The obligation to display age classification in TV programs and broadcasts was first introduced by the Act of April 2, 2004, amending the Broadcasting and Television Act. According to the new regulations, broadcasters were obligated to display one of five classification symbols on the screen, indicating the level of harmful content in the program. On June 23, 2005, the National Broadcasting Council (Polish: Krajowa Rada Radiofonii i Telewizji, KRRiT, lit. State Council of Radio and Television) issued a regulation to align the legal framework with the amended law, which came into effect on August 15, 2005. In 2011, the regulation was amended, including the introduction of new classification symbols.
Original rating icons.
The amended media law mandates the continuous display of graphic rating symbols throughout the duration of TV programs and broadcasts. Exceptions include news programs, sports broadcasts, advertisements, telemarketing, and text-based transmissions, which are legally exempt from classification. The National Broadcasting Council may regulate the graphic designs of the symbols and the age categories but cannot decide which programs require labelling or the duration of symbol display. The responsibility for classifying programs into specific age categories lies directly with the broadcaster, while the National Broadcasting Council only occasionally conducts audits to verify correct labeling.
Further changes occurred in May 2022, when additional symbols were introduced to inform viewers about the presence of harmful content such as drugs, sex, or violence in programs permitted from age of 18 only.
Broadcasters not established in the territory of the Republic of Poland, including those airing programs in Polish, are not required to use these ratings. Some of these broadcasters apply their own rating systems—for example, HBO displays a title card before each program indicating the intended age group.
Ratings[]
| Symbol | Name | Broadcast restriction | Possible contents | Graphic symbol description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
No age limit | None | Positive or neutral view of the world, little to no violence, non-sexual love, and no sexual content. | Green square with a white smiling face in the center. The symbol should be used in the specified color:
|
 |
For minors from age 7 | None | As above; may additionally contain some mild language, bloodless violence, and a more negative view of the world. | Green square with a white smiling face in the center. The symbol should be used :
|
 |
For minors from age 12 | None | May contain some foul language, some violence, and some sexual content. | Blue square with the number 7 in the center. The symbol should be used :
|
 |
For minors from age 16 | Only
8 PM–6 AM |
Deviant social behaviour, world filled with violence and sexuality, simplified picture of adulthood, display of physical force, especially in controversial social context (against or by parents, teachers, etc.), immoral behaviour without ethic dilemma, putting the blame on the victim, excessive concentration on material possessions. | Olive square with the number 12 in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|
 |
Permitted from age of 18 only | Only
11 PM–6 AM |
Additional labels used in this TV rating are listed below. |
Red square with a white key in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|
Descriptors[]
Since May 2022, in the interest of protecting minors (applies to TV ratings for programs permitted from age of 18 only), content that may have a negative impact on their proper development must be additionally marked with graphic symbols indicating the type of such content.
| Symbol | Type name | Graphic symbol description |
|---|---|---|
 |
P - przemoc (violence) | A square with the letter 'P' in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|
  |
S - seks (sex) | A square with the letter 'S' in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|
 |
W - wulgaryzmy (profanities) | A square with the letter 'W' in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|
  |
N - narkotyki (drugs) | A square with the letter 'N' in the center. The symbol should be used in the color specified:
|