UAE Drivers Face Dh500 Fines for Unauthorized Car Stickers

Inage Source: WAM

Motorists in the UAE are being fined Dh500 for displaying unauthorized car stickers, as in the case of Abdullah bin Naseer, who unwittingly placed a sticker on his rear window. He was stopped by police near Sharjah City Centre and found that this simple action violated vehicle regulations.

Many drivers do not know that even minor stickers need approval beforehand. Recently, a man wrote on social media about receiving a fine because of a sticker on the fuel tank cover of his car. Police are educating drivers about car stickers in order to minimize this problem through campaigns on the law.

Important Provisions

Prohibition on car stickers, as stated under Federal Traffic Law No. 21 of 1995, means fines daily that add up for an unrecovered sticker.
Any Stickers that obscure or conceal the vehicle number plate or interfere with police work shall not be permitted.

Accepted Sticker Types:

Company Advertisements: shall be pre-approved by RTA
National Flags and Emblems display: Allowed
Customised Decals: Provided not obscene and appropriate are permitted
Tourist Attraction Stickers: Allowed. If they do not contain obscenities.
Charity Stickers: Those stickers which promote charity organizations shall be permitted.

Prohibited Sticker Types:

Obscenities and inappropriate image fall under offensive content.
Political or Religious Stickers: They are strictly not allowed in the UAE.
Distracting or Obstructive Stickers: Any kind of stickers that might hinder the driver’s line of sight is strictly not allowed.
Excessive Coverage: Anything that covers more than 25% of the vehicle is strictly illegal.
Alterations on Number Plates: Stickers or logos affixed to number plates are also strictly not allowed.

Under Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on Rules and Procedures of Traffic Control, one incurs a Dh500 fine for having written phrases and stickers on their car without permission.

Motorists are advised to be aware of these regulations to avoid fines and traffic laws in the UAE.

Hamna Farrukh