UAE Grants Drivers a Black-Points Amnesty Ahead of the School Year
Timed for 31 August, the start of school and peak traffic, drivers with a clean record will see part of their accumulated black points wiped. A short note on how the points system actually works.
The UAE has announced an amnesty on so-called black points for drivers, timed to 31 August — the start of the school year and the peak of road traffic.
How the system works
Black points are issued for serious traffic violations and accumulate on a driver's record separately from the fines themselves. Enough points trigger a suspension of the licence for a set period — which in practice makes them worse than the fines, which can simply be paid off.
They're easier to collect than it sounds: talking on the phone while driving, a significant speeding violation, a dangerous lane change — all of these add points, not just a ticket.
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What the amnesty does
Drivers with a clean record over the period have part of their accumulated points removed. Fines themselves aren't touched by this measure — it applies to the points record only.
Why a new resident should care
Anyone who's recently moved benefits from understanding the logic of the local system: it separates the financial penalty from the right to keep driving. A fine is paid online in a minute; points build up quietly and surface at the worst moment — renewing a licence or registering a car, for example.
Checking your own status is possible through the traffic police app of the relevant emirate, and it's worth doing regularly rather than only when you need a clearance certificate.
Based on reports on the UAE's black-points driver amnesty, 2026.
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