First, complete a medical exam, prepare a current photo, and submit an application to get your PKK number. Then either enrol in a full course at a driving school, or prepare for the state theory exam on your own and, once you pass it, complete the mandatory practical training.
Finally, pass the practical exam, pay the fee for issuing the driving licence, and wait for the document. You'll find a full, illustrated description of every stage in the step-by-step guide.
You can't skip training entirely, but theory and practice follow different rules. You can prepare for the state theory exam on your own, without a course. Once you pass it, though, you still need to complete the mandatory practical training at a driver training centre — that part can't be skipped — before taking the practical exam.
The time needed to get a driving licence depends, among other things, on when you get your PKK, the training schedule, the availability of lessons, exam dates, and whether you pass the exams on your first attempt.
A PKK, or Candidate Driver Profile, is an electronic profile that identifies a person applying for a driving licence. It's used by, among others, the authority, the driving school, and the exam centre. How to get a PKK step by step →
You need a PKK number to start formal training. You can choose a driving school beforehand and work out the details with them, but the PKK profile is required so the school can retrieve the candidate's data and begin training. More about the PKK →
Complete a medical exam, prepare a current photo and the other required documents, then submit an application to have a driving licence issued at the authority responsible for your place of residence. Once your profile is created, you'll receive a unique PKK number. Full step-by-step guide →
You'll usually need an application for a driving licence, a medical certificate, a current photo, and an ID document. If you already hold a driving licence and are applying for another category, you may also need a copy of your existing document. A minor must also provide parental or guardian consent. Full list of documents →
The application is submitted to the district authority (starostwo powiatowe) responsible for your place of residence, the city office for cities with district rights, or the relevant district office in Warsaw. Details and online options →
If the application is complete, a PKK number can be issued immediately. If the authority needs to verify the data, this usually takes up to 2 days. Cases requiring additional clarification may take longer. More about waiting times →
The photo should be in colour, clear, taken against a plain light background, and measure 35 × 45 mm, current and taken no earlier than 6 months before the application is submitted. The face should take up around 70–80% of the photo, with the person looking straight ahead, eyes open, and a natural expression.
The law provides that the fee for a driver candidate's medical exam performed by an authorised doctor cannot exceed PLN 200. It's worth confirming the price and scope of the exam before your appointment.
Normally, a category B candidate needs a medical certificate but not a psychological one. A psychological examination may be required in special cases, for example following a referral from the relevant authority.
There is no single validity period for every candidate's medical certificate — what counts is the certificate itself, including any date for the next examination and any restrictions set by the doctor. This information is recorded in your PKK.
The law sets no general deadline after which the PKK itself expires just because time has passed. If the date in your certificate passes during the course or exams, you will need a new certificate. Medical exam after a longer break in the course →
A standard course includes 26 teaching hours of theory classes, 4 teaching hours of first-aid classes, and 30 clock-hours of practical training.
Regulations set a minimum number of training hours but don't dictate a number of weeks. The actual duration mainly depends on the theory class schedule, instructor availability, how often you drive, and your own availability. See how long a category B driving course takes in more detail.
A full course at a driver training centre ends with a check of knowledge and skills as part of an internal exam. The procedure can look different for someone who has already passed the state theory exam independently and only takes practical training.
Yes. The current school must settle the training already provided, hand over the required documentation, and release the PKK profile so it can be picked up by the new training centre. How to change driving schools during your course →
Yes, most driving schools let you change your assigned instructor during the course — for example, if the lesson schedule doesn't work out or you'd simply prefer to continue with someone else. It's worth checking the rules and any extra cost for this directly with your driving school beforehand.
It's worth checking the full price and scope of the course, the realistic start date for lessons and how often practical classes take place, the number of instructors and cars, payment terms, the cost of an extra hour, and the rules for changing instructors or breaking off training. How to choose a driving school →
Not always. A low price may not cover all the services, or may come with a longer wait for lessons. Before signing an agreement, it's worth comparing the full scope of training and any possible extra fees.
