Criminal defence8 min read
Traffic Violations in Qatar: Check, Pay, Object
Faysel Al-MohannadiLawyer admitted before the Court of Cassation · Reviewed on
Short answer
Check and pay traffic violations in Qatar on the Metrash app or the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website, by plate number, QID or establishment number. The MOI takes half off selected violations paid within a month, and objections are accepted within 14 days. Unpaid fines block licence renewal, can stop you travelling, and go to the prosecution after 12 months.
The practice area: traffic accident lawyer in Qatar
How do you check and pay traffic fines, and is there a discount?
You can check and pay traffic violations in Qatar on the Metrash app or the MOI website, by plate number, QID or establishment number. Checking costs nothing.
| Channel | How to get there | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| MOI website | "Inquire About Traffic Violations": enter the plate number and vehicle type, your QID or a company ID, then the verification code | Check |
| MOI e-services portal | Smart card login, then "Traffic Services", "Traffic Violations and Accidents", "Traffic Violations" and "Settlement of Violations" | Each violation's details and amount, then payment |
| Metrash app | "Traffic", then "Violations" | Check, pay, object, and pay for someone else |
| In person | An MOI collection office or the Traffic Department | Pay |
The Traffic Law lets the authority waive up to half the amount if you pay within 30 days of the violation being recorded (Article 105). In July 2026 the MOI reminded drivers that the half discount applies to selected violations paid within the first month, so check the amount shown before you pay.
Pay only through official channels: in 2025, fake texts asked people to pay "fines" through links imitating Hukoomi.
How much are the fines, and how do black points work?
In law, paying a violation is a settlement: you pay the amount set in the schedule attached to the Traffic Law, and the matter ends without court (Article 105). Examples from the schedules (the amount shown when you pay is what counts):
| Violation | Settlement amount | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Running a red light (Article 72) | QAR 6,000 | 7 |
| Driving against the traffic (Article 45) | QAR 6,000 | 6 on expressways and ring roads |
| Speeding (Article 53) | From QAR 500, rising with the excess speed | 1 to 4 above 30 km/h over the limit |
| Parking in a space for people with special needs (Article 78) | QAR 1,000 | 3 |
| Hand-held phone while driving (Article 55) | QAR 500 | None listed |
| No seat belt (Article 54) | QAR 500 | None listed |
Points are recorded on a final conviction or a settlement, which means when you pay. Once they reach the limit, your licence is withdrawn (Articles 91 and 92):
| Occasion | Points total | Licence withdrawn for |
|---|---|---|
| First | 14 | 3 months |
| Second | 12 | 6 months |
| Third | 10 | 9 months |
| Fourth | 8 | 1 year |
| Fifth | 6 | Permanently; a new licence only after a test and at least a year |
Points are wiped when the licence is withdrawn, or after a year with no new offence, but past withdrawals stay on record (Article 93).
How do you object to a violation, and what is the deadline?
You object through the MOI's "Traffic Violations Objection" service on Metrash or the e-services portal, at no fee. When the General Directorate of Traffic launched the service in July 2019, it said objections are accepted within 14 days of the violation being recorded, with a reply by text message within 30 days.
Open "Traffic Services", then "Traffic Violations and Accidents", then "Traffic Violations Objection".
Select the violation. If it can't be selected, it can't be objected to, and the status field says why.
Write your reason clearly and submit.
- Object before you pay: paying is a settlement, and settlements add points.
- If someone else was driving, the owner is liable unless they give acceptable proof of who it was, with that person's details (Article 102).
- For radar violations, look at the radar photo on the MOI website first.
If the objection is refused, the law does not force you to settle. But anyone who refuses is sent to trial, where the court applies the penalty for the offence, not the schedule amount (Article 105). Police reports count as proof unless disproved (Article 103).
What happens if you don't pay?
An unpaid violation does not go away, and the consequences build up:
| Consequence | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Renewals | If a fine is not paid within 60 days of notice, your licence and vehicle registration are not renewed until you pay, plus QAR 1 a day | Article 90 |
| Travel | The authority may bar a violator from travel. Since 1 September 2024, unpaid violations must be paid before leaving through any land, air or sea border | Article 90; MOI, May 2024 |
| Prosecution | A violation unpaid for over 12 months goes to the prosecution and can no longer be settled | MOI, July 2026 |
When does a traffic matter become a criminal case?
