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The new provision, detailed in Article 98 of Cabinet Decision No. 174 of 2026, maintains the standard one-year validity for vehicle registration while opening the door for extensions to two years for light vehicles that satisfy three cumulative conditions. The executive regulation implements Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024 on traffic and takes effect on the first day of 2027, WAM reported. Motorists must submit a request to the licensing authority, which holds the final say on whether to approve the longer term even when criteria are met.
To qualify, the vehicle must have been registered as new from the factory, remain within six years of its manufacture date and belong to an individual owner rather than a corporate entity, the decision states. All three requirements must be fulfilled simultaneously for an application to be considered. The regulation applies only to light vehicles and does not extend the option to heavier categories or fleet vehicles.
This adjustment forms part of a wider package of traffic reforms approved in October 2026 that will also impose a cap of five registered vehicles per individual resident, with additional fees required beyond the first two, according to separate coverage of the same Cabinet decision. The National reported that the UAE’s total registered vehicles stood at 4.56 million in the second half of 2025 following an addition of 390,000 units over the previous 12 months. Such growth has placed increasing demands on licensing and renewal systems nationwide.
Current procedures require annual renewal for most vehicles, accompanied by technical inspections for those more than three years old, industry guides from Carsooq indicate. Insurance must be kept current throughout the registration period, with policies often issued for 13 months to provide a grace window for renewals. The introduction of the two-year option for newer privately owned cars could reduce the frequency of these processes for qualifying owners.
Further details on implementation, including any associated fees for the extended registration or how authorities will exercise their discretion, have yet to be published by the federal authorities. The decision replaces an earlier executive regulation dating back to 1997 and seeks to update administrative practices in line with contemporary road usage patterns. Related provisions in the same document have adjusted driving licence validity periods according to age, nationality and residency status.
