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Driving without a legal license can result in severe fines in the UAE. Emirati law requires the renewal of the license. Since some people lack the time to renew their UAE driving licenses, most emirates allow online renewals.

What if your vehicle's registration has expired but your insurance is still valid? Is it legal to drive a car on UAE roads? Read out to know more!

Let's dive in. 

What Happens if Mulkiya Expires?

After your Registration (Mulkiya) expires, you have one month to renew it. This essentially means that you are covered by your insurance for up to 13 months after renewing your registration/Mulkiya.

In certain circumstances, a driver may be unable to renew their vehicle registration during this month. After the insurance period has expired, however, they will be subject to hefty fines if they commit any traffic violations or get involved in a traffic accident.

What Will Happen if You are Caught Driving a Vehicle with an Expired Registration?

If your car is operated on UAE roads without proper registration, you will face a Dh500 fine and four black points on your driver’s license. The vehicle with an expired license will also impound for 7 days, according to Article 25B of the Road Traffic Law. A smart radar installed throughout the UAE can detect these violations in addition to police patrols.

Penalties for Late Renewal

If the person fails to renew the registration during the grace period, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai imposes a monthly fee of Dh35. According to the MOI website, the Ministry of Interior enforces a punishment of Dh10 per month on all other emirates.

To avoid such situations, make sure to renew your car registration on schedule.

Validity of Car Registration Renewal

Car registration is generally only valid for 12 months. As per RTA, a 30-day notice is required prior to expiry for online or offline registration renewals. If you're caught by authorities with an expired or invalid car registration, you may be charged with a variety of offences depending on the circumstances. A private light vehicle category car-renewal costs AED 350. If the vehicle weight is between 3 and 12 tonnes for the same category, the price would be AED 400.

Grace Period -  In the UAE, your vehicle registration is valid for 12 months, yet you have one month grace period to renew it. To account for this extra grace month, car insurance in Dubai typically has a 13-month validity; however, it is essential to confirm this with your insurance advisor to avoid such misunderstandings later.

Penalty for Failure to Renew on Time

The relevant authorities are highly strict with this breach due to the safety and security risks that an unregistered vehicle poses. Police officers undertake random inspections to reduce this offence. 

The severity of the matter will determine the amount of the fine, which may be as high as AED 400 if you are caught driving a car with an expired registration during these checks. It is even possible to impound your vehicle if your registration has expired more than three months.

You can apply for a vehicle registration renewal online if your vehicle is registered in Dubai via the RTA website or RTA Smart Apps. It is possible for vehicle registration renewal to take at least five days because of all the due processes, such as online/offline registration, testing, and verification.