Tachographs in Buses: New EU Regulations from July 1, 2026

Mobility Package and Mandatory Tachographs in Buses from July 1, 2026

The Mobility Package introduces significant changes to road transport regulations. One of the key modifications is extending the requirement for tachographs to smaller delivery vehicles.

Which buses will require tachographs?

If you’re wondering exactly when a tachograph will be necessary in a bus, we’re ready with an answer, and the tachograph regulations precisely define the scope of the installation requirement.

From July 1, 2026, the requirement to have a tachograph will apply to all vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) above 2.5 tons used in international commercial transport.

The new tachograph regulations therefore cover:

• Delivery vehicles (category N1) with GVW from 2.5 to 3.5 tons;
• Vehicle combinations where the bus itself may have a smaller weight (e.g., 2.2 tons), but the GVW of the vehicle combination exceeds the 2.5-ton limit;
• Electric vehicles and those powered by alternative fuels, which due to the weight of batteries or fuel tanks often exceed standard weight limits.

It’s worth noting the special case of electric vehicles and those powered by alternative fuels. For these vehicles, the legislator has allowed a higher GVW of 4.25 tons - without requiring a driving license category other than B. However, this does not exempt them from the tachograph requirement if they are used in international transport.

Does the tachograph requirement apply only to new buses up to 3.5 tons?

The tachograph regulations for buses do not differentiate vehicles based on their production or registration date. The requirement to install tachographs applies to both new buses registered after July 1, 2026, and vehicles registered earlier if they continue to be used in international traffic.

This means that a tachograph in a bus up to 3.5 tons will be mandatory in transport companies if they want to continue operations in international transport after the aforementioned date.

According to EU regulations, from July 1, 2026, all buses with a vehicle GVW above 2.5 tons performing commercial goods transport across national borders will need to have a tachograph installed, and the driver will be required to use it.

What types of bus transport are exempt from the tachograph installation requirement?

The Mobility Package, despite extending the tachograph requirement to smaller vehicles, provides numerous exceptions. It’s worth analyzing in detail which types of transport will remain exempt from this requirement even after July 1, 2026.

Do domestic transports require tachograph installation?

The regulation clearly exempts domestic transport from the tachograph installation requirement. This means that buses with a GVW up to 3.5 tons used exclusively for transport within Poland will still not need to have tachographs. This exemption applies to both goods and passenger transport, provided that the transport takes place within the borders of one country.

It’s worth emphasizing that the deciding factor is the nature of the transport (domestic vs. international), not the place of company registration. If a Polish company registers operations in another Member State, for example, Germany, and performs transport exclusively within that country, it will also not need to use tachographs after July 1, 2026.

What are the rules for passenger transport?

The regulations regarding mandatory tachographs in vehicles with a GVW above 2.5 but less than 3.5 tons refer exclusively to goods transport.

If vehicles are used for passenger transport, in such a situation the application of tachographs has not changed - tachographs will still only be required in buses accommodating more than 9 people including the driver.

Small passenger buses (minibuses) accommodating up to 9 people including the driver will remain exempt from the tachograph installation requirement, even if they are used in international transport. Additionally, Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 exempts from its provisions the performance of road transport by vehicles used for passenger transport in regular services where the route does not exceed 50 km.

An additional exemption concerns vehicles equipped with 10 to 17 seats, used exclusively for non-commercial passenger transport. In such a situation, the use of a tachograph, despite exceeding the threshold of 9 people, will also not be mandatory.

When are transports for own needs exempt from the requirement?

Transport for own needs, both international and domestic, will remain exempt from the new tachograph regulations. This is an important exemption for businesses that transport their own goods and do not provide transport services commercially.

For transport to be considered as transport for own needs, the tachograph regulations require that:

• Buses performing transport must be driven by the entrepreneur or their employees employed under an employment contract (not under a contract of mandate or other form of employment);
• The entrepreneur must have legal title to dispose of the vehicles;
• The transported items must be owned by the entrepreneur or have been sold, bought, rented, leased, produced, extracted, processed, or repaired by them;
• The purpose of the journey must be to transport people or items for the enterprise’s own needs

Buses with a GVW above 2.5 tons used for transport for own needs are exempt from the need to use tachographs. However, in the case of transport by vehicles with a trailer, where the GVW of the vehicle combination exceeds 3.5 tons, a smart tachograph may be required, even in transport for own needs.

