RTA Dubai Traffic Fines 2026: Complete Guide

Getting a traffic fine in Dubai is easy — cameras cover almost every junction and highway, and enforcement has only gotten stricter. Getting clarity on what you actually owe is harder, because fine amounts, points, and impound rules are scattered across the RTA, Dubai Police, and Salik systems, and third-party blogs don't always agree with each other.

This guide pulls together the current RTA/Dubai Police fine schedule, the black points system, how to check and pay a fine online, how to dispute one, and — specifically for renters — what happens when a fine is issued on a car that isn't registered in your name.

Most of the fines below are easy to avoid with a few basic habits — we cover exactly what works near the end of this guide.

Amounts below are collected from the RTA/Dubai Police violation schedule and cross-checked against Rentico's own customer-support data. Some third-party sources quote slightly different figures for the same violation (particularly red-light and no-plate offences) — always confirm the exact amount on the official RTA or Dubai Police portal before paying.

Source: RTA/Dubai Police fine schedule; DUI penalty under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, which also allows up to 6 months' imprisonment and a 3-month licence suspension.

Speed fines scale with how far over the limit you're driving:

Radars are strict and widespread across Sheikh Zayed Road and residential streets alike, so treat posted limits as firm rather than approximate.

Black points are penalty points that Dubai Police and the RTA add to your driving licence for specific traffic violations, separate from the fine itself. Where a fine is a one-off payment, points stay on your record and accumulate — they're how the system tracks repeat or serious offending over time, rather than treating every violation as an isolated event.

The commonly cited threshold is 23–24 points within 12 months — reaching it suspends your licence, with a first suspension running 3 months for drivers 21+, extending to 6 months and then a full year with a mandatory retest for repeat offences. Points expire automatically 12 months after the violation date. Dubai also runs point-reduction options, including safety courses (up to 8 points) and the “White Points” program for clean driving.

If you're driving a rental car, black points still go on your personal licence — the rental company is not liable for them, only for the vehicle-related charge.

You can check fines through the RTA app or website, the Dubai Police app, DubaiNow, the UAE MOI portal, or Emirates Vehicle Gate. You'll need your Traffic File Number, plate number, Emirates ID, or driving licence number.

On the RTA fines-search page, select the plate category (e.g. Dubai, Private), enter the code and number exactly as shown on the plate, and the system returns any outstanding violations tied to that vehicle.

The same portals let you search by licence number or Emirates ID instead of a plate — useful if you want to see fines tied to you personally rather than to one specific car.

1. Open the RTA, Dubai Police, or DubaiNow app/portal.

2. Log in (UAE Pass sign-in is supported).

3. Search for outstanding fines by plate, licence, or file number.

4. Select the fine(s) and pay by card, Apple/Google/Samsung Pay, or bank transfer.

5. Save the digital receipt as proof of payment.

Note: every Dubai traffic fine carries an additional AED 20 Knowledge & Innovation Fee, charged per fine, not per payment session.

Disputes are filed through the Dubai Police app/website or the RTA's “Dispute Fines” section, typically within 15–30 days of the fine being issued (some sources cite a shorter 10-day window for specific cases — check the notice itself). You'll need supporting evidence: dashcam footage, photos of signage or road markings, and a copy of your licence and vehicle registration. Review can take anywhere from a few days up to 30 working days; if the dispute succeeds, the fine is cancelled and any payment already made is refunded.

*Sources disagree on the exact figure for these two — we're giving the range rather than picking a number, and recommend confirming the current amount on the RTA portal.

A short grace period (around 10 minutes) usually applies after paid parking time expires before an overstay fine is triggered. For a deeper look at zones and hourly rates, see our Dubai parking guide.

Salik is Dubai's automatic toll system — separate from RTA traffic fines. If your car isn't tagged, you get a 10-working-day grace period to register it before fines start: AED 100 for the first violation, AED 200 for the second, and AED 400 from the third onward (capped at once per day). If your Salik balance runs out, you get 5 working days to top up before a AED 50 penalty applies per gate crossing per day.

The fine is issued against the vehicle's registered owner — the rental company — because RTA and Salik systems track plate numbers, not drivers.

The violation date and time are matched against the active rental agreement for that vehicle, which identifies which booking — and which renter — was driving at that moment.

At Rentico, the renter is responsible for any fine issued during their rental period. We notify the client when a fine appears on the vehicle, and it can be paid directly by the customer through the official RTA/Dubai Police channels, or settled through Rentico with a 10% handling fee added.

Yes. Cameras and Salik gates don't always process a violation instantly, so a fine can be registered and appear on the system after the vehicle — and the renter — is already gone.

The fine still exists against the vehicle and is generally settled the same way — through notification and payment coordinated with the rental company, since the renter is no longer in the country to pay in person.

This depends entirely on the individual rental agreement and provider — it's not a fixed market-wide rule. With Rentico, if we pay a fine on the client's behalf, a 10% commission is added on top of the fine amount; paying it directly yourself avoids that fee.

Most of the fines in this guide are easy to avoid with a few basic habits behind the wheel:

• Keep to the posted speed limit rather than assuming there's a buffer — radars are strict and widespread across both highways and residential streets.

• Wear your seat belt and make sure every passenger does too, including children in an appropriate car seat.

• Keep your phone out of your hand while driving — use a mount or hands-free setup if you need navigation or calls.

• Register your Salik tag before your first toll crossing so you're not caught in the 10-day grace period without realizing it.

• Pay for parking through the RTA app or a meter instead of guessing how long you'll be there — it takes seconds and avoids an overstay fine.

• Leave a safe following distance and signal lane changes early — tailgating and sudden swerving are both fined even without a collision.

• Never drive after drinking — UAE law has zero tolerance, and the penalties (fine, licence suspension, possible imprisonment) are the harshest on this list.

None of this removes every risk on Dubai's roads, but it covers the violations that cost drivers the most — in fines, black points, and time spent disputing or paying them off.

Legal basis: UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 (drink-driving penalties) and Dubai Local Decree No. 30 of 2023 (release fees for impounded vehicles), as published in the official Dubai Police and RTA fine schedules. Salik rates, the fine handling fee and how black points apply to a rental car are based on Rentico customer-support data.