In force
Saudi Municipal Penalties Regulations
لائحة الجزاءات عن المخالفات البلدية
Replaced the earlier regulation issued in 1422 AH. It covers definitions, violations and penalties, the schedule of violations and penalties, detection and proof, private rights, penalties the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs may carry out, building permits, serious violations, oversight and inspection, and publication and entry into force.
- Articles
- 18
- In force
- 18
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 5/2/1442 AH
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Municipal Penalties Regulations by topic
Definition of Municipal Violations3 articlesMunicipal Fines and Shop Closure3 articlesDetecting Violations and Issuing Penalty Decisions5 articlesGrievances Against Municipal Penalties1 articleBuilding Violations and License Overruns2 articlesImpounding Vehicles, Livestock and Goods3 articlesShop Owner's Duties to the Municipality2 articles
Articles of the Saudi Municipal Penalties Regulations
- Article 1Article 1 defines the key terms of the Regulations, including municipal violation, serious municipal violation, violator, municipal license, shop, establishment, and regulation lines.
- Article 2Article 2 sets the penalties for municipal violations: a fine up to SAR 500,000 (SAR 1 million if serious), closure up to two weeks, license cancellation and a ban up to two years if serious, doubled on repetition.
- Article 3Article 3 provides for a schedule issued by the Minister setting violations and their penalties with gradation and proportionality, those doubled on repetition, and those where the violator must remove the violation within a period.
- Article 4Article 4 provides that municipal violations are detected and recorded in reports under the implementing decisions, by employees and workers of the Amanah or municipality, related bodies, or others named by the Minister.
- Article 5Article 5 divides the power to issue penalty decisions: the Minister or his delegate in principle, and a committee of at least three members for fines above SAR 25,000, or SAR 50,000 for a serious violation.
- Article 6Article 6 allows, with the Minister's or his delegate's approval, the penalty decision for a repeated violation to include publishing its operative part at the violator's expense, once the decision is final or the judgment becomes conclusive.
- Article 7Article 7 provides that municipal penalties do not affect the injured party's right to bring a private action for the harm, and that the violator may file a grievance against the penalty as established by law.
- Article 8Article 8 allows the Amanah or municipality to impound vehicles abandoned in public places for more than seven days and stray livestock for no more than five days, with the violator bearing the costs.
- Article 9Article 9 provides that excesses beyond a building license are removed at the violator's expense; if removal is structurally difficult and the harm can be corrected, he pays half the cost of the violating construction, corrects it, and provides a safety certificate.
- Article 10Article 10 deals with a building erected without a license: it is removed if it conflicts with regulation lines or causes uncorrectable harm to neighbors; otherwise the violator pays a quarter of the costs and the license fees and corrects it.
- Article 11Article 11 requires the owner of a shop or establishment, or his representative, to appear before the Amanah or municipality when it so requests in specified cases and to carry out its instructions issued in accordance with the law.
- Article 12Article 12 allows the municipality, on strong suspicion of a serious violation, to secure or impound materials or close the shop for up to three days, with compensation to the owner if the violation is not proven.
- Article 13Article 13 provides that seizing the materials and tools used in a violation does not lead to their destruction unless they are shown to be unfit for use.
- Article 14Article 14 allows the Amanah or municipality to assign the tasks of supervision and inspection for violations to the private sector, in accordance with the relevant legal procedures.
- Article 15Article 15 authorizes the Minister to issue the implementing decisions necessary for the Municipal Violations Penalties Regulations, within the limits of what their provisions require.
- Article 16Article 16 allows the Minister or his delegate to grant a person who helps uncover a violation a reward not exceeding 25% of the fine collected, and to grant outstanding inspectors rewards to improve performance.
- Article 17Article 17 provides that the Regulations replace the Regulations of Fines and Penalties for Municipal Violations issued by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 218 dated 6/8/1422 AH, and repeal any conflicting provisions.
- Article 18Article 18 provides that the Regulations take effect thirty days after publication, with the Minister able by decision to extend this period for some provisions up to one hundred and eighty days from publication.