The regulations also provide exceptions for vehicles used by agricultural, horticultural, forestry, farming, or fishing enterprises to transport goods as part of their own business activity within a radius of up to 100 km from the company’s base.

Additionally, exemptions from the tachograph requirement apply to transport on roads inside facilities such as ports, inter-port areas, and railway terminals.

Companies must prepare for new obligations

The introduction of tachographs in buses with a GVW from 2.5 to 3.5 tons requires transport companies to undertake a series of organizational and technical preparations.

Mandatory tachograph for buses, and driver and company cards

From July 1, 2026, a transport company owning buses must not only have a tachograph in these vehicles but also possess appropriate digital cards. According to Regulation (EU) No 165/2014, two types of documents are necessary:

• Driver card – a personal document enabling the registration of working time in the tachograph. It is issued by the State Security Printing Works for a fee of approximately 150-200 PLN. The card’s validity is a maximum of 5 years, but it cannot be longer than the validity period of the holder’s driving license. Lack of a driver card results in a fine of up to 2,000 PLN for the driver and up to 10,000 PLN for the road transport operator.
• Company card – used for reading and securing data from the tachograph. It allows downloading information from the device and blocking access to unauthorized persons. The cost of a company card is 282.90 PLN, and its validity is 5 years. It’s important to remember that the company card cannot be used while driving – the tachograph treats such a situation as a violation of regulations.

Applications for issuing cards should be submitted well in advance to avoid disruptions in transport operations.

Community license

Let’s add that performing the profession of road transport operator in international operations with vehicles requires the company to have a Community license. This requirement came into force on January 1, 2023, and applies when performing international transport with vehicles or vehicle combinations with a GVW between 2.5 - 3.5 tons.

Mandatory digital tachograph in buses and the requirement for its operation

Article 33 of Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 imposes on transport companies the obligation to properly train in tachograph operation. The scope of this obligation includes:

• Ensuring appropriate training of drivers regarding the proper operation of tachographs;
• Conducting regular checks on the proper use of devices;
• Refraining from giving drivers incentives that could induce improper use of tachographs.

Training in tachograph operation should focus on the practical use of devices. Drivers must master selecting appropriate modes (driving/work/rest), logging in and out with a card, responding to messages provided by the latest tachographs, and describing printouts.

Additionally, training should cover procedures for dealing with device failure or driver card failure.

Although the regulations mainly concern drivers, it is also recommended to train entrepreneurs, persons managing transport, and management staff in the principles of tachograph operation.

Using a digital tachograph and the obligation to download data

Obligations related to tachographs also include systematic downloading and storing of data. The regulations specify precise deadlines:

• Data from the tachograph must be downloaded at least once every 90 days;
• Data from the driver card must be read every 28 days.

If the driver did not use the card during a given period, downloading data is not necessary.

All downloaded files must be archived securely for a minimum of one year from the date of their download. Penalties of up to 500 PLN for each missing day are provided for missing data. During a road or company inspection, inspectors may demand to see this data, and their absence or neglect of timely reading is treated as a serious violation.

Companies should implement effective data management procedures, including their downloading, analysis, and secure storage. It’s worth considering purchasing appropriate equipment, such as readers for driver cards and tachographs, and data archiving systems.

The implementation schedule for G2V2 tachographs has already been established

The European Commission has determined a detailed schedule for introducing second-generation smart tachographs (G2V2) for various categories of vehicles, including buses. The phased implementation of the requirement began in 2023 and will continue until 2026.

Lack of a tachograph carries high financial penalties

Non-compliance with tachograph regulations can result in serious financial consequences for both drivers and transport companies. The amount of penalties varies significantly across European Union countries, which poses an additional challenge for companies performing international transport.

What sanctions are provided in Poland and EU countries?

Polish regulations establish a penalty of 10,000 PLN for the transport company and 2,000 PLN for the person managing transport for the lack of a required tachograph. However, in other Member States, sanctions can be much more severe.

For example - Germany applies a progressive penalty system - even 750 euros per day for the entrepreneur (maximum 30,000 euros) and 250 euros per day for the driver (maximum 5,000 euros). Meanwhile, France provides penalties of up to 30,000 euros, and even the possibility of imprisonment for up to one year. In Italy, the driver can be fined from 866 to 3,464 euros and have their driving license suspended for a period from 15 to 90 days, while in the Netherlands, the standard administrative penalty is 4,400 euros.

