How to Obtain Code 95 for Driver’s License: Simple Step-by-Step Guide

What is Code 95?

Code 95 is an entry in the driver’s license confirming the completion of initial qualification or periodic training by professional drivers. It is mandatory for persons driving vehicles in commercial transport and serves as proof of having the required qualifications in accordance with EU directive regulations.

What is Code 95 in a driver’s license?

Code 95 is a special entry placed in the driver’s license, which is an official confirmation that the driver has the qualifications to perform professional road transport. It is a kind of certificate of professional qualification for drivers, necessary for those intending to work as professional drivers of vehicles with a specific total mass.

Where can I find Code 95 in my driver’s license?

Physically, Code 95 is located on the back of the driver’s license document or in the driver qualification card, in column 12.

What format does Code 95 have?

Code 95 is recorded in the format: 95.DD.MM.YYYY, where the digits after the dots indicate the date (day, month, and year) of the expiration of professional qualifications. This format is uniform throughout the European Union, allowing for quick verification of the driver’s qualifications by control services in every member country.

The Code 95 entry confirms that the driver has completed appropriate training and meets all legal requirements necessary to undertake work in road transport. It’s worth noting that without this designation, a driver cannot legally transport people or goods using vehicles with appropriate parameters.

Who must have Code 95?

The obligation to possess Code 95 applies to drivers performing road transport with vehicles that require a driver’s license of specific categories. These include:

• C (heavy goods vehicles);
• C1 (smaller heavy goods vehicles);
• C+E (heavy goods vehicle combinations with trailers);
• C1+E (smaller combinations with trailers);
• D (buses);
• D1 (smaller buses);
• D+E (buses with trailers);
• D1+E (smaller buses with trailers).

This requirement applies regardless of whether goods or people are being transported if the permissible total mass (GVW) of the vehicle exceeds 3.5 tons. However, drivers performing road transport with vehicles with a GVW below 3.5 tons do not need to obtain this code.

How to obtain Code 95 step by step?

To obtain Code 95, one must: complete initial qualification or periodic training, pass the state examination, undergo medical and psychological examinations, and then submit an application to the communication department for entry in the driver’s license. Only after updating the document can one legally work as a professional driver.

Step 1: Choosing the appropriate qualification course

To obtain Code 95, drivers must choose a course adapted to the individual situation of the driver. The following types of courses are available:

• Initial qualification – a full version of training lasting 280 hours, intended for persons who obtained a category C driver’s license after September 10, 2009, or category D after September 10, 2008.
• Accelerated initial qualification – a shortened version of training, covering 140 hours of classes.
• Supplementary initial qualification – training lasting 70 hours for drivers who already possess an initial qualification and want to expand their authorizations.
• Accelerated supplementary initial qualification – the shortest training lasting 35 hours.
• Periodic training – for drivers renewing their authorizations every 5 years, lasting 35 hours.

More information about the above types of initial qualification can be found later in the article.

Step 2: Medical and psychological examinations

After completing the qualification course, a necessary step in the procedure for obtaining Code 95 is to undergo medical and psychological examinations, which will confirm the absence of contraindications to performing the profession of a driver. These examinations must be conducted by an authorized doctor and psychologist, and their result is one of the required documents in the later phase of the process.

Step 3: Obtaining a Professional Driver Profile (PKZ)

After obtaining positive results from medical and psychological examinations, one should go to the Communication Department appropriate for the place of residence to establish a Professional Driver Profile (PKZ).

Documents required to obtain PKZ are:

• Completed application for a driver’s license;
• Current color photo with dimensions of 35 x 45 mm;
• Medical certificate stating no health contraindications (original and photocopy);
• Psychological certificate stating no psychological contraindications (original and photocopy);
• Driver’s license (original and photocopy);
• Documents confirming the completion of initial or periodic qualification, issued in another EU country (+ certified translation) - if you have them;
• Identity document (ID card or passport);
• Proof of payment for the driver’s license exchange (100 PLN).

The Professional Driver Profile is made available electronically and contains an individual number identifying the professional driver. PKZ contains information about completed medical and psychological examinations and is necessary to begin training at a driver training center.

Step 4: Completion of training and examination (if required)

After obtaining PKZ, you can enroll in the selected course at an accredited training center. The PKZ profile number should be provided to the training center, which will assign the driver to the appropriate course based on it.

To complete qualification training (initial qualification, accelerated, supplementary, or accelerated supplementary), it is necessary to pass a qualification test. In the case of periodic training, an examination is not required.

The training center releases the PKZ profile in the ICT system with information about the completion of the appropriate training after the course ends.

Step 5: Exchange of driver’s license with Code 95 entry

The final step is to exchange the driver’s license for a new document containing Code 95. For this purpose, one should again go to the Communication Department and submit an application for the exchange of the driver’s license.

Code 95 will be entered in the format “95.DD.MM.YYYY” (where the date indicates the expiration date of the authorization) next to the appropriate categories of the driver’s license. The validity of Code 95 is 5 years, after which it is necessary to renew the authorizations by completing periodic training.

The wait for a new driver’s license document with Code 95 entered typically takes up to 30 days. The office may notify the driver of the document’s readiness for collection by SMS or email if such contact details were provided in the application.

Types of training and qualifications

Obtaining an initial qualification, or rather the type of initial qualification course, depends on the individual situation of the driver. We distinguish:

Initial qualification

Initial qualification is the most comprehensive form of training, aimed primarily at young people who want to start work in road transport before reaching the standard required age. Thanks to this training, one can obtain a category C driver’s license as early as 18 years old (instead of 21), and category D at 21 years old (instead of 24).

