Quick answer
To deregister a car with RTA in Dubai, pay all traffic fines on the file, settle any car loan and get the bank's clearance letter, then apply to RTA with the registered owner's Emirates ID and Mulkiya to cancel the registration and return the plates. Keep the cancellation certificate and update your Salik account afterwards.
Last updated 17 September 2026. RTA procedures, channels and fees change. Always confirm current requirements on the official RTA website before you apply.
Transfer, cancel or export: which do you need?
| Situation | What you need | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Selling to someone who will drive it | Ownership transfer | Car registered to the buyer |
| Car is being scrapped | Registration cancellation | Car removed from the register, plates returned |
| Car is leaving the UAE | Export cancellation and export documents | Car can be shipped abroad |
Step by step: deregistering a car in Dubai
- Decide: transfer, cancel for scrap, or export. A transfer moves the car to a new owner who keeps it registered. A cancellation takes it off the road for scrap. An export cancellation is for cars leaving the UAE.
- Check and pay all fines. Use the RTA Dubai app or website and the Dubai Police app. Fines from other emirates also appear on your file and must be cleared.
- Clear any bank mortgage. If the car is financed, settle the loan and obtain the bank's clearance letter so RTA can remove the mortgage.
- Prepare documents. Emirates ID of the registered owner, the vehicle registration (Mulkiya), and a power of attorney if someone else is acting for the owner. Company cars need company documents.
- Complete the transaction through RTA. Apply through RTA's current digital channels or an authorised service centre, pay the applicable fee, and return the plates where required.
- Tidy up afterwards. Keep the transfer or cancellation certificate, update or close your Salik account, and cancel your insurance.
Documents checklist
- Registered owner's Emirates ID (original)
- Vehicle registration card (Mulkiya), even if expired
- Bank clearance letter, if the car was financed
- Power of attorney, if someone else is acting for the owner
- Company trade licence and authorisation, for company-owned cars
- The number plates, where they must be surrendered
Common problems and how to solve them
"My car has fines from another emirate"
Fines issued anywhere in the UAE can appear on your traffic file and must be settled before RTA completes a transfer or cancellation. Check the Dubai Police app or the MOI UAE app for a full picture.
"The loan is paid but the mortgage still shows"
RTA needs the bank's clearance to lift the mortgage. Ask your bank to issue the clearance letter or update RTA directly. Read more about selling a car with a loan.
"I'm leaving the UAE this week"
Prioritise clearing fines and the loan, then complete the transfer or cancellation before you fly. Leaving a car registered in your name means everything that happens to it stays your responsibility. See selling your car before leaving the UAE.
Let us handle it
When you sell your car to JunkMyCar, we take care of the transfer or cancellation, settle fines and loans from the sale price as agreed, and collect the car for free. You keep the paperwork, we deal with the process.
Written by the JunkMyCar Editorial Team
Last checked and updated 17 September 2026.
We write from the day-to-day work of buying damaged and non-running cars across the UAE, and check legal and procedural points against official sources such as RTA, TAMM and the Central Bank of the UAE. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything important with the relevant authority. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.