New to DubaiDubai fines: how to check what you owe and pay it before it causes trouble
You can check most Dubai fines in a few minutes on the Dubai Police app or website. Search by your plate number, traffic file number or driving licence number. You pay in the same place by card, and the time to do it is before you renew your car registration, sell a car or leave the country.
Fines here rarely come as a slip of paper on the windscreen. Most come from cameras and just show up against your plate or traffic file, so the only way to know is to look. This guide covers where to look, what to have ready and what to do if a fine looks wrong.
Why you should check even if you think you owe nothing
Speed cameras and red light cameras don't hand you anything. You drive past, and the fine turns up on the system later. That's how people end up finding out on the day they go to renew a registration or sell a car.
There are other ways to pick up a fine without noticing. Some of them catch newcomers more often than others.
- You drove a rental car, so the fine went to the rental company first.
- You bought a used car and need to know the previous owner cleared their fines.
- You parked in a paid zone and the payment didn't go through.
- You drove through a Salik gate (Salik is Dubai's road toll) with too little money in your account.
- You drove in another emirate, and that emirate's police issued the fine.
What to have ready before you check
Any one of these will do. Some searches only show fines linked to that one car or that one licence, so if you own a car, check by plate and by licence.
- Your plate number, plate code and the emirate the car is registered in.
- Your traffic file number, also called the traffic code number.
- Your driving licence number.
- The fine or ticket number, if you have it.
- A UAE Pass login (UAE Pass is the government's digital ID). If you haven't set one up yet, our guide to UAE Pass shows you how.
Where each kind of fine shows up
Dubai doesn't keep every fine in one place, and that's what confuses most people. Where a fine shows up depends on who issued it.
- Dubai Police traffic fines (speeding, red lights, using your phone while driving and so on): the Dubai Police app or website.
- RTA fines (the RTA is the Roads and Transport Authority): the RTA app or website.
- Public parking fines: Parkin, Dubai's public parking company. You can pay through its app, its website or by SMS.
- Salik tolls: your Salik account. Keep it topped up, and check it if you think you went through a gate with a low balance.
- Fines from more than one emirate: the MOI UAE app from the Ministry of Interior, which the UAE government lists as an official place to check and pay traffic fines.
- Metro, tram and bus rules: see our guide to getting around with the RTA and the Nol card so you don't pick up a fine in the first place.
How to check and pay in the Dubai Police app, step by step
Menu names change now and then, so use these steps as a rough map rather than exact instructions.
- Download the Dubai Police app, or go to the Dubai Police website, and log in with UAE Pass.
- Go to Traffic Services, then Fines Inquiry and Payment.
- Search by plate, traffic file number, licence number or fine number.
- Go through the list. Each fine shows details of the offence and whether black points were added. Black points are penalty points on your licence. If you reach 24, your licence is suspended, for three months the first time it happens.
- Select the fines you want to pay and pay by card.
- Save the receipt. A screenshot is fine, and it helps if a payment doesn't show up straight away.
Other ways to pay
If the app won't take your payment, or you'd rather not use it, you have other options.
- The Dubai Police and RTA websites.
- Smart police stations: self-service police stations where you can do this without queuing at a counter.
- Approved banks.
- Spreading the cost: Dubai Police runs an interest-free instalment plan with credit cards from participating banks, paid over 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. Ask your bank whether its card qualifies and what the conditions are.
Fines from other emirates
Lots of people live in Sharjah and work in Dubai, or drive to Abu Dhabi at weekends. (For what it's worth, the NTD Team finds the Sharjah to Dubai commute very frustrating and wouldn't recommend it.) A fine issued in another emirate belongs to that emirate's police. Don't assume one search in one app shows you everything.
Rules differ between emirates too. Abu Dhabi has its own toll system, called Darb, which is completely separate from Salik. If you drive between emirates often, check the MOI UAE app as well as the Dubai Police app, and do it before any registration renewal.
Rental cars: the fine that turns up weeks later
In a rental car, any fine or toll is recorded against the car's plate, and the plate belongs to the rental company. They'll pass it on to you, and that can happen after you've handed the car back.
At the counter, ask how they handle fines and Salik tolls and when they'll charge your card. Keep the rental agreement and the return slip until you're sure nothing else is coming. Our guide to renting a car in Dubai covers what else to check before you drive off.
Buying or selling a car
If you're buying, check the plate for fines yourself before you hand over any money. Don't take the seller's word that it's clean. While you're at it, run a VIN check (the VIN is the car's unique serial number) and get the car inspected at a garage you choose, not one the seller suggests. Many cars written off in accidents abroad are shipped here and registered again, so be very suspicious of American imports.
If you're selling, pay off everything first so nothing on the car's record holds up the sale. Our guide to buying a car in Dubai covers registration and the paperwork.
What happens if you leave fines unpaid
Nothing happens the next day, which is exactly why people forget. Fines stay on your plate or traffic file until you pay them, so they'll be waiting when you renew, sell or transfer a car. That's always the worst moment to find them.
Black points add up too. If you get close to 24 and don't notice, you could lose your licence for a while.
If a fine looks wrong
Mistakes happen. A camera misreads a plate, a fine lands on a car you'd already sold, or a parking fine turns up after you paid. Don't pay it just to make it go away, and don't ignore it either.
For a Dubai Police fine, you can object in the app or on the website. Open the fine and choose the objection option, or go to a police station in person. Have your evidence ready, such as a parking receipt, a sale document or a rental return slip. How long a decision takes varies. If the fine came from somewhere else, start with whoever issued it.
A word on advice from friends
Ask people who've lived here a while how they deal with fines. Their tips are useful. Just don't take what they say as fact, because rules, apps and the people in charge of them change quickly in Dubai. What was true two years ago might not be true today. Get a second opinion, and check anything important on the official app or website before you act on it.
Your next step
Take two minutes today to check your plate and your traffic file, even if you're sure you owe nothing. Then read our other guides on cars and driving in Dubai to get your licence, car and paperwork sorted.