Dubai Police issued nearly 49,000 fines to motorists over expired vehicle registration in the first ten months of 2026, according to the force's traffic department. Brigadier Juma Salem bin Suwaidan, the department's director, said the figures highlight how many drivers continue to overlook the deadline for renewing their vehicle's registration card.

Under current rules, driving with expired registration carries a fine of up to Dh500, four black points on the driver's licence, and a seven-day vehicle impoundment. Monthly figures show January recorded the highest number of violations, with nearly 6,977 fines, while May saw the fewest, at 984.

Officials warned that vehicles more than three years old which fail to renew their registration miss out on the mandatory technical inspection, which checks critical components such as tyres, brakes, lights and the steering system. An expired registration also effectively leaves a vehicle uninsured, a status that exposes drivers to serious legal and financial consequences in the event of an accident, in addition to the risk of driving an unsafe vehicle on the road.

Bin Suwaidan urged residents to use Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority online services to renew registrations and settle outstanding fines promptly, avoiding safety risks and legal complications. The reminder comes as the number of vehicles on Dubai's roads continues to climb each year, keeping road safety high on the authorities' agenda.