How long does a Category B driving course take in Poland in 2026?

You will often hear that the course includes “30 hours of theory”. That is a simplification: in fact it is 26 hours of theory and 4 hours of first aid classes. On top of that come 30 hours of practical driving.

The regulations set the number of hours of the theory part (26 hours of 45 minutes each), not the number of weeks in which it has to be completed.

How many weeks the theory takes depends on how classes are organised at a particular driving school (OSK) — how many sessions there are per week and how many hours one session lasts. That is why it is worth asking the driving school about its theory class schedule before you sign up.

Yes. A person who passes the state theory exam beforehand is exempt from the 26 hours of the theory part of training at the driving school and from the theory part of the internal exam.

However, this does not exempt you from first aid classes — they are still required.

In this route, the order is as follows:

1. PKK (Candidate Driver Profile)
2. preparing for the theory on your own
3. state theory exam
4. first aid
5. 30 hours of driving
6. internal practical exam
7. state practical exam

For Category B, daily limits apply to practical lessons:

• first 8 hours of practice: maximum 2 hours per day,
• after that: maximum 3 hours per day.

These limits give a mathematical minimum:

• first 8 h: 4 days × 2 h,
• remaining 22 h: 7 days × 3 h + 1 day × 1 h.

That is a minimum of 12 days of practical lessons.

This is only the mathematical minimum resulting from the limits, not the typical length of a course. In practice, how long the driving lessons take depends above all on how often you can book them.

These are example calculations, not a market average. They show how much the length of the course depends on how often you drive — the same number of hours can take a few weeks or several months.

It is worth distinguishing two things:

• completing the course in a month,
• getting your driving licence in a month.

The first is possible with an intensive schedule.

The second depends not only on the course, but also on state exam dates and their results. Even a quickly completed course does not guarantee that you will have your driving licence within a month.

• Your availability — how many times a week you can realistically drive.
• The hours you are available — if you can only drive within a narrow time window, it is harder to find free slots.
• Instructor availability — their schedule determines when a lesson can be booked.
• The number of cars at the driving school.
• Illness and holidays — both yours and the instructor’s.
• Breaks between lessons.
• Additional lessons, if you still need more practice after the required hours.

That is why a more important question than “when does the course start?” is: How often will I realistically be able to book driving lessons?

30 hours is a minimum, not a maximum. If you do not feel confident yet after the required hours, you can buy additional lessons.

Completing 30 hours does not mean that everyone should go straight to the exam. What matters is whether you are ready for it. Additional lessons do cost extra, though — see how much a Category B driving licence really costs in Wrocław.

A person holding Category B1 does not have to complete again the minimum 26 hours of the theory part required for the standard Category B course.

The minimum practical training is reduced by 10 hours: 30 h → 20 h.

After completing the required training, it is time for the internal exam at the driving school. A person who has already passed the state theory exam does not take the theory part of the internal exam again.

Next come the state exams.

No. Choosing a car with an automatic gearbox does not reduce the statutory minimum number of hours for Category B.

An automatic may be technically easier for some people, but the statutory minimum of practical training stays the same. You can read more about the differences in the guide automatic or manual driving licence.

It is worth distinguishing the length of the course from the whole process of getting a driving licence. The course is only one of the stages:

1. medical examination + photo
2. PKK (Candidate Driver Profile)
3. theory
4. 30 h of driving
5. internal exam
6. state theory exam
7. state practical exam
8. issuing of the document

If you pass the state theory exam first, the order is different — we describe it in the section Can you pass the state theory exam first?

If you are starting before your 18th birthday, also check how the driving licence from 17 works.

Before you sign up, ask the driving school:

• when will the driving lessons actually start?
• how many times a week can you drive?
• can you book 2–3 hours at a time?
• what is instructor availability like?
• if your instructor is absent, can you continue lessons with another one?

• 26 h of theory,
• 4 hours of first aid classes,
• 30 h of practical driving,
• one theory hour = 45 min,
• one practical hour = 60 min,
• first 8 h of practice: max. 2 h per day,
• after that: max. 3 h per day,
• the actual length depends mainly on how often you drive.

That is why, when choosing a course, ask yourself one question above all: How often will I realistically be able to drive?