Car Fines Dubai: How to Check, Pay and Dispute in 2025

If you're driving in Dubai and just got flashed by a radar on Sheikh Zayed Road, your first move shouldn't be panic — it should be a quick check on the Dubai Police app. Car fines Dubai-side are mostly automated now, and the system is unforgiving but also fairly transparent if you know where to look.

Here's the straight version, with the bits most people get wrong.

Quick answer

Car fines in Dubai are issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on Traffic and the older Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 schedule of penalties. You check fines through the Dubai Police website, the Dubai Police app, or the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) app using your plate number, traffic file number, or Emirates ID. Pay online, at a kiosk, or at a Dubai Police service centre. You have 30 days to dispute a fine through the Dubai Police "Object to Traffic Fine" service — after that, your options shrink fast.

What actually counts as a car fine in Dubai

Two systems are running in parallel. The financial fine (the AED amount), and the black points and vehicle impoundment regime. A single offence can hit you with all three.

Speeding more than 80 km/h over the limit? That's AED 3,000, 23 black points, and 60 days of vehicle impoundment. Running a red light costs AED 1,000, 12 black points, and 30 days impounded. Using a phone while driving — and frankly, half the drivers on Al Khail Road are doing this — is AED 800 and 4 points.[1]

Hit 24 black points in a year and your licence is suspended. Three months for the first time, six months for the second, twelve months for the third. After that you redo the entire licensing process. Honestly, most clients only realise this when they're already at 18 points and one tailgating ticket away from walking to work.

The fine schedule is set federally but Dubai Police administers it. Don't confuse Dubai fines with Sharjah or Abu Dhabi — the platforms are separate, and a fine from Abu Dhabi Police won't show up on the Dubai Police app.

How to check your car fines in Dubai

Three reliable routes:

Dubai Police — go to dubaipolice.gov.ae, click "Services" then "Traffic Services," then "Fines Inquiry and Payment." Enter your plate number and source (Dubai, Emirate code 1-7, or unified Emirates ID lookup). No login needed for a basic check.

Dubai Police app — easier on mobile, and it pushes notifications when a new fine is issued. Link your traffic file once and it auto-syncs.

RTA app (DRIVE) — useful because it shows Salik violations, parking fines, and Dubai Police fines in one place. Salik tag violations (driving through a gate with insufficient balance) are AED 50 per crossing if not topped up within 5 working days.[2]

Watch out: A rental car fine won't always appear under your name. The rental company gets it first, pays it, then bills you with a 50-150 AED admin fee on top. Check your rental agreement before you hand back the keys — and check the platform 30 days later anyway, because some fines are issued late.

If you bought a used car, run a plate check before transferring ownership. Outstanding car fines Dubai-registered stay with the vehicle, not the previous owner, and RTA won't transfer the plate until they're cleared.

Paying car fines in Dubai

Payment is the simple part. Credit card, debit card, smart wallet, or Dubai Pay all work through the Dubai Police portal. Cash at any Dubai Police service centre or a Dubai Now kiosk if you prefer paper receipts.

There used to be a generous discount system — pay within 60 days and get 25% off, within a year and get 15% off. That structure shifted under the 2024 reforms and the current discounts depend on the offence category and when the violation was issued. Check the discount banner on the payment page before you confirm. I've seen clients pay AED 3,000 when AED 2,250 was sitting right there.

Costs to remember (2025):
- Vehicle registration renewal: blocked if you have unpaid fines
- Late renewal: AED 25 per month
- Vehicle impoundment release: AED 50,000 in the worst cases (extreme reckless driving), plus daily storage fees
- Black points removal: only through time (12 months) or an approved Dubai Police traffic awareness course for minor offences

The registration block is the leverage Dubai Police uses most effectively. You can sit on fines for years, but the second your Mulkiya expires, you're paying everything plus penalties.

Disputing a car fine in Dubai

You have 30 days from the date the fine appears on the system. Not from when you noticed it, not from when the SMS arrived — from the issue date on the record.

The objection service sits on the Dubai Police website under "Traffic Services" → "Object to a Traffic Fine." You'll need:

• The fine number
• Your traffic file number or Emirates ID
• Evidence supporting your case (photos, dashcam footage, hospital records, anything contemporaneous)
• A clear written reason in Arabic or English

Common grounds that actually work: the vehicle was sold before the violation date (provide sale agreement and transfer receipt), the vehicle was stolen (police report required), you were not the driver and can name who was (signed affidavit from the actual driver), or the radar reading is technically flawed (rare, but I've seen it succeed twice).

What doesn't work: "I didn't see the sign," "the speed limit is unreasonable," or "I was rushing my pregnant wife to hospital." Save the last one for the judge — it's only relevant if you escalate.

The committee reviews objections within roughly 30 working days. If rejected, you can escalate to the Traffic Court under Article 19 of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, but court appeals on fines under AED 10,000 rarely make economic sense once you factor in legal fees.[3]

A practical question: is it worth disputing a AED 400 fine? Usually no, unless it triggers black points you can't afford.

Black points, impoundment and the bits that bite

Money is the visible cost. The real damage is on your licence file.

Black points stack across all seven emirates. A speeding fine in Ras Al Khaimah affects your Dubai licence the same way. Points expire 12 months from the violation date — not from the payment date, which trips up plenty of people who think paying resets the clock.

Vehicle impoundment is enforced even if the registered owner wasn't driving. If your friend borrows your car and gets caught at 220 km/h on the E11, your car goes to the pound. You can sometimes apply to the Traffic Prosecutor for early release under Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 Article 4, paying a fee that ranges from AED 5,000 to AED 50,000 depending on the offence.

For serious offences — driving under influence, causing death, fleeing the scene — fines are the least of it. You're looking at criminal referral, licence cancellation, and potential deportation for non-citizens under Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024. Get a lawyer before you give a statement.

Tourist and short-term driver fines

Driving on an international licence or a rental? Fines still attach to the plate, which means the rental company. They'll charge your card on file weeks after you've flown home. Dispute windows are the same 30 days, but you'll need a UAE address or a local representative to file the objection properly.

If you're a resident driving a friend's car, the fine goes to the registered owner's traffic file first. They can transfer it to you through the Dubai Police "Transfer of Traffic Violation" service — but only if you both consent and have valid UAE licences. Useful when your friend's at 22 black points and you've got room to spare. Not advice, just an observation.

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Sources

[1] Dubai Police — Traffic Fines Schedule, dubaipolice.gov.ae (accessed 2025) [2] Salik — Violations and Penalties, salik.ae (accessed 2025) [3] Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on Traffic, UAE Official Gazette

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