With Car Registration Back to Normal, Fines Must be Paid Off

During the lockdown declared in times of COVID-19 Pandemic, the residents of the region were able to perform their entire procedure online without needing to have any physical test as part of the measures taken under the #StayHome directives. All that the vehicle owner needed was their current registration card, their vehicle plate number, and an active credit or debit card. The procedure for online registration which was there during the lockdown is as follows:

1. Entering Car Details: Starting from entering your plate number, to selecting your category, and ending at entering the alphabetical code that is there before your numbers. You can complete this step by telling the computer that you are not a robot and then clicking on the search button.
2. Your Vehicle Details: This screen that you arrive at, will display the details of your vehicle that you are renewing. The model details, plate number, expiration date, and vehicle category will be shown to you. Along with a valid car insurance policy, under the insurance information, there will be a fee summary. This provides a breakdown of the cost of the entire procedure. A vehicle can only be renewed if it is expiring in 3 months or lesser. If you are not holding a valid car insurance policy, you won’t be able to continue the procedure for re-registration.
3. Delivery: Since there was a lockdown due to Coronavirus, the delivery method that was existing was just eDocument that is automatically selected for all. Some delivery contact information is to be entered.
4. Confirmation: Before going ahead with payment, there are some details left to confirm from your end. Once done, hit pay! 

During the Coronavirus outbreak, the UAE authorities made the re-registration process extremely simple. However, with things getting better, car registration is coming back to normal. 

This, however, is applicable only to those who are residents of Dubai or hold visas of Dubai. The vehicle owners who made use of the RTA’s services on the online platform in order to re-register their vehicles are not required to come down and get their vehicle tested. Additionally, their mulkiya will also stay valid until the date of expiry that is shown. 

Also, the fines that have been incurred before the date of re-registration need to be paid off before one goes ahead and gets a new mulkiya. 

Before this, the vehicle owners residing in Dubai did not have to pay off the existing fines in order to get a renewal of their vehicle or even other vehicles under their own names. The reason behind the same was that the authorities in coordination with the RTA (Roads and Transport Authorities) wanted the public to get an advantage from the discount initiative. Under this initiative, vehicle drivers who do not commit any sort of traffic offense for a period of 3 months are eligible to get a 25% discount on some selected traffic fines. Having a clean record for a period of 6 months makes the drivers eligible for a 50% discount. Similarly, having 9 clean months means a 75% discount and those going with a clean slate for a full 12 months can get 100% off. During this initiative, the individuals could visit the registration centers and decide the fines they wish to pay and the ones they do not wish to pay off immediately. 

However, now with the need to pay off their fines before the re-registration of their vehicle, car owners can do so either using online platforms or at the kiosks at the registration centers.