Slovakia tightens traffic enforcement: license seizures for unpaid taxes and phone‑use violations upheld

Under Slovak tax law, municipalities can trigger a tax‑enforcement order that allows police to confiscate a driver’s licence if the owner owes local property or waste‑collection taxes and ignores payment notices. The enforcement follows paragraph 148a of the Tax Code and requires a court‑issued order before police may seize the licence during a routine traffic stop.

The Supreme Court of Slovakia ruled that merely holding or manipulating a mobile phone while driving constitutes a traffic offence, expanding the ban beyond calling or texting. The judgment affirmed that any hand‑held phone use reduces driver attention and is punishable, with fines such as €30 applied in recent cases.