Article 48 of the Saudi Traffic Law
المادة 48 من نظام المرور · الباب الرابع: رخص القيادة
The article allows the competent department to cancel a driving license or not renew it if its holder is proven to lack legal capacity or medical fitness to drive the vehicles they are licensed to drive.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للإدارة المختصة إلغاء رخصة القيادة ، أو عدم تجديدها؛ إذا ثبت أن حاملها فاقد الأهلية أو اللياقة الطبية لقيادة المركبات المرخص له بقيادتها .
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 48 explained in plain English
This article gives the competent department the power to take one of two actions regarding a driving license:
- Canceling the existing license.
- Not renewing it when renewal is requested.
The department uses this power only if it is proven that the license holder:
- lacks legal capacity, or
- lacks medical fitness to drive the vehicles they are licensed to drive.
Two points should be noted. First, the text requires that the loss of capacity or fitness be proven, so mere suspicion is not enough. Second, medical fitness is measured in relation to the vehicles the person is licensed to drive, that is, according to the vehicles their license entitles them to drive.
The article is worded as "the competent department may", so it is a power given to the department, exercised once its grounds are proven. The article does not explain how loss of capacity or medical fitness is proven, which body decides it, or whether the cancellation is temporary or permanent.
Anyone who believes that a decision canceling their license or refusing to renew it is incorrect can consult a lawyer specializing in traffic and administrative cases.
Practical example
Abdullah applied in Riyadh to renew a license that entitles him to drive trucks, and it was proven to the competent department that he had lost the medical fitness required to drive this type of vehicle. In this case, the department may refuse to renew his license.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 48 of the Saudi Traffic Law
Can a driving license be canceled because of an illness?
The competent department may cancel the license or not renew it if it is proven that the holder lacks medical fitness to drive the vehicles they are licensed to drive.
Is doubt about my health enough to cancel my license?
The article requires that the loss of capacity or medical fitness be proven, and it does not explain the method of proof.
Who has the power to cancel a driving license for lack of fitness?
The competent department; the article makes this a power of the department through the words "the competent department may".
More articles on Driving License
- Article 32
The article bans anyone from driving any vehicle before obtaining the necessary driving license in accordance with the Traffic Law and its Regulations.
يحظر على أي شخص قيادة أي مركبة قبل الحصول على رخصة القيادة اللازمة وفقا لأحكام هذا النظام ولائحته.
- Article 33
The article requires the driver to carry a valid driving license when driving a vehicle, lets a security officer ask to see it, and bars him from retaining it.
يجب على السائق أن يحمل رخصة قيادة سارية المفعول عند قيادته للمركبة، ولرجل الأمن حق طلب إبرازها للاطلاع عليها، وليس له حجزها.
- Article 34
The article bars the holder of a license to drive military vehicles from driving civilian vehicles until he obtains a driving license from the competent department.
لا يجوز لحامل رخصة قيادة المركبات العسكرية قيادة المركبات المدنية إلا بعد الحصول على رخصة قيادة من الإدارة المختصة .
- Article 35
The article divides driving licenses into four types: private, public, public works vehicles and motorcycles, and refers the setting of their categories and specifications to the Regulations.
تنقسم رخص القيادة إلى: 1 - رخصة قيادة خاصة . 2 - رخصة قيادة عامة . 3 - رخصة قيادة مركبات أشغال عامة . 4 - رخصة قيادة دراجة آلية . وتحدد اللائحة فئات هذه الرخص و
- Article 37
The article exempts the holder of a foreign or international driving license, recognized by the competent department in the Kingdom and valid, from the driving test condition in paragraph (7) of Article 36.
يعفى من شرط الاختبار الوارد في الفقرة (7) من المادة (السادسة والثلاثين) من هذا النظام، من يحمل رخصة قيادة أجنبية أو دولية معترف بها من الإدارة المختصة في المملك
- Article 39
The article allows, as an exception to paragraph (1) of Article 36 and under controls set by the Regulations, a temporary license of no more than one year for those who have reached age 17.
استثناء من الفقرة (1) من المادة (السادسة والثلاثين) من هذا النظام، يجوز - وفق ضوابط تحددها اللائحة - منح ترخيص مؤقت لا تزيد مدته على سنة لمن أتم سن السابعة عشرة
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.