Dubai motorist fined Dh5,000 for license Plate tampering to evade parking fees

Dubai: A Dubai court has convicted an Asian motorist who tried to evade parking fees by obscuring one of the digits on his vehicle’s license plate, a scheme that unraveled during a routine police patrol in Al Qusais, Al Khaleej newspaper reported. 

Police officers noticed that the plate appeared unclear, prompting closer inspection that revealed a deliberately smudged number. What the driver thought was a simple trick quickly escalated into a criminal case.

According to case records reviewed by the Dubai Misdemeanors and Violations Court, the incident occurred in October. 

The defendant, who failed to appear in court, was convicted in absentia and fined Dh5,000 after authorities confirmed he had intentionally obscured part of the plate while parked in a public lot.

In its ruling, the court noted that official inspections showed the plate did not meet legal specifications due to tampering.

The defendant later admitted during questioning that he marked over one digit to avoid automated parking charges, assuming the system would not detect the vehicle.

The court emphasized that altering or concealing license plate information is a serious traffic offense that undermines road safety and regulatory enforcement.

It added that simply driving a car with unclear or modified plates constitutes a standalone criminal violation.