TEHRAN (Kashmir English): In a significant shift for women’s rights, the Iranian government has formally allowed female citizens to obtain motorcycle licences and ride two-wheelers.
Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Reza Aref, signed a resolution on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, clarifying the national traffic code to explicitly allow and regulate two-wheeled operation for women.
The resolution, which received cabinet approval in late January, mandates several new requirements for the traffic police.
Now authorities must provide practical riding training to female applicants at licensed schools.
Licensing exams must be organized and conducted under the direct supervision of the traffic police.
Police are officially required to issue motorcycle driver’s licences to qualified women who pass these requirements.
No explicit ban on Iranian women riding motorcycles
While Iranian law did not previously contain an explicit ban on women riding motorcycles or scooters, a long-standing “legal ambiguity” existed because the traffic code traditionally referred only to “men”.
In practice, authorities routinely refused to issue licences to women, which created severe legal risks; unlicenced female riders were often held legally responsible for road accidents even when they were the victims. This lack of a licence also prevented them from obtaining insurance or legal safeguards.
Now Iranian women can formally obtain a licence to ride a motorcycle, according to local media.
