Photo. shareinfo.pl / photograph generated with AIThe European Union regulations introduced on 14 June 2026 give associate States the chance to shorten the validity of driving licences to drivers over 65 years of age.
In line with the compromise adopted, the Community countries may decide to reduce this period, possibly up to 5 years, subject to the simultaneous introduction of more frequent medical examinations, self-assessment forms or training courses. The fresh legal framework does not introduce automatic withdrawal of allowances after reaching a certain age, but only offers optional tools to governments to supervise the ability to drive.
The European Commission's first proposal had introduced mandatory medical examinations from the age of 50, which have been repeated all 5 years, but the European Parliament relaxed these provisions by raising the age limit to 65 and leaving the decision to apply restrictions to individual countries.
Four-year deadline for the implementation of the Directive and the legal situation in Poland
Member States have been given 4 years to transpose EU government into national law, setting the deadline for implementation from 2029 to 2030. The fresh EU standards have maintained the basic period of validity of categories A and B papers for 15 years and 10 years for ID documents, while professional drivers proceed to be verified all 5 years. In Poland, it has not been decided to usage optional solutions limiting the validity of elder rights.
The introduction of any changes to national law would not consequence in the abrupt withdrawal of rights at the time of the age of 65, but would apply only to the planned replacement of the paper after the expiry of its erstwhile word of validity.
The discussion on regulations is supported by traffic safety data for 2024, erstwhile drivers at the age of 60 and more caused 3866 accidents in Poland where 339 people were killed and 4327 were injured. The final form of the rules in the country will depend on the decision of the Polish legislator in the course of legislative work on the implementation of the directive.
