How to Renew Your UAE Mulkiya Card?

Mulkiya Card: What It Is and How to Get One in the UAE

If you're buying a car in the UAE, registering an imported vehicle, or just renewing your plates, the mulkiya card is the document that proves you own the thing. Lose it, let it expire, or drive without it on you, and you're looking at fines that stack up faster than most people expect.

Quick answer

The mulkiya card (vehicle registration card) is the official ownership and registration document for any vehicle on UAE roads, issued by the relevant emirate's traffic authority — RTA in Dubai, Abu Dhabi Police in Abu Dhabi, and so on. It lists owner, plate number, chassis number, insurance validity, and expiry date. You must carry it (digital copy via the RTA or UAE Pass app counts) while driving. Renewal is annual, requires valid insurance and a passed inspection, and costs AED 420 for light vehicles in Dubai as of 2024.

What the mulkiya card actually contains

Open it up and you'll see: owner name, Emirates ID number, plate number and category, chassis (VIN) and engine numbers, vehicle make/model/year, colour, passenger capacity, insurance company and policy expiry, registration issue and expiry dates, and the next inspection due date.

Two things matter most. The expiry date — drive past it and you're uninsured by default, because insurance is tied to registration. And the chassis number — that's what links the physical car to the title.

The card now exists in digital form on the RTA Dubai Drive app, UAE Pass, and Abu Dhabi's TAMM platform. A police officer who pulls you over will accept the digital version. The plastic card still gets issued, but losing it isn't the crisis it used to be.

How to renew your mulkiya card

Renewal in Dubai runs through the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority). The steps haven't changed much in years:

1. Pass the annual vehicle inspection at any authorised centre (Tasjeel, Shamil, Wasel, or Tamam). Cost: around AED 170 for light vehicles. Cars under three years old are exempt from inspection but you still pay the test fee equivalent.
2. Clear all outstanding traffic fines — Salik, parking, and Dubai Police fines included. You can't renew with anything pending.
3. Have valid car insurance with at least one month left on the policy. Less than that and the system rejects you.
4. Pay the renewal fee. Light vehicle in Dubai: AED 420 total in 2024 (includes knowledge and innovation fees).
5. Receive the renewed mulkiya card — issued instantly at the inspection centre, or by mail/digital if done online via the RTA website or app.

Abu Dhabi runs the same logic through Abu Dhabi Police and TAMM, with slightly different inspection fees. Sharjah goes through the SRTA. The mulkiya itself looks similar across emirates but each authority issues its own.

Watch out: Drivers regularly get caught by the 30-day grace period myth. There isn't one. The moment your registration expires, your insurance is void and you face an AED 500 fine for an expired mulkiya card, plus 4 black points, plus potential vehicle impoundment for 7 days under Federal Traffic Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2017) and Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on traffic violations. ^[1]

What if you lose your mulkiya card?

Honestly, since the digital version went mainstream, this is far less stressful. But if you need a physical replacement:

• Apply through the RTA website, Dubai Drive app, or any vehicle registration centre.
• You'll need your Emirates ID and the vehicle details.
• Fee: AED 120 for a replacement card in Dubai (2024).
• Issued same day at a service centre, or within a few working days by mail.

If the car is in a company name, you also need a trade licence copy and an authorisation letter from the company.

Selling the car? You don't get a replacement before transfer — you cancel the existing registration and the new owner issues a fresh mulkiya in their name. Don't hand over keys before the transfer is complete at an RTA-approved centre. Most disputes I see between private buyers and sellers come from skipping this exact step.

Mulkiya card for expats vs. UAE nationals

Same card, same process. The only practical difference: your residence visa must be valid to register or renew a vehicle in your name. If your visa expires, you have a short window — typically until your visa cancellation is processed — but driving on a mulkiya tied to a cancelled visa is a problem when you get pulled over.

Company-owned vehicles need the trade licence to be valid and an authorised signatory listed on the registration. Long-term lease cars (rented monthly) carry the leasing company's mulkiya — you're not the owner, just the registered driver, and your liability for fines still applies.

For more on related traffic obligations, see our traffic law category.

Citations

^[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2017 on Traffic and Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on traffic violations and penalties — UAE Ministry of Interior / Moqatel. Available via the official UAE Legislation portal.

^[2] RTA Dubai — Vehicle Registration Renewal service page, rta.ae (2024 fee schedule).

^[3] Abu Dhabi Police / TAMM — Vehicle Registration Renewal, tamm.abudhabi (2024).

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