A series of legislative changes will hit the pockets of motorists and businesses alike at the start of the new year as government rolls out several legal notices amending the Motor Vehicles and Customs Acts.
Starting January 1st, 2026, many common fees and penalties are set to double.
Under Legal Notice 471, dozens of fixed penalty traffic offences listed in the Ninth Schedule will see their fines increased, with many thousand-dollar penalties jumping to two thousand dollars.
In one of the most significant hikes, the penalty for certain violations under item 90 will move from one thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars.
General administrative costs are also on the rise. The fee under regulation 14 for motor vehicle transactions is doubling to forty dollars, while various fees in the Sixth Schedule, such as those previously set at five hundred dollars, will now cost motorists one thousand dollars.
For the commercial sector, the cost of container examinations is also set to increase, with standard fees rising from 375 dollars to 750 dollars.
However, there is some relief for those looking to purchase used vehicles. Legal Notice 477 extends the age limit for imported used cars from three years to eight years. This extension also applies to private motor cars and rental vehicles listed in Appendix A.
This same notice introduces a new limit for electric vehicle concessions, capping benefits to those with a C.I.F. value of four hundred thousand dollars or less.
While most of these adjustments take effect on New Year’s Day, one final change is slated for later in the year.
On July 1st, 2026, the government will officially revoke Part Two of Appendix A, which traditionally governed tax concessions for returning nationals.
These notices, signed by the Minister of Transport and the Secretary to Cabinet, represent a significant overhaul of the nation’s road traffic and customs regulations for 2026.