Dubai announces strict law on lost property, fines of up to Dh200,000

In his capacity as the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has issued Law No. (17) of 2025 on the handling of lost and abandoned property in Dubai.

The law defines lost property as money or movable items that can be legally owned and have value, which are lost by their owner without the intention of giving them up. Stray animals are not included.

Abandoned property refers to money or movable items that can be legally owned and have value, for which the owner or lawful possessor has intentionally or implicitly given up ownership. Stray animals are excluded.

The law gives Dubai Police the authority to receive reports of lost items, take possession of lost or abandoned property, store it safely, and maintain records including descriptions, dates, locations, and the details of the finder.

Dubai Police must set up an electronic system to record lost and abandoned property, announce found items as needed, determine the costs of storing and announcing them, and manage the property according to the law.

According to the law, anyone who finds lost property, except a public employee performing official duties, must register it in Dubai Police’s electronic system within 24 hours and hand it over within 48 hours. They are not allowed to use, keep, or claim the property as their own, and failing to comply may result in criminal penalties.

The finder must cooperate with Dubai Police, and the property is received through an official receipt recording its description, condition, the finder’s details, the date and place it was found, and any other information required by the police. The law also sets out how the property is to be managed and reclaimed.

Under the law, the owner of lost property has the right to reclaim it before Dubai Police dispose of it, or to claim its value within three years if it is sold. If the property is given away or otherwise disposed of without compensation according to the law, the owner has the right to recover it from whoever possesses it.

If multiple people claim ownership, the property or its value is given to the person confirmed by a final court ruling.

No claim may be made without a valid reason after three years from the date the property is announced as found. The owner must cover storage and announcement costs to reclaim the property or its value.

According to the law, Dubai Police may honour a finder with a certificate of appreciation or a financial reward of 10 percent of the property’s value, up to Dh50,000, deducted after disposal, whether the owner claims it or not. The Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police sets the conditions and procedures for this reward.

A finder may request to keep the property if the owner has not come forward within one year of it being found, subject to rules and safeguards set by Dubai Police. If the owner later claims the property, the finder must return it.

All government and private entities must cooperate with Dubai Police, support their work under this law, and register any found or abandoned property in the police’s electronic system, handing it over within the prescribed deadlines.

Dubai Police may issue a written warning to anyone who violates this law or its decisions, requiring them to correct the violation within a set deadline. Fines range from Dh500 to Dh100,000, doubling for repeated violations within a year, up to Dh200,000.

The Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police issues decisions to enforce this Law, except those reserved for The Executive Council of Dubai and publishes them in the Official Gazette.

This law replaces Law No. (5) of 2015 on the Disposal of Lost and Abandoned Property; and annuls any conflicting provisions in other legislation. Regulations and decisions issued under Law No. (5) of 2015 will remain in effect, provided they do not contradict the provisions of Law No. (17) of 2025, until new regulations and decisions are introduced to replace them.

The law is effective from the day of its publication in the Official Gazette.