Last updated: 29 October 2026
Car insurance check KSA, the short answer: log in to Absher, open My Services, then Traffic, then Vehicle Insurance Inquiry, and pick your car. The Ministry of Interior service is free and shows the insurer and the exact validity period in seconds. Najm shows the same policy in its Vehicles section. Check before your istimara renewal and before every long drive, because since 1 October 2023 an uninsured car is fined automatically.
This guide covers both official ways to check vehicle insurance validity, what to do when the result says expired, the cases where your insurer can make you pay even though you are insured, and how to get money back when you sell the car.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Official way to check | Absher: My Services, Traffic, Vehicle Insurance Inquiry (Ministry of Interior) |
| Second way | Najm: E-services, Vehicles, View insurance policies |
| What you need | Absher digital ID, iqama or national ID number, plate number, the car registered in your name |
| Cost | Free |
| Fine for no valid insurance | SR 100 to SR 150, recorded automatically and repeatable every 15 days |
| Compulsory cover limit | Up to SR 10 million for one event (Unified Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy) |
Car insurance check KSA on Absher, step by step
The Ministry of Interior lists this service on the national portal as Public Query Vehicle Insurance Validity. It runs on the Absher website and the Absher app on iPhone, Android and Huawei phones, it costs nothing, and the result is immediate. If you have never used Absher, finish your Absher registration and activation first.
- Log in to Absher with your iqama or national ID number and password, then enter the code sent to your registered mobile.
- Open My Services.
- Choose Traffic.
- Tap Vehicle Insurance Inquiry.
- Select the vehicle you want to check. Every car registered in your name is listed by plate.
- Read the insurance details: the insurance company and the validity period of the policy.
Three conditions apply, according to the service page: you need a digital ID on Absher, the vehicle must be registered in your name, and it must have a current or expired policy on record. A brand-new car with no policy yet will not show anything. The form also asks for the plate number and a verification code, and your vehicle data has to be up to date in the system.
Many expats in Saudi Arabia drive a car that is registered to their company or to a relative. In that case your own Absher shows nothing for it. The registered owner checks it: the employer through its business Absher account, a relative through their personal one.
Follow Saudi Life Guide for Iqama, visa and job updates
New rules, fees and news as soon as we publish them. Join 101,000+ followers on Facebook.
Najm insurance check: View insurance policies
Najm for Insurance Services is the company that handles accident reports and claims for the insurers. Its website and app have a Vehicles section with three services: check the insurance discount, view insurance policies, and delete a vehicle. View insurance policies shows your vehicle’s insurance details, so it works as a second check if Absher is slow or you want the policy record that insurers see.
Two things on the Najm side are worth knowing. First, Najm says a new policy is activated 24 hours after the application is submitted, which explains why a policy bought tonight may not appear until tomorrow. Second, the same section shows your no claim discount (NCD), and Najm states that a break in cover affects that discount according to how long the interruption lasted. A forgotten car that sits uninsured for months can cost you money on the next renewal.
When you sell a car, use Delete vehicle on Najm once it is no longer registered to you, so its record stops counting against your other vehicles.
Checking another car: a used car you want to buy, or the other driver after an accident
In Saudi Arabia this rule works differently from countries with open plate lookups: there is no public search where you type any plate and see its insurance. The Absher service only shows vehicles in your own name. That changes how you check in two common situations.
- Buying a used car: ask the seller to open the Absher vehicle insurance screen while you watch, and compare the plate and sequence number with the istimara. A policy that ends next week is not a deal breaker: the seller’s policy can be cancelled once ownership moves, and you insure the car in your own name anyway. A car with no policy on record for months is a different signal, so ask why.
- After an accident: you do not need to check the other car yourself. For a minor accident where at least one car is insured, Najm handles it; for injuries, disputes or an uninsured car, the traffic police do. Our Muroor guide to accident reports and when you can move your car has the numbers and steps.
What happens if your vehicle insurance has expired
Driving without valid insurance is a listed traffic violation, and since 1 October 2023 the General Department of Traffic records it automatically. Okaz reported the announcement on the day it started: the violation is recorded once every 15 days while the car has no valid policy. Here is what an expired policy actually triggers.
| Consequence | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Fine | SR 100 to SR 150, recorded automatically and again every 15 days the car stays uninsured. See the full Saudi traffic violations and fines list. |
| Istimara renewal blocked | Absher only renews the vehicle registration with valid insurance and a valid periodic inspection. Book the inspection through our Fahas appointment guide. |
| No claim discount | Najm adjusts your NCD according to how long the cover was interrupted. |
| Accident | No insurer pays the other party. You pay for their car and any injury costs yourself. |
Based on real expat experience in KSA, the expensive mistake is rarely the SR 150 fine. It is the second car that nobody drives, the one parked at home while its owner is on leave, quietly collecting a fine every 15 days and losing its discount. Run the Absher check on every car in your name, not only the one you drive daily.
