Drink driving in Poland: 0.2 and 0.5 per mille, fines and bans
Short answer: In Poland, 0.2 to 0.5 per mille is a misdemeanour (fine from PLN 2,500, ban of 6 months or more, 15 points). Above 0.5 per mille is a crime with a ban of 3 years or more and possible car forfeiture.
Polish rules on drinking and driving are strict, and the lowest threshold is easy to cross: 0.2 per mille. This guide sets out the two legal states Polish police describe, the penalties they quote as of October 2026, and the points where the official sources disagree. It is information, not legal advice.
Two states, two kinds of liability
Police pages from Pomorska (25 March 2025) and Lesko (8 May 2026) describe the same split:
- State after alcohol use: 0.2 to 0.5 per mille of alcohol in the blood. Driving in this state is a misdemeanour (wykroczenie).
- State of intoxication: above 0.5 per mille. Driving in this state is a crime (przestępstwo).
The Łódź city police page, which is undated, gives the same limits in breath terms: for the state after alcohol use, 0.1 mg to 0.25 mg of alcohol in 1 dm3 of exhaled air; for intoxication, above 0.25 mg. It also explains that the Criminal Code counts a person as intoxicated if the alcohol they drank leads to a concentration above the limit once it is fully absorbed, which matters if you drink right before you drive.
The Your Europe in Poland page lists a limit of 0.2 for every category of driver, with the units shown as mg/ml. The police pages give 0.2 per mille. Use the police figure, since 0.2 mg/ml would be a different quantity.
Penalties for the misdemeanour (0.2 to 0.5 per mille)
Under Article 87 of the Code of Petty Offences, the Pomorska police page says:
- a fine of at least PLN 2,500, up to PLN 30,000, or detention of up to 30 days;
- a driving ban of 6 months to 3 years;
- 15 penalty points.
The Lesko police page gives a similar picture: a fine from PLN 2,500 up to PLN 30,000, a ban of at least 6 months and 15 penalty points. The Łódź page quotes Article 87 as arrest or a fine of not less than PLN 2,500.
Penalties for the crime (above 0.5 per mille)
The two police pages quote this set:
- a fine, restriction of liberty or imprisonment of up to 2 years;
- a driving ban of 3 years or more (Pomorska: 3 to 15 years);
- a mandatory payment to the Victims Assistance Fund of at least PLN 5,000 (Pomorska: PLN 5,000 to PLN 60,000);
- 15 penalty points (Pomorska).
There is a conflict on the prison term. The Łódź page quotes Article 178a of the Criminal Code with a maximum of 3 years, and a legal text site, Standardy Prawa (a secondary source), shows the same figure of up to 3 years, and 3 months to 5 years for repeat offenders. The two police pages say up to 2 years. The reform of the Criminal Code that raised penalties for drunk drivers took effect on 1 October 2023, according to a Ministry of Justice news item from 2 June 2023, so the older figure looks outdated. Check the current text of Article 178a before relying on either number.
Losing the car
The Lesko police page says confiscation of the car is possible when:
- the driver had more than 1.5 per mille;
- the driver was earlier convicted by a final judgment for drunk driving;
- the driver caused an accident while intoxicated or under drugs;
- the driver caused an accident and fled.
The Łódź page, quoting the Criminal Code, says the court orders forfeiture in cases of the crime unless the alcohol content was below 1.5 per mille in blood or 0.75 mg per dm3 of breath, and it may skip forfeiture in exceptional cases. The Ministry of Justice item from 2023 describes the rule as police seizing the car for up to 7 days, followed by a prosecutor's security order and a court forfeiture. It also says that if the car is leased or co-owned, the court can order payment of the vehicle's value instead.
The sources differ on details such as the repeat-offender threshold, so treat the summary above as the outline and not as a prediction of any case.
What about foreign drivers?
The sources reviewed do not address foreign licence holders separately. The penalty points and bans are described for drivers in general. If you drive on a foreign licence, ask a lawyer how a ban or points would apply.
Practical advice
- The Pomorska police page stresses that any amount of alcohol reduces concentration and slows reactions.
- The police pages use the rule "if you drink, don't drive" and apply it to drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists.
- If you are stopped, you will be tested. The Lesko page reports a morning operation in which 608 drivers were tested, and two were found at 0.29 and 0.23 per mille, both misdemeanours.
* Photos: Expressway S7 and the A2 motorway near Łukowisko, Wikimedia Commons (public domain and CC0). Illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
What is the drink-driving limit in Poland?
Police pages say 0.2 per mille of alcohol in the blood is the threshold for the state after alcohol use. Above 0.5 per mille it becomes intoxication and a crime.
What is the fine for driving after one beer?
That depends on your blood alcohol, not the beer. From 0.2 to 0.5 per mille the Pomorska and Lesko police quote a fine of at least PLN 2,500, a ban of at least 6 months and 15 penalty points.
Can I lose my car?
Yes, in some cases. The Lesko police page lists more than 1.5 per mille, a previous drunk-driving conviction, or causing an accident while intoxicated.
Do the rules apply to cyclists?
The Lesko police page applies the "don't drive after drinking" message to cyclists as well, but it does not give a separate penalty table for them.