It’s worth noting that in many countries, the consequences are not limited solely to financial penalties. The vehicle may be immobilized until the tachograph is replaced, causing additional operational losses for the road transport operator.

Who bears responsibility for violations of regulations?

Responsibility for compliance with regulations rests with both the driver and the transport company. The driver must have a valid tachograph card during driving - lack of a card, its damage, or expiration results in a fine of 300 PLN.

However, the transport company bears the main responsibility for ensuring compliance with regulations. According to court jurisprudence, transport managers are administratively responsible for violations, even if they did not have a direct influence on their occurrence. Serious offenses, such as interference with tachograph data, can result in a fine of up to 5,000 PLN, and connecting unauthorized devices that disrupt tachograph operation - even up to 10,000 PLN.

What consequences are associated with lack of working time records?

Lack of driver working time records constitutes a serious violation of employer obligations. This is punishable by a fine from 1,000 PLN to even 30,000 PLN. Properly maintained records are mandatory for all employers, regardless of the number of employees.

For each driver for whom working time records are not kept, the employer can be fined 1,000 PLN. Falsifying records or refusing to make them available to inspectors can result in a penalty of up to 8,000 PLN. In extreme cases, forging or altering documentation can lead to a penalty of restriction of liberty or imprisonment from 3 months to 5 years.

Tachographs in buses - New EU regulations from July 1, 2026. Summary

From July 1, 2026, all buses with a GVW from 2.5 to 3.5 tons performing international goods transport or cabotage operations will need to have a G2V2 smart tachograph. The regulations will cover approximately 40,000 vehicles belonging to Polish carriers. Domestic transport, transport for own needs, and passenger buses up to 9 people remain exempt from the requirement.

Companies must account for costs of purchasing and installing devices (3,000-5,500 PLN per vehicle), expenses for driver cards (150-200 PLN) and company cards (about 283 PLN), as well as training in tachograph operation.

It’s worth noting that tachograph regulations provide penalties for non-compliance. In Poland, they amount to 10,000 PLN for the company and 2,000 PLN for the driver, while in other EU countries, they can reach up to 30,000 euros.

If you know that your transport company will face mandatory tachograph installation in buses up to 3.5 tons and you need advice, contact us! We can also help with other aspects related to the work of a road carrier - accounting for transport, as well as payroll calculation for transport.

Introduction of digital tachographs in buses from July 1, 2026 - Frequently asked questions

Below we’ve gathered questions about tachographs in buses that we hear most often and provided answers to them. If among them there’s an issue you’re interested in that’s missing, contact us, and our specialists will be happy to provide support!

Will all buses need to have tachographs from July 1, 2026?

No, the requirement only applies to buses with a GVW from 2.5 to 3.5 tons used in international goods transport. Lack of a tachograph is permissible in international road transport, as well as domestic transport, performed for own needs. Small passenger buses are also exempt from this requirement.

What penalties are there for lack of a tachograph in a bus?

Penalties differ depending on the country. In Poland, it can be 10,000 PLN for the company and 2,000 PLN for the driver. In other EU countries, penalties can reach up to 30,000 euros. Additionally, the vehicle may be immobilized until a tachograph is installed.

Will bus drivers need to undergo special training?

The new regulations not only require the use of tachographs in buses but also the training of drivers in their operation. Transport companies are obligated to do this. Training should cover practical device operation, selection of appropriate work modes, and procedures for dealing with failures

How often should data be downloaded from the tachograph?

Data from the tachograph should be downloaded at least once every 90 days, while data from the driver card - every 28 days. All downloaded data must be archived for a minimum of one year from the download date.

How much does it cost to install a tachograph in a bus?

The cost of installing a tachograph in a bus can range from 3,000 to 5,500 zlotys, depending on the device model. The price includes tachograph purchase, installation, and calibration. Remember that a G2V2 smart tachograph is required.

Do older buses need to be equipped with tachographs?

The retrofitting requirement also applies to older vehicles if they are used in international road transport. According to the schedule:

• Vehicles registered before June 15, 2019 (having analog and digital G1 tachographs) must be equipped with G2V2 tachographs by December 31, 2024;
• Vehicles registered between June 15, 2019, and August 21, 2023 (having G2V1 tachographs) must undergo modernization by August 19, 2025.