Czech Republic

Key points for young drivers:

• Motorway: 130 km/h, expressway 110 km/h, outside built-up areas 90 km/h, in towns 50 km/h.
• Alcohol: 0.0 ‰ – for everyone, no exceptions. Drugs – zero too.
• Vignette is electronic only – buy it before you get on the motorway on the official eDálnice website.
• In the car: first-aid kit, high-visibility vest, warning triangle and spare wheel (or tyre repair kit).
• Borrowed car – take a written authorisation; leased car – check that the company has no unpaid Czech fines.
• From November to March, in snow or ice – winter tyres.

Seat belts and child seats

Everyone wears a seat belt, in every seat. A child under 150 cm and 36 kg travels in a child seat or on a booster seat suited to their height.

Traffic lights

Red and amber together – get ready to drive off; flashing amber – the junction is not controlled by traffic lights, so follow the signs.

Helmet not compulsory

Bicycle – adults (18 and over) don’t have to wear a helmet.

Helmet compulsory

• motorcycle (including with a sidecar)
• moped
• tricycles and quadricycles (light and heavy)
• bicycle – cyclists under 18

Compulsory equipment in the car

• first-aid kit
• high-visibility vest
• warning triangle
• spare wheel or tyre repair kit

Compulsory equipment on a bike

• two independent brakes
• reflectors: red at the back, white at the front
• in poor visibility: white light at the front and red at the back

Winter tyres and snow chains

From 1 November to 31 March you must have winter tyres when there is snow, ice or frost on the road – or when the weather suggests you will meet them on your route.

In winter it’s worth having snow chains for local mountain roads.

Phone, drugs and other bans

Phone – only with a hands-free kit. Holding your phone while driving is an offence.

Drugs – zero tolerance (e.g. THC, methamphetamine, ecstasy), just like alcohol.

Radar detectors are banned. In a traffic jam on a motorway or expressway, leave a 3-metre emergency corridor.

You may only enter reserved lanes (e.g. for buses) to pass an obstacle, overtake or turn. Don’t stop in spaces for people with disabilities.

Vignettes, tolls and low-emission zones

For toll motorways and expressways you need a vignette – only electronic ones are valid. Buy it on the official eDálnice website, or at border crossings, petrol stations and post offices.

Only zero-emission cars are exempt; plug-in hybrids pay a reduced rate. Vehicles over 3.5 t pay an electronic toll (myto.gov.cz).

Documents and insurance

A driving licence from an EU/EEA country is valid in the Czech Republic. Bring your vehicle registration certificate and valid third-party motor insurance – you don’t need a Green Card in the EU.

Driving a borrowed car (e.g. your parents’)? You need a valid authorisation to use the vehicle.

Leased car: the Czech police can collect the leasing company’s unpaid fines on the spot (for all its cars!), and if you don’t pay, they can hold your documents or number plates. Before you travel, ask the leasing company to confirm it has no outstanding fines in the Czech Republic.

What to watch out for

• Speeding by 20 km/h in built-up areas or by 30 km/h outside them can get you a driving ban in the Czech Republic.
• The police can collect a deposit towards the fine on the spot – if you refuse, they can stop you from driving on.
• Pedestrians on a zebra crossing have priority – always give way.
• Report an accident with injuries or a collision with major damage to the police.
• Alcohol: 0.0 ‰ for everyone – even one beer with lunch is an offence.

Sources

• Your Europe – Road rules: Czechia
• Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Odyseusz: Czech Republic (in Polish)
• Police of the Czech Republic – basic traffic rules
• Police of the Czech Republic – Act 361/2000 Sb. (consolidated text, 30 June 2023)
• eDálnice – official electronic vignette
• Myto CZ – tolls for vehicles over 3.5 t
• BESIP – fines and penalty points
• Last updated: September 2026.