Helmet under 16, e-scooter from 13: two Polish dates not to confuse
The minimum age of 13 applied from 3 March, while helmets under 16 became compulsory on 3 June 2026. Check permits and the residential-zone exception.
Two rules took effect on two different dates, and confusing them changes the answer. Since 3 March 2026, a child must be at least 13 to ride an electric scooter or personal transport device independently on a road in Poland. The helmet requirement for riders under 16 took effect later, on 3 June 2026.
The short answer
Do not allow a child under 13 to ride an e-scooter or personal transport device independently on a road. The exception is a formally designated Polish strefa zamieszkania marked by road sign D-40, where the child may ride only under adult supervision.
A rider aged 13 to 15 needs a bicycle card or an AM, A1, B1, B or T driving licence and must wear a helmet. After turning 16, the helmet duty created by this provision ends, but a rider under 18 still needs the required document.
1. Under 13: one narrow exception
The law prohibits allowing a child under 13 to ride an electric scooter or personal transport device on a road. A cycle track is also part of a road, so keeping away from cars on the carriageway does not by itself remove the restriction.
The exception applies in a Polish strefa zamieszkania, the traffic-law zone beginning at sign D-40. A younger child may use an e-scooter or personal transport device there only under adult supervision. Both conditions must be met: the marked zone and adult supervision. A helmet does not replace either the age rule or supervision.
2. Ages 13 to 17: age is not the only condition
Turning 13 makes riding possible, but it is not a permit in itself. Anyone under 18 must have a bicycle card or a driving licence in category AM, A1, B1, B or T. A rental company may impose stricter terms, but its app and account rules cannot replace the document required by Polish law.
Before making a vehicle available, check the rider's age, document and intended place of use. Unlocking an app or obtaining parental consent does not make a journey without the required entitlement lawful.
3. A helmet until the rider turns 16
Since 3 June 2026, a rider under 16 must wear a protective helmet meeting the applicable technical requirements. The rule covers a bicycle, the powered bicycle specified in the Act, an electric scooter and a personal transport device such as an electric skateboard. It applies to privately owned and rented vehicles.
Poland's Ministry of Infrastructure points to EN 1078 or PN-EN 1078 for a bicycle helmet. Before buying, check for that marking on the product or label, the manufacturer's name and a working retention system. Choose the correct size and fasten the straps according to the instructions. Carrying a helmet on the handlebar does not meet a requirement to use it while riding.
4. Carrying a child aged up to 7 has separate exceptions
The helmet requirement also covers a child aged up to 7 carried on a bicycle, the powered bicycle covered by the Act, a cycle rickshaw or a bicycle trailer. The exceptions do not share one blanket condition, so they must be matched to the method of carriage.
On a bicycle, a helmet is not required when the child sits in the safety seat referred to in Article 39(3). A separate exception covers a passenger-carrying bicycle fitted with factory safety belts when its construction makes helmet use impossible. In a trailer pulled by a bicycle, the exception applies when the child uses the trailer's factory-fitted safety belts.
For carriage in a cycle rickshaw, the safety-seat exception applies separately. The helmet may also be omitted when the child uses factory belts and the rickshaw's construction makes helmet use impossible. A child in a trailer pulled by a cycle rickshaw does not need a helmet when using the trailer's factory belts. Do not transfer the conditions of one exception to another type of carriage.
5. Who is responsible when the helmet is missing
A person with a duty of care or supervision who allows someone under 16 to ride a bicycle, electric scooter or personal transport device without the required helmet may be fined up to PLN 100. The same upper limit applies to the violations specified in the Act when a supervised young person carries a small child contrary to the statutory safety rules.
Pre-ride checklist
- 1Confirm that the child has turned 13.
- 2If not, restrict e-scooter or personal-transport-device use to a zone marked by D-40 and provide adult supervision.
- 3For a rider aged 13 to 17, check the bicycle card or appropriate driving licence.
- 4For a rider under 16, check for EN 1078 or PN-EN 1078, then put on and fasten the helmet.
- 5Check the rules of the location and operator, but do not treat them as a substitute for the law.
Check age and entitlement first, the place of use second and equipment last. This order prevents a helmet from being mistaken for permission to ride.