Women in Iran are now officially allowed to apply for and receive motorcycle driving licences, according to local media reports on Wednesday, bringing an end to long-standing legal uncertainty surrounding female riders.
While the law never explicitly banned women from operating motorcycles or scooters, authorities had consistently refused to issue licences in practice.
This created a legal loophole where women involved in road accidents were often held fully responsible, even when they were the victims.
On Tuesday, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref signed a resolution to clarify the traffic regulations.
The measure, which received cabinet approval in late January, requires traffic police to provide practical training to female applicants, conduct supervised exams, and issue motorcycle licences to those who pass, as reported by Iran’s ILNA news agency.
The policy change arrives amid ongoing nationwide protests that began with economic complaints and escalated last month into widespread anti-government demonstrations.
Iranian authorities have acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, maintaining that the majority were security personnel and innocent bystanders.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran have faced various societal restrictions, including mandatory dress codes. Women are required to wear a headscarf in public and modest, loose-fitting clothing—requirements that have made riding motorcycles difficult and uncomfortable.
In recent years, however, many women have increasingly ignored these rules. The number of women riding motorcycles has risen noticeably, particularly after the 2022 death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
The young woman was arrested for allegedly breaching the dress code, and her death triggered massive protests across Iran demanding greater rights and freedoms for women.
