Parking Fee Notice in Poland: How to Contest It in 7 Days
Short answer: A parking notice in a Polish paid zone is a public levy, not a fine. In Warsaw you can complain within 7 days and pay 200 zl instead of 300 zl within 14 days.
A yellow notice under your windscreen in a Polish paid parking zone is not a traffic fine. It is an additional fee (opłata dodatkowa) charged by the city roads authority, and you can contest it. This guide uses the Warsaw Roads Authority (ZDM) pages as a worked example, together with the national rules they cite. Other cities set their own amounts and deadlines, so read the notice itself. The ZDM page on legal aspects is dated 22 February 2022 and the complaints page cites a 2026 edition of the Warsaw council resolution.
What the notice is
According to ZDM, article 13f of the Act on Public Roads says that when the parking fee is not paid, an additional fee is charged to the road user, and the duty arises by law without a separate decision. ZDM says both the parking fee and the additional fee are public levies and that the additional fee is not a fine for a misdemeanour.
In Warsaw the fee is 300 zloty, according to the council resolution quoted by ZDM. If it is paid within 14 days of the notice or of the payment request, it is 200 zloty. Other cities have different sums, so check your local resolution.
Who has to pay: the owner or the driver
ZDM cites a court ruling (WSA Szczecin, 25 March 2009) that the owner of the vehicle is presumed to be the driver. If someone else drove, the owner should name that person with name, address and the period of use. According to ZDM, the owner can be released from the fee this way. Without that, the owner is liable.
If you sold the car before the date of the fee, send ZDM a copy of the document proving the sale, with the note of the transport office about the notification of sale. ZDM also points to the 30 day duty to notify the starosta about buying or selling a vehicle.
How to complain in Warsaw
ZDM says the driver or owner can file a complaint (reklamacja) within 7 calendar days, counted from the day after the notice was put under the wiper, or after a payment request was delivered, if no complaint was filed before.
- Online through the ZDM complaints service, in writing by post to ZDM at ul. Chmielna 120 in Warsaw, or in person at the ZDM office.
- Include your name, postal and email address, the registration number, the notice number or at least the date, and the reasons. Complaints without the contact details are not examined, according to ZDM.
- Attach proof: a ticket, a card payment confirmation showing the last 4 digits of the card, or a mobile parking statement showing the registration number.
- If you paid for the old plate before re-registering the car, add a copy of the registration document with the official note of the change.
ZDM advises to check the paid period against the time the notice was issued before complaining.
The deadline that keeps the price at 200 zloty
A complaint does not stop the 14 day clock, says ZDM. If you pay within 14 days, the fee is 200 zloty instead of 300 zloty. If the complaint is accepted, the fee is refunded. If you do not pay in time, the lower amount is lost permanently. So if you are unsure, you may pay 200 zloty and complain at the same time.
The Warsaw resolution sets no deadline for an answer. ZDM says it replies in order of receipt and aims to do so within 30 days.
If you ignore it
ZDM states that unpaid additional fees are enforced in administrative enforcement, after a payment request and a reminder. The duty to pay expires after 5 years counted from the end of the calendar year in which it should have been paid, under article 40d of the act, as quoted by ZDM.
* Photos: parking meters in Tomaszów Mazowiecki and Gdynia, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 / public domain.
Cash and parking meters
The Commissioner for Human Rights wrote to the Minister of Infrastructure in July 2025 about drivers charged additional fees where meters took only cards or mobile payments. The ministry replied on 22 July 2025 that municipalities have to make it actually possible to pay the parking fee in cash. Whether a particular city's meters comply is a question for the roads authority.
What the sources do not cover
The ZDM pages describe Warsaw, and they do not give rules for foreign-registered cars or for collecting a fee from a driver abroad. If you get a notice on a rental or foreign car, contact the roads authority named on it and keep your payment proof.
Frequently asked questions
Is a parking fee notice a mandatory fine?
No. ZDM says the additional fee is a public levy, not a misdemeanour fine, so it is handled by the roads authority and not the police.
How long do I have to complain in Warsaw?
7 calendar days from the day after the notice was placed on the car, or from delivery of the payment request, according to ZDM.
Should I wait for the complaint answer before paying?
Not if you want the lower amount. The 14 day period continues during the complaint. In Warsaw the fee is 200 zloty if paid within it, and refunded if the complaint succeeds.
What if someone else was driving?
The owner is presumed responsible. ZDM says the owner can name the driver with name, address and dates of use to be released.
