Traffic Violation Dubai: Fines, Black Points & How to Fight Them

If you're driving in Dubai and you've just heard that beep from a salik gantry — or worse, seen a cop's lights — you probably want to know what comes next. Fines are the easy bit. The black points and the 30-day impoundment? That's where people lose sleep.

Quick answer

A traffic violation in Dubai triggers three separate consequences: a cash fine (AED 200 to AED 50,000+), black points (24 points in 12 months gets your licence suspended), and sometimes vehicle impoundment from 7 to 60 days. Federal Traffic Law No. 21 of 1995 and its 2017 amendments set the framework, while Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 lists the actual fines. You can check violations on the Dubai Police app and dispute them within 30 days at a traffic court or via the public prosecution.

What actually counts as a traffic violation in Dubai

The framework sits in Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 1995 on Traffic, with the schedule of fines updated by Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 [1]. Dubai Police enforces it locally, mostly through cameras. There are roughly 6,000 traffic cameras across the emirate, and yes, they catch almost everything.

Common ones I see in practice:

• Speeding above the posted limit by more than 60 km/h: AED 3,000, 23 black points, 60-day impoundment
• Running a red light: AED 1,000, 12 black points, 30-day impoundment
• Tailgating: AED 400 and 4 points
• Mobile phone while driving: AED 800 and 4 points
• No seatbelt (driver or front passenger): AED 400 and 4 points
• Reckless driving: AED 2,000, 23 points, 60-day impoundment

The black-points system is the part most clients underestimate. Hit 24 points in 12 months and your licence is suspended — three months on the first occasion, six on the second, a full year on the third [2]. Pay the fine, the points stay. That surprises people every single week.

Watch out: Paying a fine online is not the same as admitting guilt for criminal purposes, but it does close your right to appeal in most cases. If you think the violation is wrong, don't pay first and dispute later. Dispute first.

Speeding, the 20 km/h buffer, and the radar myth

Dubai has a published 20 km/h "tolerance" on most highways — meaning the radar triggers at the posted limit plus 20. Sheikh Zayed Road posted at 100 effectively flashes at 121. Abu Dhabi removed its buffer in 2018. Dubai still has it on most roads, though school zones and some residential areas have zero tolerance.

The fines escalate fast:

• 20-30 km/h over: AED 700
• 30-40 km/h over: AED 1,000
• 40-50 km/h over: AED 1,500
• 50-60 km/h over: AED 2,000, 6 points, 30-day impoundment
• 60-80 km/h over: AED 3,000, 23 points, 60-day impoundment

Honestly, the 80+ category is where things get serious. You're looking at potential criminal referral, not just an administrative fine. Public prosecution can get involved if there's any element of endangering lives.

The "radar gun was wrong" defence almost never works. Dubai Police calibrates radars on a published schedule and the equipment is certified. What does work, occasionally: arguing the wrong vehicle was identified, the plate was cloned, or you weren't the driver.

Black points, impoundment and what happens to your car

Vehicle impoundment is the one that derails lives. Your car goes to a Dubai Police compound. You can't drive it. You're still paying insurance and finance.

To release an impounded vehicle early — only possible in limited cases — you file a request with the Traffic Court at Al Barsha or through the Dubai Police website, pay the fine plus any release fee (typically AED 50,000 for a 60-day impoundment if you want it back early on serious violations), and you'll need a clean record otherwise. The court has discretion. In my experience, first-time offenders with a genuine reason get partial relief maybe one in three times.

Black points reset 12 months from the date of each violation, individually. Not all at once. So if you got 12 points in March and 8 in October, the March points fall off first.

Costs (2024):
- Standard fine payment: face value, online via Dubai Police app or website
- 25% discount if you pay within 60 days of certain violations (announced periodically — check current campaigns)
- Vehicle release after impoundment: fine + storage fees (AED 50/day after grace period)
- Black point removal course: not available in Dubai (unlike Abu Dhabi's now-discontinued scheme)

How to check and dispute a traffic violation in Dubai

Check fines through:

1. Dubai Police app (fastest)
2. dubaipolice.gov.ae using your plate number or traffic file number
3. RTA app (shows salik and some traffic fines)
4. MOI UAE Pass app for federal-level visibility

To dispute a traffic violation Dubai-side, you have two routes.

Administrative grievance. File through the Dubai Police "Fine Objection" service within 30 days. You upload evidence — dashcam footage, photos, witness statements. A committee reviews it. Decision usually within 30 days. Free. About 60% of well-evidenced objections succeed; vague "I wasn't speeding" complaints almost never do.

Traffic Court. If the administrative route fails or the violation is criminal in nature (reckless driving, causing injury), you go to the Traffic Court. You'll want a lawyer here — the procedure follows the Criminal Procedures Law and you can be cross-examined. Fees start around AED 500 for filing, plus legal costs. Hearings typically scheduled within 4-6 weeks.

Evidence that actually moves the needle: dashcam footage with timestamp, GPS data from your phone showing speed at the moment of violation, photos showing the camera location was wrong or signage was missing, proof you weren't the driver (rental agreement, employer letter for a company car).

The thing most clients get wrong: they wait. The 30-day window is real and the prosecutor won't extend it for "I was travelling."

When a traffic violation becomes a criminal matter

Not every traffic violation Dubai issues stays administrative. Some cross into criminal territory under the Penal Code (Federal Law No. 31 of 2021) [3]:

• Causing death by negligent driving: up to 7 years prison + AED 200,000 fine
• Causing serious injury: up to 2 years + diya (blood money) considerations
• Driving under the influence: AED 20,000 fine, up to 12 months prison, licence revoked
• Fleeing the scene of an accident: criminal referral, possible travel ban
• Driving without a licence: AED 5,000, possible imprisonment, vehicle impoundment

If you're involved in an accident with injuries, the police report (the green/red/yellow form) determines fault. That report is the single most important document. If you disagree with it, dispute it within 24-48 hours at the police station that issued it — once the file moves to prosecution, changing it is much harder.

A criminal traffic case can also trigger a travel ban while proceedings are ongoing. I've had clients stuck in the country for 4 months over a fender-bender that escalated. Take traffic accidents seriously from minute one.

Practical tips that save money and points

A few things worth knowing if you drive here regularly:

• Register for SMS alerts on dubaipolice.gov.ae — you'll know about a fine within minutes, not when you renew your registration
• Settle fines before vehicle registration renewal; you can't renew with outstanding fines
• If you're leasing or in a rental, the fine goes to the registered owner first, who then bills you (with a handling fee — usually AED 50-100)
• Salik violations (unregistered tag, insufficient balance) are RTA fines, not Dubai Police, and have separate dispute channels
• Foreign licences: tourists can drive on home licences from approved countries for short periods, but residents must convert within the timeframe set by Federal Traffic Law

For related issues, see our guides on disputing a Dubai Police fine, vehicle impoundment release procedures, and traffic accident insurance claims.

One last thing. The Dubai Police app lets you see the actual radar photo for camera violations. Always check it before you pay. I've seen plates misread, wrong cars flagged, and one memorable case where the photo showed a completely different model. The system isn't infallible — but you have to look.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

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Citations:

[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 21 of 1995 on Traffic, as amended; Cabinet Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on Traffic Violations and Fines. Available via UAE Ministry of Interior: moi.gov.ae

[2] Dubai Police, Black Points System overview: dubaipolice.gov.ae/wps/portal/home/services/individualservices/trafficfines

[3] Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law (UAE Penal Code), Articles on negligent driving and endangering lives.