Radio w aucie: Kto musi płacić abonament RTV w 2024?

Who is Required to Pay the Radio Broadcast Fee for a Car Radio?

The fee for using a home or car radio is the responsibility of the radio’s owner. Therefore, in the case of a leased or rented vehicle, that obligation falls to the company from which the vehicle is being used. Businesses must also pay the broadcast fee for each registered receiver, including those in company cars, if the vehicle is registered to the business. Even scrapping a vehicle or a fire won’t protect you from the fee, as we’ll explain below.

Private individuals who pay the broadcast fee for a radio at home do not have to pay a separate fee for a car radio (or computers, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices). There is only one registration requirement and one fee per household. It’s important to remember that having cable, satellite, or digital television does not exempt you from this obligation. However, if a postal service inspector can prove that you have a radio in your car despite having no radio in your home, you will be required to pay. And how much will that be?

Broadcast Fee Increase: You Have Less Time Than You Think

A new year brings new rules. According to a regulation from the National Radio and Television Council for 2026, a car owner must pay a monthly fee of 9.50 zł (8.70 zł in 2025) for using a radio – an annual cost of 114 zł (9.50 zł x 12 months). However, if you fulfill your obligation diligently, the fee will be reduced by 10% to 102.60 zł – provided you pay by the 25th of the first month of the billing period. That means by January 25th.

The fee for using a TV (and radio) is 30.50 zł (up from 27.30 zł). The annual cost is 329.40 zł (after the 10% discount). Without the discount, the annual fee will be 366 zł.

IMPORTANT: In 2026, January 25th falls on a Sunday. To ensure your payment is processed on time and the discount is applied, funds must be sent no later than Friday, January 23rd.

What is the Penalty for an Unpaid Broadcast Fee?

Taking into account the new rates, the penalty for non-payment of the radio broadcast fee is 30 times the monthly fee, or 285 zł. Non-payment of the television receiver fee costs almost 920 zł. Late fees are also added, which can significantly increase the total amount. It’s also worth knowing that debt from broadcast fees becomes statute-barred after 5 years from the end of the year in which the payment was due.

Individuals in arrears may receive a notice to settle the debt, and after its delivery, they have 7 days to pay the outstanding amount. Failure to pay on time and ignoring notices may result in enforcement proceedings. As a result, the authorities may secure funds in the debtor’s account – the penalty may be collected from salary, pensions, or benefits or owned property.

Inspectors are Taking Pictures of Cars

Postal Service employees have the right to inspect receivers. They must present identification and authorization. According to a ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court (WSA case no. II GSK 94/20), the inspector must confirm the presence of the device and its ability to receive a program immediately.

In the case of cars, inspectors are increasingly documenting the fact of having a radio with a photograph. A photo of the radio through the car window serves as evidence in the proceedings, just like a photo from the municipal guard for a parking ticket.

Who is Exempt from Fees?

Not everyone has to pay. The following are exempt from the broadcast fee:

• Individuals who have reached the age of 75,
• Individuals classified in disability group I,
• Individuals who have reached the age of 60 and are entitled to a pension not exceeding 50% of the average wage per month,
• Veterans who are war or military invalids.

You must present documents at the post office entitling you to exemption from the broadcast fee and identification. You must also submit a declaration confirming that you meet the conditions for exemption from broadcast fees.

Fire and Scrapped Cars? A Cautionary Tale

The system doesn’t forgive errors, as a transport company owner discovered. She claimed her vehicles were scrapped or sold in 2015, but she did not deregister the receivers at the post office. Furthermore, the company’s documentation was destroyed in a fire in 2018. The court (WSA in Gliwice) was unyielding, and the ruling stated:

• Scrapping vehicles or selling them does not automatically deregister the receivers. Proof of cessation of the obligation to pay broadcast fees is proof of deregistration of radio receivers, therefore it is not possible to prove this circumstance by other means of evidence, including through witness testimony regarding the sale or scrapping of vehicles. Meanwhile, it follows from the case file that the Appellant, using the identification number […], which appears on the notification of assignment of an individual identification number, only deregistered the radio receivers on March 17, 2023. For the above reasons, the arguments in the complaint had to be considered unfounded.

The takeaway? If you sell a company car or scrap it, the first step should be a visit to the post office to formally deregister the radio.