# Act on the recycling of end-of-life vehicles

Act of 20 January 2005 on the recycling of end-of-life vehicles (ustawa o recyklingu pojazdów wycofanych z eksploatacji)

- Status: In force
- Legal order: Poland
- Legal area: Products and producer responsibility
- Dz.U. 2020 poz. 2056 (consolidated text)
- Business profile: Recycling, Scrap trade, Product manufacturers

## In brief

Transposition of Directive 2000/53/EC: collection network, dismantling stations, shredders, recovery and recycling rates and certificates of destruction.

## Key obligations

- Person placing a vehicle on the market: collection network – at least 3 dismantling stations or collection points in each voivodeship, including 1 station (Art. 11(1))
- Dismantling station: acceptance of every end-of-life vehicle bearing identification features (Art. 23(1))
- Dismantling station: recovery rate of 95% and recycling rate of 85% of the weight of vehicles accepted per year (Art. 28(1))
- Shredder operator: safe shredding of waste from vehicles; entry in the BDO register (Art. 37(1) and (1a))

## Competent authority

Marshal of the Voivodeship (decisions for dismantling stations – Art. 40(1)), district head (starosta) (collection points), Regional Inspector for Environmental Protection (penalties)

## Penalties

Fine of PLN 15,000 to 500,000 for dismantling outside a dismantling station (Art. 53a(1)), imposed by the Regional Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (WIOŚ); petty offences (Arts 44–53).

## Entry into force

14.03.2005

## Application

in force; from 2028-09-01 requires alignment with Regulation (EU) 2026/1738

## Key dates

- 20.11.2020: publication of the consolidated text (Dz.U. 2020 poz. 2056)
- 01.09.2028: start of application of Regulation (EU) 2026/1738 – need to align the Act

## Pending changes

No draft act aligning with Regulation (EU) 2026/1738 has been found in the RCL (as at 22.10.2026).

## Related acts

- [End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-elv/)
- [Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-elv-dyr/)

## Official sources

- [Text of the act](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20050250202)
- [Consolidated text](https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20200002056)

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Register as of: 22.10.2026. The official text of the act prevails. IGMNiR. On the website: https://igmnir.org/en/law/#akt-pl-pojazdy