Possession of a radio can result in a fine. Inspectors may look through your car window

Few drivers realize that having a radio in a car requires paying an RTV license fee. What’s more, failure to pay this fee can result in severe penalties.

First of all, you need to know that the RTV license fee is paid for simply having a receiver, regardless of how you use it. This means that if you have a radio in your car, you are required to pay the license fee, even if you only use it to listen to music from your phone.

Fines for unpaid RTV license fee

If you don’t pay your TV license fee, you could face significant financial penalties. The penalty is three times the annual fee for your TV set. This means you’ll pay an additional PLN 1,165.20 for a TV set and PLN 313.20 for a radio set.

The checks are carried out by employees of the Polish Post Office, who have the right to check whether the subscription fee has been paid. In the case of a radio in a car, they can look through the vehicle’s window and take a photo that will document the presence of the receiver.

However, a photo alone may not be sufficient evidence – lawyers stress that it is necessary to check whether the device is working. To impose a penalty, inspectors would have to turn on the radio, which is problematic because drivers are not obliged to let them into their vehicles. It is a legal dilemma that will ultimately be resolved by a court.

Increased controls

In recent months, the Tax Office has begun to seriously check whether Poles pay their TV license fees. Polish Post employees visit homes and verify whether fees are paid regularly. If they find any irregularities, they report the matter to the tax office.

Thanks to these inspections, it was possible to collect a lot of overdue fees. By the end of May 2024, almost PLN 6 million had been collected for overdue RTV subscription fees. This shows that many people have avoided paying so far.

Who is exempt from paying the TV licence fee?

The following are exempt from the subscription fee:

People over 75 years of age.
Pensioners over 60 years of age with a pension not exceeding half of the average salary.
Persons unable to work, with the first disability group.
People with significant disabilities, deaf or blind.
The unemployed.
War or military disabled veterans and their families.
Persons receiving cash benefits such as permanent or pre-retirement allowance.