Paying bribe to get a license

Question

I tried to get a license the normal way but was refused and told that my fathers immigration status wouldn’t work for me to get a license even though i was under 18 and a dependent of my parents. Since I was under 18, I couldn’t get my own status until I turned 18. I went twice, but the result was the same, so I stopped worrying about it and moved on with my life. I drove for almost a year, but then I got caught speeding and was cited for driving without a license.

Now, I need to get a license before my court date because, if I can show the judge that I have a license, he will dismiss the case with just a fine for speeding and for driving without a license. I can pay a bribe to get a license now, though I could have done it before. However, I didn’t because it’s haram. But now, since it’s a necessity, my question is: Can I pay the bribe, or will it still be considered a haram?

Note: Even if I pay the bribe, I would still have to take the written test, get a permit, and then take the driving test. Essentially, I would go through the normal process even after paying the bribe, so it’s not like I’m just paying to get my license made without knowing the laws or how to drive.

When the local imam was asked about this matter as some other people got license paying bribe even though they didn’t get caught they just got, he said that since it’s a necessity and there is no other way of getting it due to the immigration status issue, it is permissible.

NOTE: Immigration is a major issue here and when it comes to it nothing is guaranteed and or when it will happen.

Answer 1

The bribery situation has already been referred to a local imam, who would be far more knowledgeable about the laws and customs and situation in your country than we are, so I would defer to his judgement in that case unless you have a particular reason to doubt it (which you have not expressed).

However, it doesn't really apply to your current situation. As you said, these others "didn't get caught", by which I assume they weren't caught driving without a license before the bribery situation became necessary.

In your case, you were caught driving without a license. You might be able to claim that "the immigration issue" prevented you from getting a license, but it was still your choice to drive without a license, which was (I assume) a legal requirement in your country.

In other words, you willfully chose to break the local law, you got caught breaking the local law, and are now being held accountable for breaking the local law. And now you are attempting to get out of that situation that was entirely your own doing.

If it is known that the judge — fully aware that you did not have a license at the time of the infraction — will lessen the punishment if you can acquire a license between then and now, then the above imam's ruling should still apply.

However, if your intention with this bribe is to escape punishment by acquiring a license and convincing the judge that you had it the whole time, that would be bearing false witness which is undoubtedly haram.