Mulkiya (ملكية)

Mulkiya (Arabic: ملكية, literally "ownership"; also spelled mulkia or mulkiyah) is the UAE's vehicle registration card, the mulkiya card — proof that a car is registered, insured and roadworthy. In Arabic it is ملكية المركبة ("vehicle ownership"), also بطاقة تسجيل المركبة ("vehicle registration card"); Dubai's RTA calls it the Vehicle Ownership Certificate or Vehicle Licence. Registration is valid for 12 months, followed by a 30-day grace period to renew without late fees. The grace period covers the paperwork, not the road: driving on an expired registration costs AED 500 and 4 black points, and a car more than three months past expiry is impounded for 7 days.

Each emirate issues its own Mulkiya:

• Dubai — the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), via the RTA app, rta.ae or vehicle testing centres;
• Abu Dhabi — the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), through the TAMM app and portal;
• Sharjah and the other emirates — Ministry of Interior traffic departments, via the MOI UAE app.

Renewal has three moving parts: valid insurance (insurers typically issue 13-month policies so cover spans the grace period), clearance of all traffic fines, and — for vehicles older than three years — a passed technical inspection at a centre such as Tasjeel, Shamil or Wasel. New vehicles are exempt from testing for their first three years.

The card itself is now digital-first. Dubai's RTA sends it as an e-card by SMS or email and keeps it under My Docs in the RTA Dubai app, Abu Dhabi issues it in TAMM, and the other emirates offer an electronic card in the MOI UAE app. A printed card is optional; in 2018 the RTA advised keeping a printout if the car leaves the UAE. Not carrying the registration card is an AED 400 fine.

For fees, the grace period, checking the expiry date and downloading the card in each emirate, see the UAE car registration renewal guide.