Is It Allowed to Put Stickers on Cars in Dubai? The Rules Explained

Someone buys a set of matte black stripes, a "Baby on Board" sign and a small logo for their side business, and asks us which of them they can fit without trouble. The answer is different for each one, and that is why the question is so confusing. Dubai has no single sticker rule. There are a few separate rules, and each sticker falls under one of them depending on what it says, where it goes and how much of the car it covers.

We fit stickers and wraps on private and company cars every day, and we turn down jobs that would put a customer on the wrong side of these rules. Here is how to tell which rule applies to the sticker you have in mind.

The quick answer, sticker by sticker

The rest of this article explains the reasoning behind each line, because most real cases are a mix of two or three.

Where decoration ends and advertising begins

The size of the sticker does not decide whether it is an advert. What it says does. A 10 cm logo of your cleaning company on the driver's door is advertising. A large dragon across the bonnet is not.

Treat a sticker as advertising if it shows any of these:

• A business name or logo, including your own small company
• A phone or WhatsApp number linked to a service
• A website, a business Instagram handle or a QR code that leads to a shop or booking page
• A list of services, prices or offers

Once a car carries advertising, it needs a Permit to Advertise on Vehicles, issued since April 2025 by Mada Media with the RTA and Dubai Municipality. The design must follow the permit rules and match an approved mockup. What the permit costs and how we handle it is on our vehicle advertising permit page. If you are a small business owner planning a logo on your own car, our guide on how to put a logo on your car covers ownership and options. For business decals see our car stickers in Dubai, and for larger panels or full wraps on cars, vans and trucks, our vehicle branding in Dubai page.

Manufacturer badges, dealer stickers and official stickers issued by authorities are not adverts in this sense.

Windscreen, windows and tint

The rule behind every glass question is the driver's view. That is why the windscreen is the strictest surface on the car.

Windscreen

Keep it clear. The only stickers that belong there are official ones, such as the Salik tag and parking or community access permits, placed where they are meant to go. Decorative strips across the top of the windscreen, names of football clubs and sun-visor banners are the stickers we refuse to fit.

Front side windows

No graphics. The driver needs a clear view of the mirrors and of traffic at junctions and roundabouts.

Rear window and rear side windows

Graphics are possible on perforated one-way vision film, which lets the driver see out while people outside see the design. Solid vinyl on the rear window blocks the view and is not something we fit.

Tint

Window tint is regulated separately under UAE traffic rules, with a maximum darkness for each window and much stricter limits at the front than at the back. The permitted percentages have changed over the years, so check the current limits with Dubai Police or a licensed tinting shop before you fit anything. Remember that a graphic film over tinted glass darkens it further.

Lights, reflectors and number plates: never

Headlights, tail lights, indicators, reflectors and number plates must stay fully uncovered and working. This is the one area with no exceptions for private or business cars.

The mistakes we see are rarely deliberate. A smoked film over tail lights to match a black wrap. A decal on the plate surround that creeps over the characters. A sticker on a rear bumper reflector because it was in the way of the design. A sticker that dims a light or hides part of a plate is a problem however small or stylish it is.

When we wrap or sticker a car, the vinyl is trimmed clear of every light and plate with a margin, so heat and washing over the summer do not let it shift onto them.

When stickers turn into a colour change

Stripes, a contrasting roof, mirror caps or a carbon-look bonnet do not change the colour of the car. Cover more than half the body in a new colour and they do.

A wrap that changes the main colour needs Dubai Police (CID) permission first on a personal car, an AED 120 colour-change fee, and then a Mulkiya update so the registration shows the new colour. On a company car with commercial branding, the colour change is handled alongside the advertising permit, which is a separate approval.

The practical test is simple: look at the car from the side. If someone would describe it by the new colour, treat it as a colour change. A white car with a black roof and black mirrors is still a white car. A white car wrapped satin grey with white stripes is a grey car. The full sequence is in our guide to changing your car colour legally, and our colour change wrap service includes the paperwork.

RTA's registration services ask for colour-changed vehicles to be inspected, so a Mulkiya left on the old colour catches up with you at the next renewal or sale.

Content that will get you stopped

Even on a private car with no business content, what a sticker says or shows matters. We decline to print or fit:

• Offensive, obscene or insulting words and images, including jokes that read badly in Arabic or English
• Political messages
• Designs that imitate Dubai Police, ambulance, civil defence or taxi markings
• Anything disrespectful to religion, the UAE or its leadership

For seasonal decoration such as National Day, follow the guidance issued for that year and keep glass, lights and plates clear as always. Our National Day ideas article covers decoration and removal.

The fine that applies most directly is the one for unauthorised stickers on vehicles: AED 500 in the last published RTA list. Separate traffic penalties apply to things like obscured plates and illegal tint; check the current amounts with Dubai Police rather than relying on figures passed around online.

Rental, leased and company cars

Who owns the car matters as much as the sticker. A rental or leased car belongs to the rental or leasing company, and most contracts forbid stickers or wraps without written permission. Even a removable decal can leave a ghost outline on paint after a few months of Dubai sun, which the company may charge for on return.

For a leased car carrying business branding, the advertising permit also needs an NOC from the leasing company. A company car whose Mulkiya is in the company's name is the simplest case: the company applies for the permit with its trade licence.

Before any sticker goes on a car you do not own outright, get permission in writing, and plan how and when it will come off. Our guide on removing vinyl from a car explains how to take it off without lifting paint.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put a sticker on my windscreen in Dubai?

Only official stickers, such as the Salik tag and parking or community access permits, in the place they are meant to go. Decorative strips, names and banners on the windscreen block the driver's view and are not allowed, so we do not fit them.

Are bumper stickers and small decals on a private car legal?

Yes, as long as they do not cover lights, reflectors or plates, do not advertise a business and are not offensive. A small decal on the bumper or bodywork needs no approval. Several small stickers that together cover most of a panel are better treated as a wrap.

Is a matte black roof wrap counted as a colour change?

Usually not. The colour change rule applies when the wrap changes more than half the body. A black roof, mirrors or bonnet on a white car leaves the main colour white, so no Dubai Police approval or Mulkiya update is needed.

Can I put my personal Instagram handle on my car?

A purely personal handle is decoration. If the account sells products, takes bookings or promotes a business, it is advertising, and the car then needs a vehicle advertising permit. When in doubt, ask what the sticker is for: if it is meant to win customers, treat it as an advert.

Can I put stickers on a rental car?

Only with the rental company's written permission, which most contracts do not give. Even removable stickers can leave marks after weeks in the sun. If you need short-term branding on a rental for an event, ask the rental company first and plan removal before return.

Not sure which rule your sticker falls under?

Send a photo of your car and the sticker design on WhatsApp at +971 56 925 9327. We will tell you whether it needs a permit or Dubai Police approval, and print and fit it on cast vinyl if it is good to go.