New Kuwait Traffic Department lists 18 services you can request now

If you own a car, a bike or a driving licence in Kuwait, there’s now one clear list telling you exactly what you can ask the traffic department to do for you. Traffic Affairs and Operations, part of the Ministry of Interior (MOI), has put out an official list of 18 services, and every driver or vehicle owner in the country falls under at least one of them.

This isn’t a new rule or a new fee. It’s a reminder of what’s already on offer, lined up in one place so people stop guessing which counter to queue at. If you’ve ever wasted a morning at a traffic department because you went to the wrong window, this list is for you.

Who does this apply to?

This covers anyone who deals with a car, a motorbike, or a driving licence in Kuwait. That includes citizens and expats, private car owners, people selling or buying used vehicles, parents handling a vehicle registered under a minor’s name, and anyone who has had a vehicle impounded or a licence suspended over traffic points.

If you’ve recently gone through registering a car in Kuwait or renewed your registration through the Sahel app, you’ve already used one version of these services. This list just confirms the rest are available too.

The 18 services, numbered

Here is the full list the MOI published, exactly as listed under Traffic Affairs and Operations:

1. Transfer of vehicle ownership.
2. Vehicle export.
3. Issuing a replacement for a lost or damaged vehicle plate.
4. Vehicle renewal.
5. Receiving vehicle plates.
6. Cancelling vehicle licensing.
7. Guardian’s approval for transferring vehicle ownership registered under a minor’s name.
8. Registering a new vehicle.
9. Vehicle write-off (dropping the vehicle’s registration entirely).
10. Inspection of a new vehicle.
11. Market licence transactions.
12. Market permit transactions.
13. Transfer of a traffic violation to another person.
14. Driving licence suspension under the points system.
15. Renewal of traffic signature accreditation.
16. Issuance of traffic signature accreditation.
17. Release of an impounded vehicle.
18. Referral of traffic violations to court.

How to actually use these services

The MOI didn’t give a separate how-to for each of the 18 items, but it did point people towards three channels to start any of these transactions:

1. Call 112, the number the MOI lists for traffic service enquiries.
2. Check the MOI’s social media account, MOI_KUW, for updates and guidance on each service.
3. Visit www.moi.gov.kw for official information and to begin certain transactions online.
4. For services that need an in-person visit, such as vehicle inspection or releasing an impounded car, go to your local traffic department with your civil ID and vehicle documents ready.

The MOI hasn’t specified which of these 18 services can be done fully online versus which still need a visit to a traffic department counter. If that matters for a service you need, it’s worth checking moi.gov.kw or calling 112 before you head out.

Why this matters for drivers in Kuwait

Kuwait’s traffic department has been pushing several changes lately, and this list fits that pattern. Paper registration booklets are being phased out, as we reported when the traffic department moved people away from the paper booklet, and paper car insurance already ended on 25 October, covered in our piece on digital vehicle insurance through Beema. The MOI also set new rules for comprehensive car insurance this week.

Against that backdrop, listing all 18 services in one place looks like part of a wider push to make transactions faster and clearer, rather than scattered across different offices and apps.

If you’re dealing with traffic violation points on your licence, this list confirms there is a formal process for suspension under the points system, and a separate process for transferring a violation to someone else, useful if another driver was actually behind the wheel. For families, the guardian’s approval service matters if a vehicle is registered under a child’s name and needs an ownership change.

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