This training includes a total of 280 hours of classes, including 260 hours of theory and 20 hours of practice. The practical part consists of 16 hours of driving in urban traffic and 4 hours of driving under special conditions (which can be replaced by 2 hours of driving on a simulator). After completing the course, it is necessary to pass a state examination.

Accelerated initial qualification

This is a shortened version of the full initial qualification, intended for persons who obtained a category C driver’s license after September 10, 2009, or category D after September 10, 2008. However, in the case of the accelerated initial qualification course for category C, the candidate should be at least 21 years old, and for category D – 23 years old.

The course lasts 140 hours, including 130 hours of theory and 10 hours of practice (8 hours of driving in urban traffic and 2 hours of driving under special conditions). As in the case of full qualification, here too it is necessary to pass a state examination after completing the course.

Supplementary initial qualification

This is an option for drivers who already possess an initial qualification for one group of driver’s license categories (e.g., for heavy goods vehicles) but want to expand their authorizations to include a second group (e.g., buses). Thanks to this, they do not have to undergo full training from scratch.

Supplementary initial qualification lasts 70 hours, including 65 hours of theoretical classes and 5 hours of practical classes. After completing the course, the candidate must take a state examination.

There is also an accelerated version of the supplementary qualification, which lasts 35 hours (32.5 hours of theory and 2.5 hours of practice).

How much does it cost to obtain Code 95?

The cost of obtaining Code 95 depends on the type of course and the training center. On average, initial qualification is an expense of about 6,000-8,000 PLN, accelerated qualification 3,000-5,000 PLN, and periodic training 500-1,000 PLN. To this, one must add medical and psychological examinations (approx. 200-400 PLN).

Costs of medical and psychological examinations

The first expense on the way to obtaining Code 95 for a driver’s license are mandatory medical and psychological examinations, which confirm the absence of health contraindications to working as a professional driver. The total cost of these examinations is on average 300-400 zlotys, with:

• Psychological examination (psychotechnical) for professional drivers costs about 150 zlotys;
• Medical examination in the field of occupational medicine for professional drivers is an expense of around 200-250 zlotys.

It is worth noting that these examinations can often be performed at the same centers where periodic training takes place.

Prices of qualification courses

The most serious expense related to obtaining Code 95 for a driver’s license is training. The prices of individual courses vary significantly depending on their type:

• Periodic driver training: from 500 to 1000 zlotys, with the most common rates being 650-900 zlotys
• Accelerated initial qualification: from 2500 to 4000 zlotys, with an average price of about 3500 zlotys
• Full initial qualification: from 4500 to 5800 zlotys
• Supplementary initial qualification: about 1500 zlotys
• Accelerated supplementary initial qualification: about 700 zlotys

Some training centers offer the possibility of payment in interest-free installments, which can significantly facilitate financing more expensive courses

Administrative and examination fees

After completing the course, one should consider additional costs related to formalities:

• The fee for exchanging a driver’s license with Code 95 entry is exactly 100 zlotys;
• In the case of initial qualification and its variants, it is necessary to pass a state examination, the cost of which is 50-100 zlotys.

In summary, the total cost of obtaining Code 95 for a driver’s license ranges from about 1000 zlotys for periodic training (including examinations and fees), up to 5000-7000 zlotys in the case of full initial qualification. The exact amount depends primarily on the chosen type of training, the location of the training center, and the individual needs of the driver.

How long is Code 95 valid in a driver’s license?

Code 95 in a driver’s license is valid for 5 years. After this time, the driver must undergo periodic training (35 hours) and again undergo medical and psychological examinations to extend the validity of the entry and continue to legally work in the profession.

It is worth emphasizing that with the expiration of the validity of Code 95, the driver loses the right to practice the profession and should immediately cease performing road transport. However, the validity period of Code 95 may be shorter than 5 years in the case when medical and psychological certificates have been issued for a shorter period.

Requirements for drivers after the age of 60

Drivers who have reached the age of 60 are subject to additional requirements. Although they still need to undergo periodic training every 5 years, their medical and psychological examinations have a shorter validity. In the case of drivers over 60 years of age:

• Medical examinations should be conducted every 30 months (instead of every 5 years);
• Psychological examinations are also performed every 30 months (instead of every 5 years).

As a result, the validity of Code 95 for drivers after reaching the age of 60 may be shortened to 2.5 years. However, this does not affect the frequency of periodic training – these still need to be completed once every 5 years.

Code 95 and the Driver Qualification Card - differences and similarities

Code 95 and the Driver Qualification Card confirm that a professional driver has completed the required training and possesses the authorizations for road transport in Poland and throughout the European Union. Both solutions are legally equivalent and recognized during inspections, and their validity is 5 years.

The differences concern the form of the document. Code 95 is entered directly into the driver’s license. On the other hand, the Driver Qualification Card is a separate document issued to persons who cannot or do not want to place Code 95 in their driver’s license – this most often applies to foreigners from outside the EU who possess a driver’s license issued in their country.

Code 95 in Poland - Summary

Code 95 is an entry confirming the qualifications of a professional driver. To obtain it, one must: choose the appropriate course (initial/periodic qualification), undergo medical and psychological examinations, establish PKZ, complete training (+ examination, if applicable), and exchange the driver’s license.

Code 95 is valid for 5 years and costs from 500 to 7000 PLN. For professional drivers from outside the EU, an alternative solution is the Driver Qualification Card, which has the same legal force.

If you need support in obtaining Code 95 or running a transport company - drivers' payroll calculation, HR and payroll, or accounting, we are happy to provide it!