Article 6 of the Saudi Traffic Law
المادة 6 من نظام المرور · الباب الثاني: تسجيل المركبات ورخص السير
The article bars any vehicle from carrying plates other than those issued by the competent department (the Traffic Department).
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا يجوز لأي مركبة حمل لوحات غير التي تصدر من الإدارة المختصة.
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 6 explained in plain English
This article is short but decisive: no vehicle may carry plates other than those issued by the competent department, that is, the Traffic Department. A plate is not a decorative item the owner chooses; it is an official document showing the vehicle's registration number.
The prohibition applies in general terms to every plate not issued by the competent department, whatever the type of vehicle, including:
- Plates made or printed outside the official body, even if they carry the correct number.
- Counterfeit plates or plates copied from another vehicle's plate.
- Any additional plate placed in the position of the official plate or next to it as a plate for the vehicle.
This article is linked to Article 7, which divides vehicle plates into types, among them private plates (for private vehicles, private transport vehicles and private buses), public plates (for public transport, public buses and taxis), diplomatic and consular plates, temporary plates, public works vehicle plates, export plates and motorcycle plates, and leaves it to the Regulations to set their categories, specifications, conditions of issue and how they are maintained. All of these types are issued by the competent department alone.
It also applies to the motorcycle and trailer plates regulated by Article 5. If a vehicle's plate is damaged, the solution is not to make a replacement plate but to go to the competent department that issues plates. Anyone with a matter concerning their vehicle's plates may consult a lawyer who specializes in traffic matters.
Practical example
The rear plate of Majed's car in Madinah was damaged, and an accessories shop offered to make him a plate with the same number and a different design. Under this article the car may not carry a plate that the Traffic Department did not issue, even if it carries the correct number.
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 6 of the Saudi Traffic Law
May a car plate made at a private shop be fitted?
No. The article bars any vehicle from carrying plates other than those issued by the competent department.
Which body issues car plates?
The competent department, which is the Traffic Department, and under Article 7 the Regulations set the categories of plates, their specifications and the conditions for issuing them.
What should I do if my car's plate is damaged?
It may not be replaced with an unofficial plate, because plates are issued only by the competent department; so that department should be approached.
More articles on Vehicle Registration and Operating License
- Article 3
The article requires every vehicle to have its own number registered with the competent department, and makes the vehicle license number the same as the plate number, amended together with it.
أ - يكون لكل مركبة رقم خاص تحمله مسجل لدى الإدارة المختصة، وفق ما تحدده اللائحة . ب - يكون رقم رخصة السير هو رقم لوحة المركبة نفسه، وإذا أجري أي تغيير في رقم ال
- Article 4
The article requires every vehicle, except a motorcycle, a trailer and a semi-trailer, to carry two visible, legible plates at the front and rear, and it may not travel without them.
يجب أن تحمل كل مركبة - فيما عدا الدراجة الآلية و المقطورة ونصف المقطورة - لوحتين ظاهرتين مقروءتين، توضحان رقم تسجيلهما، تكون إحداهما في مقدمة المركبة ، والأخرى
- Article 5Amended (1445 AH)
The article regulates the plates of motorcycles, trailers and semi-trailers, and refers to the Regulations which provisions of the Law apply to trailers in a way that suits their nature.
أ- يجب أن تحمل كل دراجة آلية لوحة واحدة، واضحة، ومقروءة، تثبت على مؤخرتها، ولا يجوز السير دونها. ب- يجب أن تحمل كل مقطورة أو نصف مقطورة رقم لوحة المركبة القاطرة
- Article 9
The article allows vehicle ownership to be transferred after the prescribed fees are paid, keeps the registered owner responsible for the vehicle's fees and obligations with a right of recourse against the new owner, and refers the procedures to the Regulations.
يجوز نقل ملكية المركبات بعد سداد الرسوم المقررة، وتستمر مسئولية المالك المسجلة ملكيته للمركبة عن جميع الرسوم وكل ما يترتب على المركبة من التزامات، ويمكنه العودة
- Article 10
The article allows the field of use of a vehicle to be amended at the request of its owner or his delegate, after its registration is amended, and refers the procedures and conditions to the Regulations.
يجوز تعديل مجال استعمال المركبة بناء على طلب مالكها أو من يفوضه، بعد تعديل تسجيلها. وتحدد اللائحة إجراءات وشروط ذلك.
- Article 11
The article requires the vehicle license to be in the vehicle while it travels, lets a security officer ask to see it, and bars him from retaining it.
يجب أن تكون رخصة سير المركبة موجودة بها أثناء سيرها، ولرجل الأمن حق طلب إبرازها للاطلاع عليها، وليس له حجزها.
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.