In Poland, they want to increase the minimum fine rate tenfold: who is affected by the changes

The Polish government has approved a draft to raise daily fine rates for offenses, which does not imply an automatic increase of all fines for traffic violations. The minimum rate is proposed to be raised from 10 to 100 zlotys, and the maximum from 2000 to 10,000 zlotys. This is reported by inPoland.

Fines in Poland: what the government proposed to change in November 2026

The Council of Ministers approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code on November 3. According to government spokesperson Adam Szlapka, the current limits of daily rates have not been reviewed since 1998. They want to bring them in line with the current value of money.

The proposed changes include:

• raising the minimum daily rate from 10 to 100 zlotys, that is, tenfold;
• raising the maximum rate from 2000 to 10,000 zlotys, that is, fivefold;
• cancellation of the provisions from 2022, which established special minimum amounts for certain categories of offenses.

This concerns monetary penalties under the Criminal Code. Separate legislative initiatives regarding employer liability in Poland have their own rules and review timelines.

Daily fine rate: how the final amount is calculated

The daily rate does not mean that the convicted person must pay the specified amount every day. It is a unit of calculation: the court determines the number of rates and the cost of each, then they are multiplied.

For example, 50 rates of 100 zlotys would amount to 5000 zlotys. This is a conditional calculation, not a fixed penalty for a specific offense.

According to the general rule of the Criminal Code, unless the law provides otherwise, the fine ranges from 10 to 540 rates. As the Polish government explains, under the proposed limits, the smallest fine will amount to 1000 zlotys instead of the current 100. For a combination of 540 rates with the maximum value of each, the sum could reach 5.4 million zlotys.

The cost of one rate will continue to be determined by the court taking into account the person's income, family circumstances, property, and earning potential. Therefore, raising legislative limits does not mean the same penalty amount for all convicted persons.

Government approval of the draft does not yet mean that the law has come into effect. According to the government, the new provisions are expected to take effect 14 days after the official publication of the passed law.

Thus, the announcement of the increase in fines tenfold concerns the minimum daily rate for offenses. It should not be transferred to every violation of the rules in Poland: separate norms apply to different types of liability.