You can stop the course at any time — the agreement with a driving school is governed, as appropriate, by the Polish Civil Code rules on mandate contracts (Articles 750 and 746).
The settlement covers the part of the service already provided and the school’s justified expenses, and if you terminate without a valid reason, you may in certain cases also be liable for damages.
This does not mean the school can automatically keep the full price of the course.
How settling up with the driving school works when you stop the course → A break on its own also does not erase properly documented hours or your PKK — what happens to your training record after 24 months and how to return to training even years later is covered in our guide to resuming an interrupted driving course.
The exam is taken on a computer and lasts 25 minutes. It includes 32 questions: 20 on basic knowledge and 12 on knowledge specific to the chosen licence category.
The maximum score is 74 points. You need at least 68 points to get a passing result.
No. The exam system doesn't allow you to return to questions you've already been shown.
You need a PKK number. You book online on the info-kierowca.pl portal (log in with mObywatel or eDO App): choose the profile, category and WORD, and pay the fee in the portal. You can book the theory test even before finishing the course at the driving school. Booking step by step →
The exam includes a check of your readiness to drive and of selected parts of the vehicle, tasks on the manoeuvring yard, and driving in traffic. The examiner assesses safety, awareness of your surroundings, compliance with the rules, and correct execution of manoeuvres.
For category B, the yard tasks include checking your readiness to drive and selected technical parts of the vehicle, driving forward and backward within a lane, and pulling away on an incline.
The minimum driving time in traffic for category B is 40 minutes. The examiner may end the exam after 25 minutes of driving if all required tasks have been completed and the result is a pass. On top of this comes the activities and tasks carried out before setting off.
According to the current DORD price list, the theory exam costs PLN 55 and the category B practical exam costs PLN 222. The fee is paid for every attempt. You'll find a full breakdown of all the fees, not just exam fees, in our article on driving licence costs. Fees vary between voivodeships: see driving licence exam costs in Poland.
Yes. At the request of, and at the cost of, the person taking the exam, the practical part can be carried out in a vehicle from the driver training centre. You need to arrange the car's availability with the school in advance and complete the formalities required by the exam centre.
You can submit a request to have the practical exam carried out in the presence of an instructor. Check the detailed conditions and the form required at the exam centre where you're taking the exam.
You can book another date and pay the fee again. As a rule, there's no obligation to book extra hours after every failed exam, but it's worth analysing the reason for the negative result and, if needed, taking some extra lessons to work on the mistakes pointed out.
The state driving exam in Wrocław is conducted by the Lower Silesian Traffic Safety Centre (DORD). Before booking a date, it's worth checking the current information on registration and how exams are organised.
You don't have to take the exam in Wrocław, though — you can even take the theory and practical tests at different centres. How to change WORD test centres →
The regulations don't set a maximum number of attempts at the state exam. However, you have to pay the relevant fee again for every further attempt.
Viewing the recording is tied to filing a complaint about the exam (the deadline for that is 14 days), and the recording of a category B exam is normally kept for 21 days. Read more about exam recordings and complaints →
The driving school has not yet recorded the completed course in your PKK. Until it does, the info-kierowca.pl portal lets you book only the theory test. Once you have finished the lessons and the internal exam, ask the school to update your profile. What to do step by step →
Yes. Both the course and the category B practical exam can be done in a car with automatic transmission.
Code 78 means the licence is restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission. It's added if the category B practical exam was passed in a car with automatic transmission.
No. A driving licence with code 78 only allows you to drive vehicles with automatic transmission.
Yes. Passing the exam in a car with manual transmission lets you drive both manual and automatic cars.
A manual gives you broader entitlements, since passing the exam also lets you drive an automatic. An automatic makes handling the car easier during training and the exam, but once you pass, you'll get code 78, restricting you to automatic vehicles. Read more about choosing between automatic and manual →
The total cost includes the course price, the medical exam, the photo, the state exams, issuing the document, and any extra lessons or repeat exam attempts — that's why the course price on its own isn't the full cost of getting a driving licence. See our full breakdown with example scenarios - including the cost of extra lessons and a repeat exam.
