Women in Iran can now formally obtain licences to ride motorcycles local media reportedly on Wednesday February 4, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding women’s use of two-wheelers in the country.
Although the Iranian law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but practice, authorities refused to issue licences.
Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammed Raza Aref signed a resolution on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 aimed at clarifying the traffic code, which was approved by Iran’s cabinet in late January, the country’s lina news agency reported.
The resolution obliges traffic police to “provide practical training to female applicants, organize an exam under the direct supervision of the police, and issue motorcycle driver’s licences to women”, lina said.
The change follows a wave of protests across Iran that were initially sparked by economy grievances but which grew last month into nationwide anti-government demostrations.
Since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, women have faced a range of societal restrictions, with codes posing particular challenges for females motorcyclists. Women are required to cover their hair with a headscarf in public and wear modest, loose-fitting clothing.
Despite these rules, the number of women riding motorcycles has risen sharply in recent years, as many openly defy dress restrictions. The trend intensified after the 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code.
Amini’s death sparked widespread protests led by women demanding greater freedoms, with growing visibility of female motorcyclists becoming one of the symbols of resistance against long-standing restrictions.
-9News Nigeria.
