The city council approved the measure on Thursday by 57 votes to 2, with the two opposing votes cast by councilors from the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party. All 18 district councils had previously backed the proposal.
Under the new rules, alcohol sales will be banned from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. throughout Warsaw.
The restriction will apply to stores and gas stations, but not to shops in the duty-free zone at Chopin Airport. Restaurants, bars and other hospitality venues will not be covered by the ban.
The Warsaw debate over nighttime alcohol sales has been running for years. The first push came from the Miasto Jest Nasze (Our City) local urban movement.
Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski initially opposed a ban, but later proposed a citywide measure, before shifting to a pilot scheme in two districts that came in on November 1, 2025.
Trzaskowski said the pilot program in two districts, Śródmieście and Praga-Północ, in his view showed the policy could work.
He added that limits on alcohol sales should form part of a broader urban policy combining regulation, the presence of municipal services and urban planning measures.
Trzaskowski said the move was a response to real problems faced by residents, including noise, public disorder, emergency callouts and sleepless nights. He said the city was acting responsibly and avoiding legal chaos or unnecessary disruption to businesses.
Anna Auksel-Sekutowicz, speaking for the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), said the council was acting to make Warsaw calmer, safer and better managed.
She said the grouping had listened to residents and city services before moving ahead, and linked the decision to the Safe Night in Warsaw program.
Speaking for PiS, councilor Filip Frąckowiak said limiting nighttime alcohol sales could improve safety in key parts of the city, including around train stations and public offices.
He added, however, that restrictions alone would not be enough and called for more patrols by the municipal guard and police.
Agata Diduszko-Zyglewska, representing a left-wing alliance that included the Left, Miasto Jest Nasze and Wspólne Jutro (Common Future), welcomed the vote and said her group had pushed for such a ban for years.
She also pointed out that the Civic Coalition had previously opposed the idea before changing its position.
Councilors also approved a separate resolution cutting the total number of alcohol sales permits in the city. The measure passed with 45 votes in favor and 13 abstentions.
It reduces the number of retail permits for stores by 310, while increasing the number for hospitality businesses by 20, for a net reduction of 290.
Warsaw is not alone in adopting the policy. The city of Płock, about 100 km northwest of the capital, is also set to introduce a nighttime alcohol sales ban from June 1.
Across the central Mazovia region, a number of towns and municipalities either adopted such restrictions or approved resolutions to introduce them in 2025, while the Warsaw suburb of Ząbki brought in a similar ban a year earlier.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP