The regulation of traffic and the use of public roads is subject to the provisions of this law and the attached schedules. For the implementation of this law, the following definitions shall apply: -
Road: Any open way for the passage of vehicles, carts, pedestrians, and animals.
Lane - [Handwriting]: A side of the paved road that allows vehicles to pass in one direction.
Track: A section in the lane - [Handwriting] - that allows for the passage of vehicles in succession, with clearly defined sides.
Paved: A section of the road that is covered with stones or asphalt and is usually used for vehicle traffic.
Driver: Any person who drives a vehicle or an animal used for pulling, loading, or riding.
Vehicle: Any means of transport or towing with wheels that operates by mechanical or animal power, excluding rail trains.
Car: A motorized vehicle designed for transporting people or goods, excluding vehicles that operate on railway lines.
Truck [Lorry]: A vehicle designed for transporting goods or cargo, with an empty weight exceeding (3500) kilograms.
Light Truck [Van] - Pickup: A vehicle designed for transporting goods or cargo, with an empty weight not exceeding (3500) kilograms.
Bus [Coach]: A vehicle designed for transporting passengers with more than eight designated seats.
Private Car: A vehicle for personal use that transports goods or people without compensation, whether owned by a natural or legal person.
Public Car: A vehicle designed for transporting people or goods for compensation of any kind.
Tourist Car: A vehicle designed for transporting passengers with no more than eight designated seats.
Emergency Vehicle: Any vehicle designated for urgent and dangerous situations [Ambulance - Police - Fire] or performing an emergency task.
Tractor: A vehicle equipped with a mechanical engine used to pull agricultural or public works machinery.
Public Works Equipment: Mechanical equipment designed for construction work without rubber wheels.
Motorcycles: Motorized bikes with handlebars, which may be designed in a box shape for transporting goods. Any bike equipped with an auxiliary engine with a cylinder diameter of three and a half inches is considered a motorcycle.
Weights
A - Empty Weight: The weight of the vehicle equipped with its fuel, repair tools, and spare parts.
B - Gross Weight: The weight of the empty vehicle plus its maximum authorized load, including the driver, passengers, fuel, oil, and coolant in the engine.
C - Net Weight [Load]: The difference between the empty and gross weights, which the vehicle is designed to carry and is specified by the manufacturer.
D - Axle Weight: The total pressure of the wheels of one axle on the road surface.
Driving License: An official local or foreign permit issued by the competent authorities in the Kingdom or by any competent authority in another country that allows its holder to drive a specific type of vehicle or various types of vehicles.
Reflectors: Reflective glass or any material placed at the rear of the vehicle to reflect red light visible from a distance of at least fifty meters.
Towing Vehicle: Any vehicle that pulls a trailer attached to it in a hinged manner.
Trailer: A vehicle without an engine that is towed by a towing vehicle. Indicator: A mechanical or electrical device that indicates the direction of the vehicle when the driver wishes to change its course.
Road Signs: Lines or signals on the public road or its sides.
Visiting Driver: A driver who comes to the Kingdom and stays for no more than one year and holds a valid driving license.
Turn: The curve that changes the direction of travel and includes the road boundaries, whether paved with stones or not.
Blind Turn: A turn located on a two-way street where an oncoming driver cannot see traffic on the other side of the road or in the opposite direction.
Pedestrian Crossing: A designated area for pedestrian passage, marked for this purpose at street intersections, requiring drivers to stop before it to allow pedestrians to cross safely.
Intersection [Crossroads]: A place that includes the area served by streets in different directions.
Stop Lines: Two white transverse lines separated by a distance of one foot, positioned before pedestrian crossings, requiring the driver to stop at the first line upon receiving the signal.
Parking Lots: Designated areas for parking vehicles indicated by signs [Parking - Allowed to Park].
Stopping: A temporary halt for a limited time required for traffic necessities or for the boarding or alighting of passengers.
Parking: The act of remaining stationary in a place for a long time.
Waiting: Stopping for a period exceeding that necessary for boarding or alighting passengers.
Road User: Pedestrians, livestock drivers, drivers of pulling or loading animals, or drivers of vehicles not running on railway lines.
Built-up Area: Any group of closely spaced or adjacent buildings on one side of the road or on both sides, giving it the appearance of a street.
Traffic Signals: Any device, sign, or signal that is advisory, warning, mandatory, or light-based placed on the road to regulate traffic.
High Beams: The high lights.
Low Beams: The low lights.
A- No one is allowed to drive a vehicle or motor vehicle before obtaining a driving license according to the type and power of the vehicle they are driving, issued by the Traffic Department in accordance with the provisions of this law, or an international driving license if the driver is a visitor.
B- The driver must carry this license while driving their vehicle. C- Drivers of vehicles belonging to the armed forces are issued driving licenses by the competent military authorities.
D- A holder of a military driving license is not permitted to drive civilian vehicles unless they obtain a driving license from the Traffic Department.
Licenses are divided into four categories: -
A - A private driving license granted to those who drive a private vehicle not exceeding a total weight of (3500) kilograms.
B - A public driving license specifying the category and type of vehicle permitted to be driven.
C - A heavy machinery driving license.
D - A motorcycle driving license.
The validity period of each category is determined by a decision from the Minister of Interior.
The following conditions must be met by the applicant for the licenses referred to in Article (3): -
A- The applicant must have reached the age specified in Article (6) of this Law.
B- The applicant must submit a request according to the prescribed form accompanied by three passport-sized photos, and the request must include the following: -
1- The applicant's name, surname, and title.
2- The category of the license the applicant wishes to obtain.
3- Place of birth and date of birth.
4- A certified copy of the civil registry.
C- For applicants for a public driving license and a heavy vehicle driving license, it is required that they have not previously been convicted of a crime against the person, honor, or property unless at least five years have passed since the execution of the penalty imposed on them.
D- The applicant must have actual residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
E- The applicant must be free from diseases and ailments that prevent them from driving the vehicle for which the license is requested, based on a medical certificate issued by an official authority, and no more than three months should have passed since its date.
F- The applicant must successfully pass a theoretical and practical test, the conditions and methods of which are determined by the traffic department.
The license applicant will be tested on a vehicle from the category for which they are requesting the driving license.
Exemptions from the examination referred to in paragraph (W) of Article Four may include: -
A- Drivers holding an international driving license for the category of vehicles specified in their licenses.
B- Drivers holding a foreign license issued by the competent authorities in their countries, provided that it has not expired.
C- Those holding a valid military driving license.
The age for license applicants is determined as follows: -
1- Completion of sixteen years for motorcycles.
2- Completion of eighteen years for private cars and small trucks.
3- Completion of twenty-one years for public vehicles.
1- The public driving license shall be revoked if its holder is judicially convicted of committing a crime specified in paragraph (C) of Article (4).
2- No driving license of any kind shall be issued to anyone who is addicted to intoxicants unless their repentance is proven through procedures for evidence determined by the Minister of Interior, and a person is considered addicted under this text if they have been convicted at least twice by a judicial ruling for committing the crime of intoxication.
3- No driving license of any kind shall be issued to anyone who has been judicially convicted of drug use, manufacturing, possession, or trafficking unless at least five years have passed since the completion of the penalty imposed.
A person who has not passed the test may not apply for a new test before one month has elapsed since the first test. If they fail a second time, they may not apply for the test again until two months have passed. If they fail for the third time, they may not do so until six months have passed since their last test.
A public driving license shall only be granted to Saudi citizens or to those who receive an order from the Minister of Interior or his delegate to be treated as Saudi citizens in the issuance of licenses.