KUWAIT: The interior ministry said on Thursday the new traffic law, which has stiffened penalties, especially for serious offenses, was published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on Wednesday, and accordingly it will be implemented after 90 days on April 22, 2025. The ministry stressed existing penalties and fines will be applied in the coming three months before the new law is applied. The new legislation replaces the existing 48-year-old law.
The lowest fine in the new law is KD 15 for parking in prohibited areas (KD 5 currently), while the highest fine could reach as high as KD 5,000 for causing serious injury or death while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the text of the law published in the official gazette. The ministry said in a statement on X that if the offenses are not sent to court, financial settlements in the form of fines are decided by the ministry.
For example, the fine for using a mobile while driving will be increased from KD 5 to KD 75, while the fine for not using a seatbelt will triple from KD 10 to KD 30. Reckless driving fines will be tripled to KD 150, while fines for running the red light and racing on roads will be raised threefold to KD 150 each.
Vehicles with harmful emissions, loud noises or leaking harmful liquids will have their fines increased from KD 10 currently to KD 75, while the fine for parking in places allocated for the handicapped will be increased 15-fold to KD 150. The fines for speeding will be raised from between KD 20 to 50 to as much as between KD 70 and KD 150, based on how much a motorist exceeds the speed limit.
Those who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be fined between KD 1,000 and KD 3,000 and jailed between one and two years. If they damage public or private property, the fine will be between KD 2,000 and KD 3,000, in addition to one to three years imprisonment. However, if these drivers cause death or injury, the fine will be at least KD 2,000 and could go up to KD 5,000, in addition to a jail term ranging between two and five years.
Under the new law, expats can own only one vehicle under their name. The interior ministry listed in its statement settlement fines for a number of offenses and their court penalties if the cases are sent to court. It said that the fine for using personal vehicles for transporting passengers is KD 150, while the fine for speeding is between KD 70 and 150 depending on the number of kilometers it exceeded the speed limit.
Driving without a license or after the license is seized is punishable by a KD 75 fine. The ministry said offenders will be fined KD 50 for seating children under 10 years in the front seat or keeping them unbuckled or unattended in the back seat of the car, and also for not respecting traffic lines or signs. The fine is KD 30 for driving below the minimum speed on roads.