Guides

The istimara (vehicle registration / rukhsat sayr) is your car's license. For private cars the fee is SAR 100 per year; public and commercial vehicles pay more (up to SAR 400 per year).

Renewal is done in minutes on Absher or Tamm, but three things must be in order first: a valid periodic inspection (for cars older than three years), valid insurance, and no unpaid traffic fines. Pay the fee through SADAD, and the new istimara can be delivered by Saudi Post.

Do not let it lapse — driving with an expired istimara exposes you to fines, and an expired registration also blocks selling the car until it is fixed.

Used-car ownership transfers are done online through Absher's Vehicle Sale (Mubaya'a) service — no traffic-office visit needed. The seller initiates the sale, the buyer pays the car price into Absher's secure escrow account (never directly to the seller), and the money is released once the transfer completes. This protects both sides.

Before the transfer can go through: the car needs a valid periodic inspection (fahs), it must be free of mortgages and impounds, all traffic fines on the car and buyer must be paid, and the buyer must insure the car in their own name.

Costs: SAR 150 government transfer fee paid via SADAD, plus the Absher service fee (about SAR 230 including VAT, as commonly reported). Budget also for the fahs (SAR 115) if the current one has expired.

Window tint is allowed up to 30% darkness on the side and rear windows. The windshield and front-side windows must stay clear unless you obtain a medical permit through Absher. Reflective mirror films are banned, and taxis, rental cars and buses may not tint at all. Fines for illegal tint are reported in the range of SAR 500–900, and the car can be held until the film is removed.

Plates belong to the owner, not the car: when you sell, you can keep your plate and move it to another vehicle you own for a SAR 400 fee, and distinctive plates are auctioned on Absher.

Before buying any used car, check its recorded violations on Absher or Tamm — a transfer cannot complete while fines are unpaid, and sellers sometimes expect the buyer to absorb them.