car imported from abroad, the deadlines work the same way — they are counted from its first registration abroad².

How much a car inspection costs

Fees are set by a regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure, so they are the same at every vehicle inspection station (stacja kontroli pojazdów, SKP). The current rates have applied since 19 September 2025 and include VAT¹.

The fee table has no late surcharge: if you turn up after the deadline, you pay the same¹. Being late can still cost you in other ways, though — see below.

Fine for no inspection: mandat and a retained registration certificate

• Your registration certificate is retained. A police officer will retain your registration certificate (dowód rejestracyjny) if you haven’t had the inspection done by the deadline². You’ll get a receipt (pokwitowanie); the officer can use it to let you keep driving for up to 7 days, e.g. to get to the inspection². You get the certificate back after the inspection — the inspection station itself can return it².
• A fine of up to 3,000 zł or a reprimand. Driving without a valid inspection is a petty offence (wykroczenie) under the Code of Petty Offences (Kodeks wykroczeń)³. A police officer can give you an on-the-spot fine (mandat) up to this limit, or the case can go to court.

How to check when your inspection is due

You can check for free whether a car has a valid inspection using the government service Historia Pojazdu. You’ll need the registration number, the VIN and the date of first registration — all of them are on the registration certificate. It shows the dates of past inspections, when the current one expires and the odometer readings recorded at each⁴.

Simpler still, don’t rely on your memory. In Zovano you enter your inspection date once, and the app reminds you 30 days, 7 days and 1 day before it’s due. It does the same for your compulsory third-party insurance (OC) and servicing.