Having to pay fines is definitely the worst part of driving. But, to maintain a good driving record, prevent the accumulation of fines, and avoid issues with renewing your Istimara, you should clear your traffic violations regularly. Thankfully, the process of checking and paying for fines in Qatar is pretty straightforward, and you have two options: the Ministry of Interior (MOI) website and the Metrash app.

1. Visit the MOI website and select Inquiries at the top.

2. In the left column, click on Traffic Inquiries and then select Traffic Violations.

3. A window for traffic violation inquiries will appear. Enter your plate number, vehicle type, Qatar ID, and other required details. 

If you do not have any violations, the line will be blank. Otherwise, you will see information on the date, time, location, and the fine amount related to your violation. Click on Settlement of Violations to pay your fine.

1. Open Metrash and go to Traffic.

2. Tap on Vehicles.

3. Choose Violations. 

You'll see an overview of all traffic fines. You can settle them via the app.

The Qatar Traffic Department uses demerit points in addition to fines in order to measure and evaluate driver behavior. Also called black points, they are counted toward the driver’s license for committing various offenses. Each traffic violation carries a specific number of points based on severity: minor offenses, such as illegal parking, might result in fewer points, whereas severe violations like reckless driving or excessive speeding carry more. 

Each driver starts with a clean slate, with zero points. For each violation, points are added and accumulated on the driving record. Accumulating 14 points within a year leads to a 3-month suspension of the person’s driver's license. Higher accumulations can lead to more severe and longer suspensions, or even the permanent revocation of the driver's license.

All the points that the driver receives stay on the record for one year from the date of the violation. However, if a driver commits another violation during that year, then the points from the first violation are not removed, even if a year has passed since that moment. Instead, all of the points will stay on your license until one year has passed from the very last violation committed.

Simply put, in order to get all 14 points removed from your license, you need to drive for 12 consecutive months without committing any violations. While this policy may be stricter than in other countries, it has led to a significantly decreased number of deaths resulting from motor vehicle accidents. 

If you have any questions on how the system works, you can contact the traffic police in Qatar by calling +974 489 0666. Alternatively, visit the main Qatar Traffic Department located at Madinat Khalifa, Doha.