Driving License in Bahrain

How to obtain  Light vehicle's Driving License in Bahrain

Courtesy: Bahrain traffic Department
 

Article 228:
The provisions of Articles 147 and 148 of the traffic law Regulation apply for proof of identity and place of residence of the applicant.

Article 229:
Age of applicant is proved by means of the birth certificate, or an official duplicate, or any official document valid for proof of age. Proof of nationality is by means of the passport, and the proof that the applicant is not employed with the Government or any of its public organizations and authorities would be by means of an official certificate from the Government authority or private institution he is employed with.

Article 230:
Non-Bahrainis must be authorized to reside in the country, proof of which is by means of the passport or any legal document issued by the Passports Directorate.

Article 231:
The applicant must be free of any disability which would prevent him from driving. In case of any doubts, the officials in the Directorate of Traffic and Licensing refer him to the medical expert or the Public Security physician for examination and presentation of an official certificate proving that he is free of any disability which would prevent him from driving.

Article 232:
The eyesight test is performed with the knowledge of the medical expert or the Public Security Physician, or any eye specialist appointed for this purpose. It includes definition of sight capacity and color discrimination through technical equipment.
In case of doubts concerning the inside of the eye, or that the pupils and vision field are abnormal, the applicant is referred to the eye specialist in the Governmental hospital for examination and presentation of any official report of the case, determining his capacity for safe driving of vehicles.

Article 233:
In exception to the above provisions, eyesight may be considered of the required capacity if one eye suffers blindness, provided that the other eye is 6/6, and the eye is internally intact, the pupils and vision field being normal, and that the specialist’s report specifies the applicant’s capacity for safe driving of vehicles.
The exception only applies to licenses mentioned in clauses 1 and 6, Article 41 of the traffic Law.

Article 234:
The applicant is referred to the eyesight test on the attached and allocated form, after attaching the applicant’s photograph, signing and sealing with the seal of the Directorate of Traffic and Licensing.

Article 235:
If the applicant fails in the eyesight test three consecutive times during one year, at least six months must elapse before performing a new test.

Article 236:
In cases where medical glasses or contact lenses are allowed to achieve the required sharpness, it is prohibited to drive the vehicle unless the glasses or the lenses are used. This must be specified in the license. Furthermore, the photograph attached to the license must be of the carrier wearing the medical glasses or the contact lenses.

Article 237:
The eyesight examination is repeated for carriers of the licenses mentioned in clauses, 4,7,8,9,10,11, and 12 of Article 41 of the Law for five years after the date of the license acquisition, and every five years there from, if the license carrier has not been reached sixty years of age. After sixty, the test is repeated once in every two years, satisfactory results being eyesight of 6/12, 6/24, or 6/18 for each eye. The test includes color discrimination.
To pass the test, the eye must be internally intact, and the pupils and field of vision must be normal.
Renewal of the license is prohibited in cases of eyesight test failure.

Article 238:
Not by passing the Directorate of Traffic's right to require passing the eyesight test, whenever it finds it necessary and due to circumstances acceptable to it, the license applicant may be exempted from the test if he carries a driving license or a certificate of medical fitness issued by the Government authority of a State other than Bahrain, provided the certificate is accredited by embassies or consulates of the State of Bahrain abroad, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Bahrain.
A license issued during the presence of the applicant in the country is not acknowledged; neither is a renewal of the license issued in this manner.
The Directorate of Traffic and Licensing, may refuse acknowledgement of a license or medical certificate on the basis of reciprocity.

Article 239:
Technical inspection of the applicant is performed after medical fitness and fulfillment of all other conditions with the knowledge of the responsible official in the Directorate of Traffic and Licensing, in the allocated and attached form, having attached the applicant’s photograph, signed and sealed it with the seal of the Directorate of Traffic . The test consists of driving the vehicle for which the license is requested, as well as traffic rules and behavior signs and lights.

Article 240:
The test begins with an oral examination of the applicant, concerning traffic rules and behavior, signs, lights, different components of vehicle and its equipment. As for licenses mentioned in clauses 7,8,and 12 of Article 41 of the traffic Law, the oral test also includes geographical knowledge of Bahrain, traffic directions, site locations and locations of public and major and historical buildings. Further more, the test for instruction licenses involves questions about the extent of knowledge of driving rules, car mechanical principles, Traffic Law and implementation Regulation and orders. If the applicant fails to pass this test, he shall be considered unfit and shall not be given the practical test.

