Traffic Law

Purpose and scope

• Regulates traffic, vehicle registration and driving licences; it applies to all vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians on public roads (Article 1 as amended).

Key rules, rights and obligations

• A vehicle registration or driving licence may not be pledged or deposited with others (Articles 12 and 46).
• A vehicle's colour or specifications may not be changed without a permit (Article 25), and unlicensed sirens or lights may not be fitted (Article 29).
• Driving without a licence is prohibited (Article 32), as is passing a school bus stopped to drop off or pick up pupils (Article 56).
• A driver involved in an accident must stop, report it and help the injured (Article 63 as amended).
• Car showrooms need a licence and a commercial registration (Article 21), and a wrecked vehicle may be sold or bought only with prior permission (Article 65).

Violations, penalties and common problems

• Violations are grouped in tables with graded fines, some reaching ten thousand riyals plus impoundment (Article 68 as amended).
• Drifting: impoundment and a twenty thousand riyal fine for a first offence, rising on repetition with referral to court for imprisonment, and possibly confiscation (Article 69 as amended).
• Repeating a public-safety violation within a year raises the fine to its maximum, and a non-Saudi may be deported after a final judgment (Article 74 as amended).
• Common problems: fines accumulating on a sold vehicle whose ownership was never transferred, and failing to report accidents.

Procedures and key deadlines

• A violation may be challenged before the competent court within thirty days of notification (Article 75 as amended).
• If unpaid, bank balances may be attached; a fine may be paid in instalments or reduced by up to a quarter of its minimum (Article 75 as amended).
• A sale or loss of a vehicle abroad must be reported (Article 78), and the competent court decides traffic cases (Article 81).

An advisory summary prepared by Al-Bayan Al-Wadih Law Firm. It is not an official text and does not replace the law, its implementing regulations, or advice from a specialised lawyer. The official published text and its amendments prevail.