Handing your keys to a friend who has no licence is not their problem alone. In Vietnam the owner who lets an unqualified person ride commits a separate violation, and under Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP it is the single most expensive mistake a bike owner can make at a roadside checkpoint.
The owner’s fine
Article 32(10) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP fines the owner of a motorbike who hands the vehicle — or allows it to be ridden — by a person who does not meet the legal conditions to drive it. For an individual owner the fine is 8,000,000–10,000,000 VND; for an organisation it doubles to 16,000,000–20,000,000 VND. The legal duty comes from Article 56 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15): a vehicle owner may only entrust the vehicle to someone qualified to drive that class of vehicle.
The rider is not off the hook
The unlicensed rider faces their own penalty under Article 18: 2,000,000–4,000,000 VND for bikes up to 125 cc and 6,000,000–8,000,000 VND above. The owner’s fine does not replace the rider’s — a single bad decision to lend produces two fines, two sets of points consequences, and possibly an insurance problem if anything happens on the road.
Common ways this happens
The scenarios repeat every year. A resident lends a scooter to a visiting friend who never held any licence. A parent lets a 16-year-old ride a 110 cc bike — an age that qualifies only for mopeds. A renter informally passes the bike to a partner whose IDP does not cover motorbikes. In every case, the person who supplied the machine is the one hit with the eight-figure fine.
What this means in Hanoi
For the rental market the rule is one reason shops ask for licence evidence rather than taking goodwill. If you are the owner of the moment — holding a rental bike and letting a friend ride it — you occupy exactly the position Article 32 describes. Confirm the rider’s licence class matches the bike before the keys change hands.
Information, not legal advice. Verified against Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP and Law 36/2024/QH15 on 2026-09-22.