Usually not. The theory and practical exam fees are paid separately at the exam centre. Check the exact scope of the course price in your agreement with the driving school.
The fee for issuing the driving licence document is currently PLN 100, paid into the relevant authority's account.
Yes. Every repeat attempt at the theory or practical exam requires paying the relevant exam fee again.
If you're over 18 and, after passing the exam, a Temporary Electronic Driving Licence appears in the mObywatel app, you can drive in Poland for the validity period of that document.
A positive exam result alone, without an active entitlement, isn't enough. For category B, the temporary licence isn't available to someone who wasn't yet 18 on the day of the exam. This is the final stage described in the step-by-step guide.
It's a digital document available in the mObywatel app that, once conditions are met, lets you drive before you've collected the plastic driving licence. It's valid for 30 days from the day you pass the exam and only works within Poland.
The document should normally be ready for collection within 9 working days from the day the authority receives confirmation of the required payment. Cases requiring additional clarification may take longer.
You can check the status after logging in to the info-kierowca.pl portal (the “Sprawdź status sprawy” service) or through the Info-Car service by providing details including your PESEL number, first name and surname.
Yes. mPrawo Jazdy is a digital version of the document and doesn't replace the process of having the traditional driving licence issued. The Temporary Electronic Driving Licence is, in addition, a time-limited document, valid for 30 days.
As of 3 March 2026, the minimum age for obtaining a category B driving licence in Poland is 17. Read more about driving licences from age 17 →
For the first six months after obtaining the licence, but no later than turning 18, a young driver must drive with a qualified supervisor sitting in the front passenger seat. Until they turn 18, the licence is only valid within Poland. Read more →
The supervisor must be at least 25 years old, have held a category B driving licence continuously for at least 5 years, not be subject to a driving ban, and not have had one in the past 5 years. They must also be sober and not under the influence of any intoxicating substances. Read more →
Since 4 September 2026, the system enforcing the mandatory probationary period for people getting a category B licence for the first time has been fully active. During this time, a driver is subject to additional, stricter rules than other drivers. Read more about the probationary period →
For someone who obtained their licence after turning 18, the probationary period lasts 2 years. If the licence was obtained before turning 18, the probationary period can last up to 3 years, but no longer than until turning 20. Read more →
A driver in the probationary period who exceeds 12 penalty points must, within 12 months, complete a one-hour practical training course on road hazards at a Driving Technique Improvement Centre, for a maximum fee of PLN 500. Exceeding 12 points doesn't automatically mean losing the licence. Read more →
Yes, provided they meet the residency requirements in Poland along with the other requirements, such as the appropriate age, a medical certificate, training, and exams. As a rule, a person applying for a Polish driving licence should live in Poland for at least 185 days a year.
Yes. DORD offers the theory exam in English, and other language versions are also available for category B. It's worth checking the current availability of the language version at your chosen branch before booking.
Yes. If the person taking the exam doesn't know Polish well enough for the exam to be conducted in it, regulations allow for a sworn interpreter, arranged by the person taking the exam. It's worth settling the organisational details with the exam centre in advance.
No. PrawkoStart.pl is an information website, not a driving school — it describes the process of getting a category B driving licence, the required documents, training, exams, and costs.
PrawkoStart.pl doesn't run courses or take enrolments. Registration, availability, and class schedules need to be confirmed directly with your chosen driving school.
These sources explain the legal basis for the guidance on this page. ELI links lead to official publications and any available updated texts and amendments. Check the rules that apply to the date you obtained your licence, including transitional provisions. The legal texts are in Polish; the English titles below are descriptive translations.
Use the updated text available in ELI, which incorporates subsequent amendments.
Changes affecting 17-year-old drivers and probationary periods. Articles 16 and 16a set out transitional provisions. ELI lists the different commencement dates; read the Act together with subsequent amendments.
Applications, supporting documents, photographs, creation of the PKK profile and the licence issuing procedure.
The training syllabus, theory classes, practical lessons and driving school tests. ELI also provides the consolidated text and a list of amendments.
How theory and practical tests are conducted, including scoring and test tasks.