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Article 89 of Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026 establishes the new thresholds for vehicle licensing as part of the executive regulation for Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic. The measure replaces rules that had governed the sector since Ministerial Resolution No. 130 of 1997. Individual residents may register their first two vehicles under standard procedures without incurring the supplementary charge.
Payment of the additional fee will become mandatory for registering or renewing a third, fourth or fifth vehicle, according to the cabinet decision. The regulation maintains a strict ceiling of five licensed vehicles per resident, and settling the extra charge does not permit ownership to exceed that limit. The cap applies separately to each person rather than aggregating vehicles at the household level.
The text addresses vehicles in general rather than limiting the provision to passenger cars and sets no equivalent numerical restriction for corporate fleets in the same clause. The published decision stops short of stating the precise value of the additional fee or clarifying its application across different emirates. It likewise offers no guidance on residents who already hold more than five registered vehicles or on any transitional arrangements for compliance.
Limits on individual ownership first gained traction at a Federal National Council session earlier in 2026 that examined traffic safety and congestion across the country. Khaleej Times reported that participants highlighted the rapid growth in the national vehicle fleet as a factor straining road networks in major urban centres. The resulting regulation forms one element of a wider update that also tightens rules on licensing applications and roadworthiness standards.
Gulf News noted that the executive regulation was issued on October 6, 2026, affording authorities and motorists several weeks to prepare before the January start date. The framework requires all registration and renewal requests to proceed through official channels or designated mobile applications. It further bars right-hand-drive vehicles from receiving road licenses, restricting them to display or exhibition purposes only.
Several practical questions remain unresolved as the implementation date approaches, according to coverage in multiple outlets that reviewed the cabinet text. The Roads and Transport Authority and counterpart agencies in other emirates have not yet released supplementary circulars detailing the fee schedule or compliance timelines for existing multi-vehicle owners. Enforcement of the revised ownership rules will therefore depend on further clarification from federal and local traffic authorities in the coming weeks.
