Dubai Number Plate Costs and Fees (RTA Guide 2026)

Last updated: 15 January 2026

Dubai number plate fees depend on plate type (short, long, classic, luxury, Dubai-branded, Expo-branded) and the service you use (change, replacement, third plate, transfer, auction). 

Your final cost is usually the plate production fee plus RTA issuance/certificate fees, and sometimes an additional Knowledge and Innovation fee. Below is a simple fee table and what you pay in common scenarios.

When people search “Dubai number plate cost”, they usually mean one of these:

Fee table: Change plate number (RTA) – typical totals by plate type

Short plate | 35 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 105

Long plate | 50 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 120

Short classical plate | 150 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 220

Long classical plate | 150 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 220

Luxury plate | 500 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 570

Motorcycle plate | 25 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 95

Expo-branded plate | 100 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 170

Dubai-branded plate | 200 | New ownership issuance 50 + Knowledge and Innovation 20 | 270

“New ownership issuance” is an RTA issuance fee shown inside the service flow.

The Knowledge and Innovation fee can appear depending on plate type and service.

Fast reference: Replace lost or damaged plate (RTA) – typical totals

Short plate | 85

Long plate | 100

Short motorcycle plate | 75

Short or long classical plate | 220

Luxury plate | 570

Expo-branded plate | 170

Dubai-branded plate | 270

Key ownership detail

If you own the plate number and you lose both physical plates, you receive the same number again because you own it in the system.

The third plate must match your existing plate style (for example Expo must match Expo).

Third plate option | Total (AED)

Short plate | 35

Short classical plate | 170

Short Dubai-branded plate | 220

Short Expo-branded plate | 120

Typical fee: 100 AED.

Transfer plate number ownership to another person/company (RTA)

Typical total: 120 AED (Ownership Certificate 100 + Knowledge and Innovation 20).

Buy a new plate number (RTA direct purchase)

You typically pay: Plate Ownership Certificate 100 AED + plate number price + Knowledge and Innovation 20 AED + VAT.

Buy a new plate number (fixed price in the system)

You pay: Plate Ownership Certificate (100) + plate number price + Knowledge and Innovation (20) + VAT.

If you only want the number as an asset, the ownership certificate is the part that proves it is legally yours.

Change plate design/format (short vs long, classic vs branded)

You pay the totals shown in the “Change plate number” table for the style you select.

In practice, this is the cost to issue the new plates plus the system issuance.

You pay the replacement totals shown above.

If plates were lost, you typically need a police letter.

Issue third plate (bike rack)

Typical cost starts at 35 AED for a standard short third plate.

If you use Expo or Dubai-branded, the third plate must match the same style.

Transfer plate to another owner (sell the number)

Baseline transfer fee: 120 AED.

Extra cost can apply if the number is mounted on a vehicle and the vehicle must be issued a different plate set.

The legal asset is the plate number ownership certificate, not the metal plate.

Typical workflow: confirm the number is in your traffic file, assign a different plate to the vehicle being sold, then transfer the vehicle.

Main cost drivers are ownership/transfer fees and the cost to issue a replacement plate set.

Auction costs, deposits, and the extra fees people forget

Participation is effectively 120 AED total (100 participation + 20 Knowledge and Innovation).

Deposits

RTA shows deposits such as 5,000 AED for electronic auctions and 25,000 AED for open hall auctions (refundable if rules are followed).

RTA states number fees must be paid within 10 working days of approval/end of auction.

Auction floor info

RTA states the lowest starting bid amount in an open auction is 1,000 AED, and auctions are typically announced about a week before launch.

RTA indicates credit card max payment amounts (50,000 AED generally; higher for certain categories like 3-digit plates).

Some platforms add line items like delivery fees and certificate issuance. Example figures shown publicly include Ownership Certificate 100 AED and delivery 53 AED.

Foreigners and eligibility (what actually blocks transactions)

RTA lists eligible categories as citizens, residents, and diplomats.

RTA states that if your residence visa is issued in another emirate, you cannot register the purchased number on a vehicle in the context of that service.

RTA states you must have a valid UAE traffic file to apply for auction participation.

Opening a Dubai traffic file (examples)

RTA lists examples such as tenancy contract or property ownership in Dubai, investor status, employment at a company with a Dubai branch, or owning a special plate number purchased before 2007.

If you do not have Emirates ID/UAE Pass plus a Dubai traffic file, you usually cannot complete the steps that make the plate legally yours in the RTA system. If you want the plate as an asset, the goal is to get the Plate Ownership Certificate into your traffic file.

RTA digital services for buying new numbers, managing plates, and transferring ownership

RTA auctions (electronic or hall) with participation fee and deposit

Licensed auction/marketplace operators (fees can include certificate and delivery line items)

If you buy a new plate number via RTA, you typically pay 100 AED for the Plate Ownership Certificate plus the plate price, plus 20 AED Knowledge and Innovation, plus VAT.

For “Change Plate Number”, totals depend on plate type. Typical totals range from 95 AED (motorcycle) to 570 AED (luxury), with common totals like 105 AED (short) and 120 AED (long).

For “Replace Lost/Damaged Plate”, typical totals include 85 AED (short), 100 AED (long), 75 AED (motorcycle), and up to 570 AED (luxury).

Yes. In the RTA fee breakdown, the plate fee for a short plate is 35 AED, with a typical total of 105 AED when issuance and Knowledge and Innovation are included.

Yes. Auctions can require a participation fee and an insurance deposit (examples shown: 5,000 AED electronic and 25,000 AED open hall). The winning bid price is then paid separately.

Yes. Special styles like classic, Dubai-branded, Expo-branded, and luxury have higher plate fees, and the Knowledge and Innovation fee appears in multiple special-style flows.

RTA lists eligibility for buying new plate numbers as citizens, residents, and diplomats, and auction participation requires a UAE traffic file. In practice, most foreigners need UAE residency documentation and a Dubai traffic file to complete ownership properly.

Official options include RTA’s “Buy New Plate Number” service and RTA auctions, plus licensed auction/marketplace channels that may add certificate or delivery line items depending on the platform.