UAE: Is there a grace period for public parking?

RTA Dubai Public Parking — There is no grace period of expired parking tickets in UAE, however motorists have a maximum time limit to pay for public parking. Picture used for illustrative purposes. Image Credit: Clint Egbert/Gulf News

Dubai: If your parking ticket is about to expire, make sure you don’t wait too long to renew it. This is because there is no grace period for parking ticket renewal, if you have parked your car in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Ajman. However, going online or using the mParking option can help you in more ways than one. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, you can renew your ticket up to 15 minutes before it expires, and not lose out on time on the ticket.

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Parking authorities in the UAE usually send alerts to your mobile number 15 minutes ahead of the expiry time, and if you respond to the message with a ‘Y’ (Yes for ticket renewal), the parking ticket will be extended for another hour, immediately after the original expiry time.

Is there any other grace period for parking?

If you parked your car in front of a grocery store to grab a quick snack, and didn’t pay for public parking, will you still be fined?

Local transportation authorities in the UAE have previously announced that they have grace periods for public parking, which allow motorists to park their cars for a few minutes until they pay the parking tariffs.

Here’s the maximum time limit to pay the parking fees in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.

Abu Dhabi

In 2018, Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) announced that motorists get a 10-minute grace period to pay for public parking. According to the ITC call centre – 800850, this grace period is still in effect.

Dubai

According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), there is a 10-minute grace period for motorists as well, allowing you to park your car and then pay the parking fee.

Sharjah

Sharjah also allows motorists a grace period of 10 minutes to pay for the parking from the time they park. You can pay for the ticket through parking metres, SMS Parking or the Digital Sharjah app.

However, in March 2023, Sharjah City Municipality (SCM) reminded motorists that sitting in their parked car in a public parking area does not exempt them from parking tariffs. SCM stated that if the driver is occupying the space, they must pay the fee.

Sharjah parking digital scanner — In Sharjah, there are certain public parking zones that have paid parking throughout the week. These places will have a yellow board with a blue sign underneath it, stating that parking is paid throughout the week in the area, including on public holidays. Image Credit: File

Ajman

The maximum time limit to pay public parking fees in Ajman is also 10 minutes, according to the emirate’s Municipality and Planning Department (MPDA) call centre – 80070.

However, if you have paid for parking and want to extend it, you must renew your ticket as soon as possible through SMS parking or through the MPDA app.

In Ajman public parking is operated by the emirate's - Municipality and Planning Department (MPDA). Image Credit: Shutterstock

In 2019, Ajman Police also advised motorists to steer clear of parking in undesignated areas. According to the police, if vehicles are captured by surveillance cameras lining up on arterial streets and main roads, especially where there is not enough parking spaces, they will not be fined as long as they move out of the parking spot within three minutes.

Ajman Police added that the move was aimed at accommodating urgent requirements of residents like making a quick purchase at a pharmacy. So, even if you park your car in an undesignated area for an urgent need in the emirate, make sure you clear the space within three minutes to not cause any traffic disturbance.