Article 241:
If the applicant passes the oral test, he is tested practically, driving the vehicle focusing on the following instruction and learning vehicles:-
1. Starting the motor and taking off in a straight line, then in a curve.
2. Stopping in ordinary circumstances and emergencies.
3. Overtaking other vehicles, and meeting them on the same road and on intersections.
4. Right and left turns at intersections.
5. Passing intersections.
6. Using the necessary signals in the proper times to signal alterations of course and driving conditions, using hand or light signals.
7. Compliance with signals and signs and traffic lines and light signals by other vehicles, as well as attention to instructions and orders of traffic policemen.
8. Reversing the car.
9. Turning the vehicle in a limited space of the road.
10. Parking between vehicles.
11. Stopping at slopes.
12. Driving on rising and slopping roads.
The applicant fails if he does not get 70% of the total grades as estimated by the examiner.

Article 242:
1. If the vehicle bumpers touch any of the limits or erected barriers.
2. If the vehicle moves more than 50 cms, forward or backward, at taking off while manipulating the gear shift as a result of lack of control over the vehicle.
3. If the engine stops during the test without the examiner’s order and with no technical defect of the vehicle.
4. Mishandling of the gear shift for forward and reverse movement, or stopping, or starting the motor before checking that the gear is on moor.
5. Failure to start the motor in a period exceeding one minute, unless it is due to technical defect.
6. Failure to stop the vehicle where required to do so.
7. Violation of traffic lights and signs on the road or in the test location.
8. If the foot of an applicant for motorcycles license touches the ground while in motion.
9. Misuse of the hand brake.
10. If clear instructions are not followed.
11. The examiner specifies the time for the following examination, and if the applicant fails four times during one year, he may not be re-examined until six months have elapsed as of the date of the last test.

Article 243:
If the license requested is for a vehicle to which a trailer or semi - trailer can be attached, the test must be performed on vehicles with more than two axles, to which trailers or semi - trailers are attached.
This kind of test applies to licenses mentioned in clauses 4 and 12 of Article 41 of the Law, unless the applicant limits his application to vehicles not requiring this special test, in which case different types of vehicles he is permitted to operate for testing or learning are specified in the license.

Article 244:
If the requested license permits the operation of more than one type of vehicle, or all vehicles, the technical test must be performed on all these vehicles, and the license is limited only to the types on which the test has been passed.

Article 245:
Not by passing the right of the Directorate of Traffic to impose the technical test, and whenever it finds it necessary due to circumstances it deems legitimate, the applicant is exempted from technical test if he carries a driving license issued by the Government authority of a State other than Bahrain. A license issued during the presence of the applicant in the country is not acknowledged, neither is the renewal of such license.
The Directorate of Traffic and licensing may refuse recognition of a license on the basis of reciprocity.

Article 246:
After the applicant has passed the eyesight, and fulfilled all the licensing requirements, the Directorate of Traffic and Licensing issues the requested license on the attached and allocated form, according to the type of vehicle being licensed and no other. The license is given a serial number in accordance with each type.

Article 247:
The Directorate of Traffic, may refuse issuing a driving license in the following cases: 1. If the applicant has previously been convicted of manslaughter, or involuntary injury as a result of driving a vehicle. This being within three years as of the date of penalty enforcement, or within one year as of the verdict date if it is issued with a stay of execution
2. If the applicant has been convicted of a felony, of any type, and whether the verdict is felony or misdemeanor. This being within one year as of the verdict date if it is issued with a stay of execution.
3. If the applicant has been convicted of any crime (including felony and misdemeanor) in breach of morality or honesty. This being within one year as of the verdict date it it is issued with a stay of execution.
4. If the applicant has been convicted of any of the crimes of drunkenness or possession or obtaining of drugs, no matter the reason for possession or obtaining. This being within year as of the date of penalty enforcement or within one year of the verdict if it is issued with a stay of execution.

Article 248:
Licenses mentioned in Article 227 of this Regulation are valid for the following durations:
1. Private car driving license.
2. Testing driving license.
3. Motorcycle license. These licenses are valid for the duration of five years as of their date of issue, and are renewed more than once for the same duration.
4. Taxi driving license.
5. Driving license for public passenger transport cars.
6. Driving license for private passenger transport cars.

These licenses are valid until the first day of the month of January following the issue date. They are renewed more than once and renewal is for one year ending on the thirty first day of December.

Driving Licenses to be replaced with a Bahraini driving license

Driving licenses to be replaced with a Bahraini driving license without the need to undergo an evaluation driving test: Kuwait Qatar Oman Belgium Brunet United Arab Emirates Kingdom of Saudi  Arabia United Kingdom Czech Republic Cyprus Trinidad & Tobago Bermuda Austria Mexico Bulgaria Norway Ireland Hungary Germany Greece Morocco Sweden Denmark Portugal Poland Algeria Jordan Argentina Australia Turkey Brazil Jersey Bahamas  Iceland Indonesia Slovakia South Africa Monaco New Zealand Japan Canada Italy Hong Kong Tunis China Holland U.S.A Jamaica Nigeria Romania Russia Malawi Mauritania Malta Singapore Finland Korea South  Kenya Spain Luxembourg Switzerland Ghana Malaysia France