An Iraqi traffic officer checks documents of a motorcyclist at a roadside checkpoint in Baghdad.
Iraq registers 400,000 motorcycles, urges owners to comply with rules
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s General Traffic Directorate said Friday it has registered about 400,000 motorcycles across the country and called on owners to complete official registration procedures.
Haider Shaker, head of the directorate’s media division, told the Iraqi News Agency that “the Traffic Directorate is continuing the process of registering motorcycles in Baghdad and the rest of the governorates of all types.”
He said the directorate “receives all motorcycle owners who have customs documents,” urging “motorcycle owners to review registration departments to complete the procedures for registering their motorcycles properly.”
Shaker warned that “motorcycles that are not registered or do not carry official documents have the right to be seized by the Traffic Directorate and referred to the General Customs Authority to take the necessary legal measures against them.”
He added that “the number of motorcycles registered so far has reached approximately 400,000 motorcycles across the country.”
The registration campaign builds on previous measures introduced by traffic authorities to regulate motorcycle use and improve road safety. In 2025, the General Traffic Directorate announced a grace period allowing owners to register their motorcycles before enforcement measures took effect, warning that unregistered vehicles would face legal consequences.
Authorities have also imposed restrictions on motorcycle movement in several areas, including limits on operating hours and designated routes, alongside enforcement campaigns that included confiscation of unregistered motorcycles. Officials have linked these measures to efforts to reduce traffic violations and accidents, as well as to ensure proper documentation of vehicles across the country.