Issuing motorcycle licenses to women requires changes to regulations and law, Iran’s traffic police chief said on Sunday, adding the force is waiting for a formal government order before taking action.
“For licenses for women, certain bylaws, laws and regulations must be revised. We are awaiting an official notification on women’s motorcycling so we can proceed,” said Brigadier General Teymour Hosseini, head of traffic police.
The current legal framework blocks issuance, Hosseini added, pointing to a traffic law that designates the police as the licensing authority for men and makes no reference to women.
He said any implementation would require a statutory amendment and a written directive from competent authorities.
Despite the legal bar, more women have taken up motorcycling in Iranian cities in recent years, especially after protests linked to the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody. Officials say the trend has spread from Tehran to other provinces, reflecting practical needs for mobility and work.
A 2010 change to the traffic code left women riders in a gray zone: riding without a license is an offense, but enforcement has been uneven, with officers alternately warning or seizing bikes.
The president’s parliamentary affairs deputy, Kazem Delkhosh, said in August that the government is working on a way to legalize women’s motorcycling. “We are preparing legislation for women who want to ride, and the women’s affairs office is also working on a bill,” he told the state-run Iran newspaper.
Conservative clerics often argue that public motorcycling by women could invite unwanted attention or offend social norms, positions that have helped keep the licensing door closed.
