General information
General overview
The roadworthiness test is regulated under article 81 of the Polish Road Traffic Act. Roadworthiness tests are divided into periodic tests, additional tests, and tests of compliance with technical conditions. Defects found during the test are divided into three categories: minor defects, which are technical defects that do not have a significant impact on road safety and environmental protection; major defects, which are technical defects that may affect road safety and environmental protection; dangerous defects, which pose a direct and immediate threat to road safety and environmental protection such that the vehicle must not be used in road traffic. The roadworthiness certificate is a printout of the electronic record of the roadworthiness test results.
Test frequency
|
Categories of Vehicles (or description) |
First mandatory test |
Subsequent tests (frequency |
|---|---|---|
| M1, N1, motorbikes or trailers with a permissible total weight of more than 750 kg but not exceeding 3.5 tonnes | Before registration | Within three years after the date of first registration then after two years then every year |
| Taxis, N2, N3, 'SAM" vehicles, emergency vehicles, vehicles used for driving lessons and driving examinations, vehicles transporting dangerous goods and motor vehicles designed for the transport of 5-9 people | Before registration | Every year |
| Agricultural tractors, agricultural trailers and mopeds | Before registration | Within three years after the date of first registration then every two years |
| M2, M3 | Before registration | Within one year after the date of first registration then every six years |
| Vehicles of historical interest and light trailer | Before registration | None* |
*Historic vehicles used for commercial road transport are subject to a technical inspection every year.
Exemptions from pre-registration inspection:
- New vehicles for which an EC certificate of conformity, a vehicle unit approval, a decision on recognition of a vehicle unit approval or an individual EC vehicle approval certificate has been issued
- Vehicles with valid registration certificates or other documents from another EU Member State that contain information about the most recent technical inspection performed and its validity period
- Registered vehicles of a type for which an EC vehicle-type approval certificate has been issued. This exemption applies from the date of first registration abroad to the date of the periodic technical inspection, determined on the basis of specific regulations.
Excluded from these exemptions are: taxis; emergency vehicles; vehicles adapted or equipped in accordance with the regulations on the transport of dangerous goods; vehicles with an installed technical device subject to technical supervision; vehicles structurally adapted to left-hand traffic.
Responsible authorities
Roadworthiness tests are performed by authorised vehicle inspection stations. Stations are supervised by the governor (starosta) competent for the location of the station. Supervision activities can be carried out by a Director of Technical Inspection (Transportowy Dozór Techniczny) appointed by the starosta. There are two types of periodic technical inspection (PTI) station. Basic PTI stations inspect only vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. General PTI can inspect all vehicles.
Websites
https://www.gov.pl/web/infrastruktura/badania-techniczne-pojazdow (Polish)
Major changes
As of 09/10/2018, the provisions of Directive 2014/45/EU on roadworthiness tests are transposed into the Polish Road Traffic Act.
