UAE: Residents fined Dh500 for placing unauthorised car stickers

For young Abdullah bin Naseer, little did he know that his decision to place his favourite sticker – costing just Dh10 – on the rear window of his car would cost him hundreds of dirhams in fine.

When bin Naseer (name changed on request) was stopped by police near Sharjah City Centre, he learned that a sticker on his car was in violation of regulations, resulting in a penalty. Like Naseer, many drivers in the UAE might not realise that something as simple as adding a sticker to the rear window could lead to fines totalling hundreds of dirhams.

Naseer isn’t alone in this experience. Numerous motorists in the country have encountered similar penalties, often unaware that car stickers require prior authorisation. One Asian resident even took to social media to share his own experience of receiving a fine for a sticker on his vehicle’s fuel tank cover.

Police frequently conduct awareness campaigns to inform motorists about the rules regarding car stickers.

Mahmood Shakir Al Mashhadani, a senior associate at Galadari Advocates and Legal Consultants, explained that according to Federal Traffic Law No 21 of 1995, unauthorised stickers on vehicles are illegal and result in a Dh500 fine.

“The fine will be for all the stickers on the car per day, which means the fine will be placed again on the second day if the driver or the vehicle owner refuses to remove it after the fine,” said Al Mashhadani.

Al Mashhadani further clarified that all types of stickers, whether photo or transparent, on any part of the car, including those that can hide the car number plate number, face of the driver, or any other details that can obstruct the traffic police work.

“The only stickers allowed by the authorities are company advertisements for promoting products and services after obtaining the approval from the authorities. The Traffic No 21 of 1995 laws is a federal law and applies across all the emirates. Violations can lead to fines, black points on your driving license, and even imprisonment for severe offences,” he added.

Under Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on Rules and Procedures of Traffic Control, there is a Dh500 penalty for writing phrases and placing stickers on vehicles without permission. However, for heavy vehicles, reflective stickers are mandatory on the back, and failing to display these can also result in a Dh500 fine.