Poland expands municipal guard powers and fine authority

New regulations have expanded the authority of municipal guards in Poland, allowing them to issue significant fines for traffic and pedestrian violations.

A key addition to their powers concerns railway crossings. Municipal guards can now issue fines ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 PLN for several offenses, including entering a crossing when barriers are lowering or closed, ignoring red signals, or entering a track when there is insufficient space to continue driving on the other side. These powers apply to drivers of cars, electric bicycles, scooters, and pedestrians.

Additionally, guards can now issue fines of up to 500 PLN for disregarding the orders of a municipal guard, a violation that previously often required police intervention or court proceedings.