In Poland, there are plans to change the rules under which drivers are held accountable for violations recorded by speed cameras and other automatic devices. If the bill is passed, the strategy of «not receiving letters from GITD and not responding» will no longer help avoid consequences. In some cases, the vehicle owner will have to pay an administrative fee, which can amount to as much as 7500 zlotys.
The discussion is not yet about the rules that have come into force. The Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland sent a draft of changes for public consultation on August 7, 2026. Therefore, specific provisions may still change.
Why Poland is changing the penalty system for cameras
Today, after the violation recorded by the camera, GITD must establish the circumstances of the case and identify the person who was behind the wheel. In practice, some cases end without punishment: the car owner does not respond to correspondence, it is impossible to identify the driver, or the specified person does not confirm that they were driving the car
To właśnie ten problem chce rozwiązać Ministerstwo Infrastruktury przy pomocy nowej procedury
At the same time, this does not mean that every car owner will automatically be considered guilty of an offense. If the driver can be identified, the case may still end with a regular fine and the imposition of penalty points.
The main change concerns situations when a person does not respond to the GITD notification.
What will happen if you do not respond to the GITD letter
Instead of the current requirement to specify to whom the vehicle was transferred, GITD will be able to send the owner or registered user a notification of the recorded violation.
The document will outline the circumstances of the violation and options for further action
The car owner will have the opportunity:
- to agree to the fine;
- refuse to accept it;
- provide information about the actual driver;
- to prove the existence of circumstances provided for by law that exempt from liability
The response period will be 30 days from the date of receiving the notification.
If a person does nothing, an obligation to pay an administrative fee will automatically arise under the project.
This is where the main difference of the new system lies: silence will no longer be a way to delay or terminate a case.
How much you will have to pay for ignoring the notification
The amount of the administrative fee will depend on the specific violation
For speeding, the project provides amounts from 1500 to 7500 zł. The greater the excess, the higher the payment.
Separate amounts are provided for other violations
| Violation | Administrative Fee |
|---|---|
| Speeding up to 30 km/h | 1500 zł |
| Speeding by more than 71 km/h | up to 7500 zł |
| Running a red light | 3000 zł |
| Violation at a railway crossing | 6000 zł |
To odnosi się konkretnie do opłaty administracyjnej w sytuacji, gdy działania przewidziane w projekcie nie zostały zrealizowane. Jeśli kierowca zostanie zidentyfikowany, a sprawa jest badana w zwykły sposób, stosuje się standardową procedurę w przypadku wykroczeń.
Why the amount is much higher than the usual fine
There is an important detail here that is easy to overlook in the headlines
Nowa opłata nie powinna stać się tylko "nowym mandatem za przekroczenie prędkości." Ustawa proponuje wykorzystanie jej jako alternatywnego mechanizmu w przypadkach, gdy sprawa nie może być właściwie rozwiązana z powodu braku działania właściciela lub użytkownika pojazdu.
In the event of an administrative payment, a person does not simultaneously receive a regular fine for the same violation and penalty points under this procedure. That is why the developers propose to set a higher amount.
Can you prove that you are not guilty
Tak. Ustawa przewiduje sytuacje, w których właściciel lub użytkownik pojazdu może uniknąć opłaty administracyjnej.
W szczególności będzie można przedstawić dokumenty potwierdzające, że:
- the car no longer belonged to the person at the time of the violation
- the car was stolen before the camera recorded the violation
- at the time of the violation, there was a case of extreme necessity
That is, receiving a letter from GITD does not automatically mean an obligation to pay. But the notification cannot be ignored either, if a person wants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by law.
What will change for cars with foreign license plates
A separate block of the reform concerns vehicles registered outside of Poland
The authorities want to create a Central Register of Violations (CRN), which will include information about violations committed by vehicles with foreign registration.
Information from such a register can be checked during road control by the police, ITD, border guard, and tax and customs service
To jest szczególnie ważne dla kierowców, którzy regularnie przekraczają polską granicę.
If during the inspection it turns out that there are outstanding payments or fines associated with the vehicle, the project allows for the possibility of requiring their payment.
If payment is refused, the car may be sent to a secured parking lot in certain cases. During border control, there is also the possibility of not allowing the vehicle to cross the border until the debt is settled
Nowe obowiązki zostaną wprowadzone dla firm leasingowych
The changes will also affect cars used under long-term rental or leasing agreements
Companies providing vehicles for more than 30 days will be required to submit the vehicle user’s data to the Central Vehicle Database.
The information transfer after the contract is concluded will be provided for 30 days. If the user changes or the contract ends, the data must be updated within 14 days.
For drivers, this means that identifying the vehicle user in case of a violation will become easier
Cameras will account for measurement errors
The project concerns not only the procedure for sending fines
It is proposed to establish in the law the rules for accounting for the measurement error of devices that record speed
They plan to deduct from the camera’s footage:
- 5 km/h — on regular roads;
- 6 km/h — on motorways and expressways.
At the same time, the device will register an infringement if the difference between the measured speed and the allowed speed exceeds 10 km/h
What this means for drivers in Poland
In practice, the main change is quite simple: upon receiving a letter from GITD, it cannot be safely ignored.
If the driver was indeed behind the wheel, they will be able to choose the procedure provided by law. If the car was with another person at the time of the violation, it is important to provide the relevant information. If the car was sold, stolen, or there were other legally stipulated circumstances, this will also need to be confirmed.
However, the lack of response may lead to significantly higher financial liability
At the same time, the new rules are not yet in effect. The bill is currently in the consultation stage, so the final deadlines for the changes to come into force and the wording of specific provisions may still change. For violations recorded before the law comes into effect, the draft separately provides for the application of the previous rules.
What to remember
A letter from GITD should not be ignored. If the proposed changes are accepted, the owner or user of the vehicle will have a limited time to respond to the notification. Otherwise, an administrative fee may arise, which depending on the violation will range from 1500 to 7500 zł.
Therefore, for drivers in Poland, the most important rule will remain simple: if an official notification of a violation has arrived, it is better to address it within the specified time rather than hoping that the problem will disappear on its own
