The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior has launched a new electronic vehicle registration system in Erbil, replacing traditional vehicle registration documents with secure, credit-card-sized cards designed to prevent fraud and simplify ownership transfers.
The new system is part of the ministry’s broader efforts to digitize public services. The electronic registration cards resemble driver’s licenses and include internationally recognized security features. Vehicle ownership transfers will also be processed through a dedicated online portal to improve security and prevent fraudulent transactions.
At a press conference held at the Erbil Traffic Directorate, Dr. Hemen Mirani, director general of the Ministry of Interior’s Diwan, outlined the new system and said its implementation required a strong civil and electronic infrastructure.
“From now on, all license and vehicle registration information will be linked to the biometric system, allowing citizens to complete their transactions from home using a mobile phone or computer,” Mirani said.
The first phase of the new registration system will begin in the heavy-vehicle section of the Erbil Traffic Directorate. The ministry plans to extend the system to other governorates and independent administrations across the Kurdistan Region in the near future.
The initiative also coincides with the introduction of electronic contracts, which provide a 90-day period for completing vehicle ownership transfers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the Information Technology Directorate, is preparing to introduce an electronic payment system for traffic fines.
The ministry also issued a strong warning against dealing in imported vehicles that have been cut, burned or submerged in water. It stressed that such vehicles do not meet safety requirements, will not be registered and will not be permitted on the roads.
