Dubai: If your car’s registration is due for renewal, it is advisable not to delay the registration process as vehicle owners can then face late payment fines. A Gulf News reader, who plans to sell his car soon, wrote in asking if he would face any penalties, even if he was not driving the vehicle on UAE roads.
He asked: “I have a small hatchback car, which I bought last year and the registration is due for renewal next month. I would like to sell the car off and wanted to know if it would be an issue if I do not renew my registration. I do not plan on driving the car anymore. Can you please let me know if there are any fines that would be imposed at the time of selling the car if the registration has expired?”
UAE’s vehicle licensing authorities provide a grace period of 30 days after the vehicle registration has expired, during which the car owner is required to renew the vehicle insurance and registration. In case the individual fails to renew the registration during the grace period, a charge of Dh35 per month is levied by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai. This is applicable even if an individual wishes to sell the car, according to the RTA contact centre. At the time of selling the car, the owner of a vehicle is required to pay any fines that may have been levied on the vehicle before the transfer of ownership process can be started.
The registration of a car is valid for one year in Dubai, after which vehicle owners are required to renew it. You can read our detailed guide on the vehicle registration renewal process here.
Late renewal fines
Ministry of Interior (MOI), which manages vehicle licensing services in other emirates, imposes a fine of Dh10 per month, according to the MOI website.
Caught while driving a vehicle with an expired registration
If a car is driven on UAE roads, which does not have a valid registration, the violators will be fined Dh500 and four black points recorded against their licence. The vehicles will also be impounded for seven days, as per Article 25B of Road Traffic Law (driving a vehicle with expired licence). These violations can be recorded by police patrols as well as smart radars that have been installed across the UAE.
