Poland

Last modified on 10 September, 2026

Legislative basis for CCAM testing

Poland regulates the testing of automated and fully automated vehicles under the Act of 21 November 2025 amending the Road Traffic Act and certain other statutes (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1843). Detailed operational rules and fee structures are further defined by the Regulations of the Minister of Infrastructure of 25 June 2026.

Contact Information: The primary authority responsible for overseeing and licensing testing on public roads is the National Research Coordinator (Krajowy Koordynator Prac Badawczych – KKPB), a function exercised by the Director of the Motor Transport Institute (ITS).

 

Application Requirements

Applications can be submitted in paper form or electronically (via e-Delivery) signed with a qualified, trusted, or personal electronic signature. The application and all attachments must be strictly submitted in Polish, or accompanied by a sworn translation. Mandatory editable templates (DOCX) are provided on the KKPB website.

Entities allowed to apply to the exemption: Permits are issued to organizers of research work, which include R&D entities and manufacturers. Foreign entities may apply, provided they maintain a branch in Poland or operate within a cross-border cooperation framework.

Lists of requirements: Before applying, the organizer must:

  1. Equip the vehicle with a comprehensive data recorder.
  2. Conduct a hazard analysis and risk assessment on accordance with ISO 26262.
  3. Secure Motor Third-Pary Liability (MTPL) insurance.
  4. Perform internal simulation testing and physical trials on closed test tracks prior to public road tests.
  5. Pay the required application fee.
  6. Ensure the vehicle complies with cybersecurity standards to protect against unauthorized access.

List of required documents: The application must include 10 attachments, mainly:

  1. The completed official application form
  2. The liability insurance policy and proof of premium payment.
  3. Four declarations under penalty of perjury (regarding vehicle technical requirements, conduct of simulation/closed-track trials, presence of a data recorder, and road-safety risk).
  4. ISO 26262 risk analysis.
  5. Proof of fee payment.

Responsible for the safety validation: The applicant is responsible for safety validation through the ISO 26262 risk analysis and self-declarations under penalty of perjury. The KKPB reviews the application for completeness and the adequacy of the risk analysis and safety declarations.

Average handling time for the process: Governed by the Code of Administrative Procedure, proceeding typically take one month, or up to two months in particularly complex cases.

Application fees: A progressive fee applies based on the number of voivodeships (provinces or regional administrative areas), traffic authorities, test duration, and the number and automation level of vehicles. The statutory maximums are PLN 20,000 for one voivodeship and PLN 40,000 for two to five voivodeships. If a permit is refused, 70% of the fee is refunded.

Cross-border Testing: Poland acts as the national contact point for cross-border testing and coordinates technical and safety conditions in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, which included the mutual recognition of inspection results and organizers’ declarations.

Conditions for Testing

Vehicle categories: The legislation covers “automated vehicles” and “fully automated vehicles” designed for R&D purposes. Vehicles used exclusively for R&D may not be resold and are subject to professional registration. Testing is strictly restricted to R&D purposes to evaluate automatic functions.

SAE Levels: A permit is explicitly required for vehicles with automation levels 3, 4 o 5. Testing vehicles with levels 0-2, such as adaptive cruise control, does not require a permit.

ADAS/AD systems: No specific limitations. However, the scope and functions of the systems under tests must be described in the application and reflected in the hazard analysis and risk assessment.

Geographical areas: A single permit can cover a geographic area of up to 5 voivodeships. Testing outside the defined area is punishable by a severe fine.

Permit validity: Permits are issued for a maximum period of 3 years.

Other conditions: During the permit’s validity, organizers can replace or add up to 7 vehicles without an additional fee or a new application, provided they notify the KKPB at least 7 days in advance. Organizers must also notify the start or end of testing campaigns at least 7 days in advance.

Driver Requirements

Safety driver: A physical driver must be present in the vehicle and capable of taking over control at any time. This person must hold the appropriate driving license for the vehicle category.

Remote operation with no safety driver inside or in sight of the vehicle is not permitted. The law mandated that a person with appropriate driving privileges must be located inside the vehicle during tests.

Data Requirements

Data recording: The vehicle must be equipped with an Electronic Data Recorder (EDR) that captures and stores video from the front, rear, and interior of the vehicle, as well as audio from the interior.

Data reporting: The organizer must submit a final report no later than 30 days after the conclusion of the research activities.

Public registry: The KKPB maintains a public registry of issued permits. However, organizers are not required to disclose information constituting trade secrets in their final report. Additionally, the KKPB maintains a public registry of permits and an internal registry of incident reports and submitted activity reports.

Accident reports: Every incident or accident must be reported to the KKPB immediately, accompanied by the data from the recorder, along with a description of the circumstances, time, and location.

Data retention: Records of events and accidents must be retained by the organizer for 12 months from the date of the incident.

Data incident disclosure and formats: Data regarding incidents must be shared with the KKPB during and after tests. A registry API and CSV export are available for the public permit database. Formats for sharing camera and audio recordings are to be defined by a subsequent Minister of Infrastructure regulation.

Connexion: The law requires the vehicle to possess an appropriate level of cybersecurity to protect against unauthorized access, particularly via the internet.

Infrastructure

Testing facilities: Testing is authorized on public roads within the voivodeships specified in the permit application.

Prerequisites: Organizers are legally obligated to perform internal simulation tests and physical trials on closed test tracks before applying to test on public roads.

Supportive Documents

  1. Road traffic law (CAVs’ test provisions contained in art. 65k-65n)
  2. Act of 21 November 2025 amending the Road Traffic Act
  3. ITS Motor Transport Institute