A traffic matter becomes a criminal case when the act is outside the settlement schedule, an accident causes death or injury, or the driver refuses to settle. The schedule does not cover, for example, driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving without a licence or fleeing an accident. The Traffic Prosecution investigates these and refers them to the competent court.
| Act | Penalty in the law | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Reckless driving, driving under the influence, or fleeing an accident | 1 month to 3 years in prison and/or QAR 10,000 to 50,000 | Traffic Law 57, 94 |
| Driving without a licence | The same; for a repeat offence, mandatory prison and QAR 20,000 to 50,000 | Traffic Law 29, 94 |
| Failing to help the injured or call the police after an injury accident | 1 week to 1 year and/or QAR 3,000 to 10,000 | Traffic Law 66, 95 |
| Causing death by mistake | Up to 3 years and/or up to QAR 50,000; up to 1 year and/or up to QAR 20,000 if the family pardons or accepts the diya | Penal Code 311 |
| Causing injury by mistake | Up to 6 months and/or up to QAR 5,000; up to 1 year and/or up to QAR 15,000 for permanent disability | Penal Code 312 |
| Aggravating factors | Penalties double if the driver was drunk or drugged, failed to help the victim when able, or more than three people were killed or hurt | Penal Code 313 |
The Traffic Department may also withdraw a licence, or impound a vehicle in cases such as drink driving, for up to 90 days (Articles 87 and 88). A court may withdraw the licence for 1 to 6 months (Article 100), and minimum penalties double for repeat offenders (Article 98).
What should you do after a traffic accident?
If an accident injures someone, the driver must help the injured, inform the police at once, and not move the vehicle except with police permission or to get the injured to care (Article 66).
Stop and stay: fleeing an accident is an offence (Article 57).
Help the injured and call 999.
If no one is hurt and the cars can move, go to the nearest service stop and inform the traffic police at once. Minor accidents can be reported on Metrash.
Give the police your name and address, and the owner's if asked.
Photograph the scene and damage, and note witnesses' details.
Read your statement before signing, and don't sign what you don't understand.
Where someone is killed or injured, a diya or compensation claim can be brought before the criminal court alongside the case (Criminal Procedure Code, Article 19).
When should you speak to a lawyer?
Speak to a lawyer when the matter moves from a fine you can pay to an investigation or a case. Signs that advice would help:
- You have been summoned by the Traffic Prosecution or the police.
- An accident caused death or injury, whether you were the driver, the injured person or a relative.
- You are accused of driving under the influence, reckless driving or fleeing the scene.
- An old unpaid violation has gone to the prosecution or is stopping you from travelling.
- You are not Qatari and worry about your residency: a court may deport a foreigner sentenced to prison (Penal Code, Article 77).
What the law says
This guide relies on the Traffic Law (Decree-Law No. 19 of 2007, amended in 2010 and 2015), especially Articles 57, 66 and 87 to 105 and its settlement and points schedules, and on Penal Code Articles 77 and 311 to 313 (as amended in 2024). A draft new Traffic Law approved by the Shura Council in July 2026 had not been published when this guide was checked, and may change amounts and procedures. Texts checked on Al Meezan on 31 October 2026.
Read on Al MeezanQuestions people ask
Yes. In Metrash, go to "Traffic", "Violations", then "Other Vehicle Violations", and enter the plate number and the violator's QID.
Yes. Paying is a settlement, and points are recorded on a settlement or a final conviction (Article 92). They are wiped after a year with no new offence (Article 93).
Not since 1 September 2024: the MOI requires unpaid violations to be paid before you leave through any border, and the law allows a travel ban for unpaid fines (Article 90).
The owner, unless they give acceptable proof of who was driving, with their details (Article 102). An owner who refuses to name the driver, or gives false details, faces the driver's penalty (Article 67).
This guide is general information about Qatari law, not advice on your case.
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Ask about your situation
If a violation has gone to the prosecution, or an accident has caused injury, ask us about your legal position.