Unpaid Traffic Fines in Qatar: The 60-Day Deadline, Late Charge and Travel Ban
What Article 90 of the Traffic Law says happens if you do not pay a traffic fine within 60 days: no licence renewal, a QR 1 daily charge and a possible travel ban. Plus who is responsible if you sold the car or someone else was driving.
Unpaid fines are one of the most common surprises at renewal time and at the airport. This guide is based on the English text of the Traffic Law (Decree-Law No. 19 of 2007, amended by Law No. 5 of 2010) on Al Meezan, which we read in October 2026. It does not include the fine table itself, which we could not read. It is general information, not legal advice.
The 60-day rule (Article 90)
Article 90 says fines under the law "shall be paid within sixty (60) days from the date of announcement of the offence". If they are not paid in that period, the Licensing Authority:
- will not renew the driving licence;
- will not renew the vehicle licence;
- adds one riyal for each day of delay;
- may prevent the offender from travelling outside the country, if the offender has been informed of the fine and still has not paid.
The article says the authority "may" use the travel restriction and requires that you were informed. How and when this is applied at the airport is not described in the law.
This settles a point that earlier guides hedged. The renewal block is in the law text itself. See also our guide to vehicle registration renewal problems.
What is "announcement of the offence"?
The law does not define the term in the articles we read. Treat the 60 days as running from the date you were notified, such as a roadside ticket, a message, or the date shown on the Ministry of Interior fine record. To avoid arguments, check your record early. Our guide to how to check and pay traffic fines online shows the official routes.
Paying a table amount or going to court
Article 105 allows "compounding", which means paying a set amount from an attached table within the time the authority decides. If the offender refuses to compound, the case is sent to trial. The same article says there can be no moratorium on penalty fines. We did not see the compounding table, so we cannot list amounts. The criminal ranges in Articles 94 to 96 are what a court can impose, not what most roadside fines are.
Article 103 says police records of offences are valid evidence unless proven otherwise, so keep proof if you want to challenge one. See how to dispute a traffic fine by mistake.
Who is responsible if someone else was driving?
- **Article 102:** the owner, or whoever holds, manages or uses the vehicle, is fully responsible for any violation unless there is acceptable evidence that someone else was driving at the time and all the documents needed to trace that person are provided.
- **Article 67:** an owner must tell the police the name and address of the driver at the time of any offence. If the owner refuses or deliberately gives false information, the owner gets the same penalty as the driver would have.
In plain terms, if a friend, relative or employee had your car, be ready to name them and prove it.
If you sold the car
Article 26 says an owner who transfers a vehicle must inform the Licensing Authority in writing within three days, with the new owner's name and address, and that the new owner must also inform it within three days. Until the vehicle is registered in the new owner's name, the seller remains responsible for everything concerning the vehicle. A sale that is not registered can therefore leave fines on your record. Our guide to vehicle ownership transfer in Qatar explains the registration step.
Steps if you have unpaid fines
1. Check your fines list now on the Ministry of Interior services.
2. Pay the amount shown. The extra QR 1 a day is added by the authority, so ask what the total is.
3. Keep the payment receipt and screenshots before you travel or renew.
4. If a fine is not yours, collect evidence of who was driving or why the record is wrong, and follow the dispute route.
5. If you are leaving Qatar for good, clear fines and vehicle matters first. See cancelling your residence permit when leaving for good.
What we could not verify
- The compounding table with the amount for each offence.
- How the QR 1 daily charge is calculated in practice, and whether a cap applies.
- How often and how the travel restriction is used, and how to lift it after payment.
- Whether Metrash shows the 60-day date for each fine.
- Any later amendment to Article 90 after the 2010 version we read.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to pay a traffic fine in Qatar?
Article 90 of the Traffic Law says fines must be paid within sixty days from the date of announcement of the offence.
Can unpaid traffic fines stop me travelling from Qatar?
Article 90 says the Licensing Authority may prevent an offender from travelling outside the country if the offender does not pay fines of which they have been informed. We did not find details of how it is applied.
Is there a late fee on traffic fines?
Article 90 adds one riyal for each day of delay after the 60 days.
I sold my car but the fines are still in my name. Why?
Article 26 says the seller remains responsible for everything concerning the vehicle until it is registered in the new owner's name. Both sides must inform the Licensing Authority in writing within three days.
Who pays if someone else drove my car?
Article 102 makes the owner fully responsible unless there is acceptable evidence that someone else drove, with the documents needed to trace them. Article 67 requires the owner to name the driver to the police.
Sources & references
Agha Ali Abbas
Founder & Editor
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