Insured but still liable: when your insurer can recover the money from you
Compulsory third-party insurance in Saudi Arabia follows one standard wording for every company, the Unified Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy, published by the Insurance Authority. Its maximum is SR 10 million for one event, covering injury, expenses and damage to other people’s property together. Article Five lists cases where the insurer pays the injured party first and then has the right to recover that money from the insured or the driver:
- Driving against the direction of traffic.
- Running a red light.
- A driver without the right class of licence for the vehicle, a driver whose licence was withdrawn, or an expired licence at the time of the accident, unless it was renewed within 50 days of the accident.
- Carrying more passengers than the vehicle’s seats, where that caused the accident.
- Using the vehicle against the restrictions written in the policy schedule.
The insurer must tell you within 20 working days of the claim if it plans to recover, and it can do so within one year of settling the claim. The licence point catches expats more than any other: a licence that expired with an old iqama is easy to miss. Our guide to driving licence renewal with a new iqama shows how to fix it on Absher, and first-timers can start with the Saudi driving licence guide.
Also remember what the compulsory policy never pays: damage to your own car, injury to you as the driver, and natural disasters such as floods. That is the job of comprehensive cover; our car insurance in KSA guide explains the cover types and exclusions.
Sold your car? Cancel the policy and claim the refund
A compulsory policy cannot be cancelled at will, but the unified policy allows cancellation in three cases: the vehicle registration is written off, ownership is transferred to someone else, or another policy already covers the remaining period. The insurer then refunds the unused days to your bank account by IBAN within three working days of learning about it.
The refund is worked out on days: the unused days divided by 365, multiplied by the premium, minus administrative fees and commission of at most SR 30. Sell a car with half a year of cover left on a SR 1,000 policy and you are owed roughly SR 470 back, so it is worth one phone call to your insurer with the transfer date.
Common problems when you check vehicle insurance validity
When a car insurance check KSA result looks wrong, it is nearly always one of these five situations.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| New policy shows expired | The policy is not active yet | Wait 24 hours (Najm activation time), then call the insurer with the policy number |
| Car missing from the Absher list | Not registered in your name, or the ownership transfer is not complete | Ask the registered owner to check, or finish the transfer on Absher |
| Details do not match | Wrong sequence number or owner ID on the policy | Ask the insurer to correct the policy record |
| Old car still on Najm | Sold, but not deleted from Najm | Use Delete vehicle on Najm |
| Gulf-plated car | Absher covers Saudi-registered vehicles | See our GCC vehicles in Saudi Arabia guide for its insurance rule |
One more mix-up we see often: the Absher service for health insurance is a different query. If you came here to check medical cover by iqama or border number, use our health insurance check guide instead.
Renewal time is also a good moment to look at the real monthly cost of keeping a car. Add insurance, fuel and the istimara to your budget in our cost of living calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my car insurance in KSA?
Log in to Absher, open My Services, choose Traffic and then Vehicle Insurance Inquiry, and pick the car. Absher shows the insurer and the validity period straight away, free of charge. You need a digital ID on Absher, your iqama or national ID number and the plate number, and the car has to be registered in your name. Najm shows the same policy under Vehicles, View insurance policies.
Can I check the insurance of a car that is not in my name?
Not on Absher. The Ministry of Interior service only lists vehicles registered to the person who logs in. For a car you are about to buy, ask the seller to open the Absher insurance screen in front of you or show the policy document. For a company car, the employer checks it through its own Absher account. After an accident, Najm or the traffic police confirm the other car’s cover.
What is the fine for driving with expired car insurance in Saudi Arabia?
SR 100 to SR 150. Since 1 October 2023 the General Department of Traffic records this violation automatically from road cameras, and it can be recorded again every 15 days while the car stays uninsured. An expired policy also blocks the istimara renewal and leaves you paying for any accident damage yourself, which costs far more than the fine.
I renewed my insurance but Absher still shows it as expired. What should I do?
Give it a day. Najm says a new policy is activated 24 hours after the application is submitted, and Absher reads the same record. If it still shows expired after that, call your insurer with the policy number and ask them to confirm the policy was uploaded against the right plate and owner ID. A typing mistake in the sequence number is the usual cause.
Does third-party insurance cover damage to my own car?
No. The Unified Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy covers your liability to other people, up to SR 10 million for one event. It does not pay for damage to your own car, injury to you as the driver, or natural disasters such as floods. For those you need a comprehensive policy, which you can add on top when you renew.
Can I get money back on my car insurance if I sell the car?
Yes. Under the unified compulsory policy, a sale (transfer of ownership) is one of the cases where the policy can be cancelled. The insurer refunds the unused days of the premium, minus administrative fees of no more than SR 30, to your bank account by IBAN within three working days of learning about the sale. Ask for it, because it is not always automatic.
Sources: Ministry of Interior, Public Query Vehicle Insurance Validity (national portal my.gov.sa, steps, prerequisites and required documents); Najm, Vehicles e-services and FAQ; Insurance Authority, Unified Compulsory Motor Insurance Policy (Articles Four, Five, Six and Eight) on its rules and regulations page; Okaz, General Department of Traffic starts automatic recording of the no-insurance violation (1 October 2023).