Home car impoundment limited to eligible violators under new traffic rules
- Service allows eligible motorists to serve their vehicle impoundment period at a location they choose, subject to approved conditions and electronic monitoring
Kuwait will introduce its new home vehicle impoundment service starting Sunday, as part of efforts by the General Directorate of Traffic to modernize traffic-law enforcement and use technology to monitor violations. The service allows eligible motorists to serve their vehicle impoundment period at a location they choose, subject to approved conditions and electronic monitoring.
Brigadier General Khaled Al-Adwani, Assistant Director General for Violations and Licensing Affairs, said the Traffic Law contains 29 articles permitting vehicle impoundment, particularly for violations considered dangerous to road users. The new service follows procedures related to Article 43 and Ministerial Resolution No. 1090 issued in July on home vehicle impoundment.
Among the major violations covered by the traffic law are reckless driving, negligence, racing, speeding, failure to wear a seat belt, mobile phone use while driving, towing violations, deliberately obstructing traffic, improper overtaking, excessive noise and running red lights. However, not every violation qualifies for home impoundment.
Vehicles producing excessive noise because of modified exhaust systems must remain in the official impound garage so the violation can first be corrected. Serious offences such as recklessness and negligence may also be excluded, as may cases involving motorists with extensive violation records or large accumulated fines, depending on the regulations set by the Traffic Department.
The authorities said eligibility for home impoundment depends partly on the driver’s record and compliance history. The system is intended for motorists considered likely to comply with the restrictions, while those with poor records may be denied the option because of concerns that they could use the vehicle during the impoundment period.
A dedicated area at the impound facility will handle applications. The violator enters the required information, completes the procedures and has a monitoring device installed before the vehicle is transported to the location selected for the home impoundment. Motorists whose vehicles are already impounded may also be able to complete the remaining period at home, provided they meet the approved conditions.
Impoundment periods depend on the type of offence and range from several days to a maximum of 60 days. A vehicle under home impoundment cannot be moved during the period except in officially documented emergencies, such as a fire or other specific emergency circumstances.
Deliberately violating home impoundment conditions carries a 50-dinar fine. In cases of repeated or proven intentional violations, the settlement may be rejected and the case referred to the traffic court. Article 34 provides for imprisonment of up to two months or a fine ranging from 150 to 200 dinars.
Authorities also warned against tampering with or damaging the electronic monitoring device, which is considered state property. Anyone found deliberately interfering with the device may be required to pay its value, while the vehicle can be transferred to the Ministry of Interior’s impound garage and subjected to the normal impoundment system.
Al-Adwani said the stricter traffic law has already produced changes in driver behaviour. Compliance with seat-belt requirements and the prohibition on using mobile phones while driving has reached about 90 percent, while serious violations linked to accidents, injuries and deaths have declined.
A major reduction was also recorded in parking violations involving spaces reserved for people with disabilities. Such violations had previously numbered around 50,000, but after cases were referred for investigation, the figure dropped to about 300 annually. Under the new law, the offence carries vehicle confiscation and imprisonment ranging from one to three years.
Colonel Ayoub Ghazi Fathallah said the procedures for installing the home impoundment device and determining the vehicle’s location take about five minutes once the driver’s and vehicle’s information has been entered. The vehicle must be kept at a private residence, although the property does not have to belong to the violator. Public places, association parking lots and school parking areas are not permitted.
The device is securely installed inside the vehicle and the impoundment period begins at 12 midnight. The installation fee is 10 dinars, while home impoundment costs 2 dinars per day, compared with 1 dinar per day for vehicles kept in the official impound garage. If a violator chooses not to use home impoundment, a 10-dinar towing fee is charged in addition to the garage fee.
The electronic system is linked to the Traffic Department’s operations room and uses GPS tracking to monitor vehicles continuously. Any movement or vibration of the device triggers an immediate notification, enabling authorities to identify the vehicle’s location and dispatch a patrol. A violation of the conditions can result in the vehicle being moved to the official impound yard and placed under the traditional impoundment system.
Fathallah said overtaking violations can lead to two months of vehicle impoundment, while vehicles travelling at more than 151 kilometres per hour are also impounded. He noted that patrol-car accidents numbered 207 in 2022, while no such accidents were recorded in 2026, which he attributed to greater driver attention, compliance with traffic rules and fewer distractions. The Traffic Department is also using civilian vehicles through its Traffic Investigations unit to detect violations across governorates and highways.
The officials stressed that the home impoundment system is not designed to help motorists evade penalties or generate profit. Rather, it is intended to strengthen compliance, improve traffic safety, reduce the need for large impound yards and make procedures more convenient. The Traffic Department is also developing further digital services, including through the Sahl application, with the broader goal of applying the law equally to citizens and residents while reducing the need to visit traffic departments.
