In the UAE, it is a huge crime to change or misuse a vehicle licence plate. The new law on traffic can impose fines of up to AED 50,000 (and even more) on such actions.

According to Article 34 of the 2024 Federal Decree-Law on Traffic Regulation, No. 14, trespassers are imprisoned and fined at least AED 20,000 as a penalty for forging, imitating, distorting, changing, or transferring a licence plate without authorisation. Practically, motorists have had to pay more than AED 50,000 to have impounded vehicles released when plate numbers are tampered with.

Why Authorities Are Cracking Down

Licence plates are the distinctive numbers associated with vehicles and their owners and registers. When the plates are poked or concealed, the authorities are unable to implement the rules efficiently. Cars may avoid the cameras, not to pay fines or even to help in a crime. As an illustration, in one instance, a motorist was caught with counterfeit plates in an attempt to avoid the speed traps, and he had to pay a fine amounting to AED 459,000. In a move to prevent road safety and accountability, plate tampering has been turned into one of the stakes by the authorities.

Specific Violations That Trigger Serious Penalties

Some of the major crimes included in the law are:

Alteration or creation of a fake licence plate.
Deleting or changing the information on a plate when it is in operation.
Moving a plate from one vehicle to another vehicle without the approval of the licensing authority.
Making the plate illegible so that the cameras and authorities cannot read it. Fines are provided even in the less severe cases.

The Penalties You Could Face

Depending on the extent and nature of the crime, the impacts vary to include:

The tampering of plates or forgery should be subject to a minimum fine of AED 20,000.
The release fine may go up to AED 50,000 or higher in instances where the car is impounded because of intentional plate abuse.
Cars have been detained to tamper with their plates; in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the police impounded cars that did not have their plates matching their registration.
In case of minor offences (e.g., plate being accidentally blocked during transportation), the fine can be less (e.g., in Abu Dhabi AED 400); however, in case intentional interference is established, the upper ranges are used.

What Drivers Should Do to Stay Safe

In order not to become an object of law:

It is important to ensure that your licence plate is clean, unmarked and visible at all times.
Between the plate and the decorative frame or cover, there is any decoration that masks or obscures any portion of the plate.
Do not now seek to alter the characters, the space or appearance of the plate at all.
When carrying bulky goods, bikes or even racks, it is always advisable to have the plate clean and readable.
In case you want to transfer any plate from one vehicle to another, or to exchange it with any other on any account, do it lawfully through the licensing authority, not in an informal manner.
When you find any harm in your plate or it is interfering with its readability, it is time to change it through official channels.

Final Word

Tampering with a licence plate in the UAE is a big offence unlike many other traffic violations, where the fines are relatively small. The stakes are high with the fines normally beginning at AED 20,000 and rising to AED 50,000 or higher with the possibility of impoundment and even jail term. To each driver: It is a simple and safe rule: always have your number plate authentic and readable.