Iraq gives motorcycle owners 90 working days to register or face fines

BAGHDAD — Motorcycle owners in Iraq will have 90 working days to register their bikes and get official plates or face a fine of 100,000 dinars (about $66 at the official rate), the General Traffic Directorate said Monday.

The registration window runs from Oct. 18 to the close of business on Feb. 22, 2027, Traffic Director Lt. Gen. Uday Samir Halim said. It covers motorcycles legally imported into Iraq and those sold at public auction under Cabinet Decision No. 353 of 2018. Owners must complete the process at Traffic Directorate registration centers in Baghdad and the governorates.

The grace period was issued under Article 47, Paragraph 2(G), of Traffic Law No. 8 of 2019, with the approval of the Interior Ministry’s senior undersecretary, and the fine will be imposed under Article 25, Paragraph 2(A), the directorate said.

The directorate gave owners a 90-day grace period in April 2025, suspending confiscations while requiring riders to get licenses, wear helmets and follow traffic rules. Traffic authorities said in April 2026 that about 400,000 motorcycles had been registered nationwide and warned that bikes without registration or customs papers could be seized and referred to customs. The campaign has come with limits on when and where motorcycles can be ridden, which authorities have tied to cutting accidents and ensuring proper documentation.