Women in Iran can now officially obtain motorcycle licences and legally ride two-wheelers after the government approved a resolution clarifying long-standing uncertainty in traffic laws. Before the change, authorities often refused to issue licences to women—even though no law explicitly banned them from riding—leaving many in legal limbo and potentially liable in traffic incidents.
The decision, signed by First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref and backed by cabinet approval, requires traffic police to provide practical riding training, conduct supervised exams, and issue motorcycle driver licences to women.
This policy shift resolves years of ambiguity and is seen as a symbolic expansion of women’s mobility rights in a country where gender restrictions have been a focus of public debate and protest.
