Driving in Czechia 2026: Speed Limits, Alcohol, Tyres, Equipment

Czech speed limits are 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h outside towns, 110 km/h on expressways (silnice pro motorová vozidla) and 130 km/h on motorways. Dipped headlights or daytime running lights are required all year, in daylight too. The alcohol limit is effectively zero. Winter tyres are required from 1 November to 31 March when snow, ice or frost lies on the road or is to be expected, with at least 4 mm of tread. Holding a phone is banned, and after a crash with more than 200,000 CZK of damage you must call the police. Around Prague checked the road traffic act 361/2000 Sb. (the 2026 version), the vehicle equipment decrees and the police and City of Prague pages on 9 November 2026.

Speed limits in Czechia: town, road, expressway, motorway

The limits are in section 18 of act 361/2000 Sb. The act sets no separate figure for motorcycles: they follow the car limits. What counts is the maximum permitted weight of the motor vehicle.

Road	Car, motorcycle, camper up to 3.5 t, bus	Vehicles over 3.5 t
Built-up area (obec)	50 km/h	50 km/h
Motorway or expressway inside a town	80 km/h	80 km/h
Outside towns	90 km/h	80 km/h
Expressway (silnice pro motorová vozidla)	110 km/h	80 km/h
Motorway (dálnice)	130 km/h	80 km/h

With snow chains fitted the maximum is 50 km/h (section 18, paragraph 8). Signs can lower the limits and, on motorways and expressways, sometimes raise them. For trailers the act gives no separate number, but you may not exceed the design speed of any vehicle in the combination (paragraph 5). Check your trailer's marking.

Daytime lights and winter tyres

Under section 32, paragraph 1, a motor vehicle must drive with dipped headlights or daytime running lights on, all year, day and night, motorcycles included.

The winter rule is section 40a. From 1 November to 31 March a car may be driven only on winter tyres if a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost is on the road, or if the weather means it can be expected on the way. Winter tyres must be on all wheels and have at least 4 mm of tread.

The sign: mandatory sign C 15a "Zimní výbava" (annex 4 of decree 294/2015 Sb.) requires winter equipment regardless of the date and the weather. A plate under it may change the period; C 15b cancels it.
Snow chains do not replace winter tyres in the text of the act. Fines and tyre markings are in our guide Winter Tyres in Czechia 2026.

Alcohol limit: effectively 0.0

Section 5, paragraph 2 bans drinking while driving and driving right after drinking or so soon after that you could still be under the influence. The police speak of "zero tolerance". In the points list at the end of the act a threshold of 0.3 per mille appears: above it you get 6 points. Refusing the breath test also gives 6 points. After a crash you must not drink until the police arrive (section 47, paragraph 2). For the amounts see Traffic Fines in Czechia 2026.

Phone, child seats, pedestrians and trams

Phone: section 7, paragraph 1 c) bans holding a phone or another talking or recording device in the hand "or in another way". Hands-free talking is not banned. The offence carries 4 points.
Children: under section 6, paragraph 1 a child up to 150 cm and 36 kg goes in a suitable child seat; a taller or heavier child wears the seat belt. A rear-facing seat must not be used on a seat with an active airbag.
Pedestrian crossings: you must not endanger or obstruct a pedestrian crossing or clearly about to cross, and must stop if needed (section 5, paragraph 2 f). If vehicles stop in the next lane, slow down or stop too (paragraph 1 h).
Trams: a tram has priority when it turns across your lane with its indicator on (section 21, paragraph 7). If a tram stops at a stop with no island, stay behind it until people finish boarding and leaving (section 15).

Emergency corridor (záchranářská ulička)

When traffic is stopped or crawling on a motorway or expressway with two or more lanes in your direction, section 41, paragraph 8 requires a gap between lanes. With more than two lanes the gap is between the leftmost lane and the one next to it. You may use the hard shoulder or the central reservation. Only emergency vehicles, road-operator vehicles and vehicles clearing a crash may use it. Form it early, while the queue still moves.

Required equipment for a car or motorcycle

Item	What the law says
Warning triangle	Required for motor vehicles except motorcycles (decree 153/2023 Sb., annex, part B)
First-aid kit	Car kit size I in a car; motorcycles (category L, except mopeds) need the small motorcycle kit
High-visibility vest	Under section 5, paragraph 1 l) of the act, a driver who leaves the vehicle because of an emergency stop on the road must wear high-visibility clothing; motorcycles and mopeds are exempt. Fluorescent yellow or orange-red with reflective strips to the EU standard (section 19 of decree 294/2015 Sb.)
Spare wheel, wheel wrench, jack	Required unless the car has run-flat tyres, a tyre repair kit or a breakdown contract covering all of Czechia
Spare bulbs	Not listed in the equipment list we read

The decree sets technical conditions for vehicles on Czech roads. We found no official statement on cars with foreign plates. The vest duty in the act applies to every driver. We advise carrying all three in a foreign car or rental too.

Vignette, parking in Prague, crashes

Vignette: every four-wheeled vehicle up to 3.5 t needs the electronic vignette on toll roads. Motorcycles and trailers are not included, says edalnice.gov.cz. Prices from 1 January 2026 for a standard-fuel car: 10 days 300 CZK, 1 month 480 CZK, 1 year 2,570 CZK. How to buy it: Czech Highway Vignette 2026.

Parking in Prague: in blue zones residents park without a time limit. Others get short paid parking: according to the city, 1 hour in the centre or 3 hours outside it. There are no parking machines in blue zones; you pay online, for example via the PID Lítačka app. Orange zones are for visitors only. Paid hours are on the signs. All zones and prices: Parking Zones in Prague 2026.

Crash: emergency numbers are 112 (European), 158 (police), 155 (ambulance) and 150 (fire brigade). You must call the police if anyone is hurt or killed, if damage to any one vehicle including its load exceeds 200,000 CZK (since 1 July 2025; it was 100,000 CZK), if someone else's property or road equipment is damaged, or if you cannot clear the road yourselves. For smaller damage a joint accident record (společný záznam o dopravní nehodě) is enough; photos may replace the sketch.

Driving rules in Czechia (FAQ)

What is the motorway speed limit in Czechia?

130 km/h for a car or motorcycle up to 3.5 t; 110 on an expressway, 90 outside towns and 50 in towns.

Is any alcohol allowed when driving in Czechia?

In practice no. The act bans driving under the influence and the police speak of zero tolerance. Above 0.3 per mille the points list gives 6 points.

Do I need headlights on in the daytime?

Yes, all year (section 32, paragraph 1).

When are winter tyres mandatory in Czechia?

From 1 November to 31 March when there is, or is expected to be, snow, ice or frost, and always where sign C 15a stands. Minimum tread 4 mm.

What must I carry in the car?

A warning triangle, first-aid kit and vest, plus a spare wheel or repair kit.

When must I call the police after a crash?

For injuries, more than 200,000 CZK of damage, damage to other people's property or a blocked road. Numbers: 158 and 112.

Sources: Act 361/2000 Sb. (version 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2026), decree 153/2023 Sb., decree 294/2015 Sb., police: alcohol (archive, 2015), police: crashes from 1 July 2025, police: emergency corridor, police: emergency numbers, edalnice.gov.cz, Prague parking: blue zone, orange zone. Checked on 9 November 2026.

Photo: Motorway D5 at Rozvadov near the German border. ŠJů, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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