Selling a Car in Poland: Contract, Deadlines and Deregistration
Short answer: to sell a car in Poland you need a written sale contract and you hand over the registration certificate and keys. Within 30 days you report the sale to the registration office (otherwise a PLN 250 penalty) and within 14 days you notify your OC insurer. The buyer pays 2% PCC tax. A car sold in Poland is not deregistered.
Help with the paperwork
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Buying or selling a car and want to skip the queue? In Warsaw we register the car under a power of attorney: PLN 350 + PLN 160 in official fees, usually 1–2 days. For a car brought from abroad we file the excise declaration online for clients anywhere in Poland – PLN 250. Send photos of the documents on WhatsApp – we answer in English, including evenings and weekends.
Since 2008 · over 2,000 excise cases and about 1,000–1,200 registrations a year
Selling a car step by step
- Write a sale contract (umowa kupna-sprzedaży) in two copies: details of both parties from a passport or residence card, make, model, VIN, registration number, price, date and place, signatures.
- Hand over the registration certificate (dowód rejestracyjny), proof of the OC policy and the keys. The vehicle card (karta pojazdu) has not been issued since 4 September 2022 – its absence is not a problem.
- Within 30 days, notify the registration office of the sale (zawiadomienie o zbyciu). It is free and can be done online at gov.pl or in the mObywatel app.
- Within 14 days, notify your OC insurer in writing.
- The buyer pays 2% PCC tax within 14 days and registers the car within 30 days.
If the buyer does not read Polish, use a bilingual contract so that both sides understand what they sign.
Seller’s deadlines and penalties
| What to do | Deadline | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|
| Notify the registration office of the sale | 30 days | penalty of PLN 250 (art. 140mb(6)) |
| Notify the OC insurer in writing | 14 days | the insurer may claim premiums from you as the previous owner |
| Registration by the buyer | 30 days | buyer’s penalty: PLN 500, or PLN 1,000 after 180 days |
The seller is liable for hidden defects (rękojmia, 2 years, art. 568 of the Civil Code) unless the buyer was told about them. Write known faults into the contract.
A sale is not deregistration
After a sale inside Poland the car is not deregistered (wyrejestrowanie) – the seller only reports the sale. A car is deregistered in other cases:
| Reason | What you attach to the application |
|---|---|
| Car handed over to a dismantling station | dismantling certificate and registration certificate; since 30 June 2026 the office deregisters the car itself once it receives the data from the central register |
| Theft | registration certificate and a statement of theft made under criminal liability |
| Car sold or registered abroad | document of sale abroad with a statement of sale, or a copy of the foreign registration document |
You apply at the office where the car was last registered. The fee is PLN 10, plus PLN 17 with a power of attorney (art. 79 of the Road Traffic Act).
Selling a car for export
A buyer who takes the car out of Poland applies for temporary registration for export (art. 74(2)(2) of the Road Traffic Act). It is valid for up to 30 days and costs PLN 111 for a passenger car. Temporary plates are not returned. For company vehicles see how to export company vehicles from Poland.
What we do for the buyer
You report the sale yourself at gov.pl. We help the buyer with the next step: registration in Warsaw under a power of attorney (PLN 350 + official fees), and for a car brought from abroad – the excise declaration online for clients anywhere in Poland (PLN 250).
Questions and answers
What do I need to sell a car in Poland?
A written sale contract, the registration certificate (dowód rejestracyjny), proof of the OC policy and the keys. No notary is needed.
Do I have to deregister my car after selling it in Poland?
No. After a sale in Poland you only notify the registration office within 30 days; the buyer registers the car in their own name. Deregistration applies to scrapping, theft, and a car sold or registered abroad.
What is the penalty for not reporting the sale?
PLN 250, imposed by the district authority (art. 140mb(6) of the Road Traffic Act). Until you report the sale, notices and fines may still be sent to your address.
Who pays tax when a car is sold in Poland?
The buyer pays PCC tax of 2% of the market value within 14 days of the contract. If the seller is a VAT payer and issues an invoice, no PCC is due.
How much does it cost to deregister a car in Poland?
PLN 10 for the decision, plus PLN 17 if a representative acts under a power of attorney.
How do I export a car from Poland?
The buyer applies for temporary registration for export. It is valid for up to 30 days and costs PLN 111 for a passenger car. A person who does not live in Poland applies at the office for the place where the car was bought.
Sources (as of 14 November 2026): Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym) – art. 73aa, 74, 78, 79, 140mb; Compulsory Insurance Act – art. 31, 32; PCC Act – art. 2, 7, 10; Civil Code – art. 568; registration regulation Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1709 – § 19.
See also: Buying a used car in Poland · Car registration in Poland for foreigners · Car insurance in Poland for foreigners · Importing a car to Poland
In English: Registration for foreigners · How to register a car · Car registration in Warsaw · Registration costs · Used car registration · Steps, documents and fees · Polish license plates · Registration office · Buying a car as a foreigner · Car insurance · Excise tax · Excise refund · Importing a car · Import from the USA · Import from China · UK car in Poland · Without a Polish company · Export plates
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