Dubai Police Issue 7,735 Fines For Loud Exhausts And Illegal Mods

Dubai Police separated 2,045 noise violations from 5,690 illegal modification cases, each carrying fines, black points, and possible vehicle impoundment.

Impounded Ferrari SF90 Stradale in Dubai

Photo by: Dubai Police

Brian Potter

By: Brian Potter

Oct 22, at 5:51am ET

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Dubai Police issued 7,735 traffic fines during the first nine months of 2026 for excessive vehicle noise and unauthorized engine or chassis modifications. The force also impounded 1,630 vehicles tied to those same violations.

The numbers mark a sustained push against modified exhausts and altered drivetrains across the emirate. Officials say the campaign targets vehicles that disturb residents and raise safety concerns on public roads.

Fines And Impounded Vehicles

Impounded Nissan Patrol in Dubai

Impounded Nissan Patrol in Dubai

Photo by: Dubai Police

Police broke the figures into two distinct categories. Excessive noise accounted for 2,045 violations and 333 impounded vehicles, according to Dubai Police.

Unauthorized engine or chassis modifications made up the larger share of the enforcement total, with 5,690 violations and 1,297 vehicles pulled off the road. Combined, the two categories produced the full tally of fines and impoundments reported for the nine-month period.

Brigadier Juma Salem Bin Suwaidan, director of the traffic department at Dubai Police, tied the crackdown to quality-of-life concerns rather than pure traffic enforcement. Modified engines or exhaust systems that amplify noise "can disturb residential neighborhoods, especially at night," he said, and "affects public well-being."

Bin Suwaidan says enforcement will continue alongside public awareness efforts aimed at discouraging loud exhausts and unsafe modifications.

Officials describe the program as a long-term push to reduce disruptive driving patterns on Dubai's roads.

Police aren't stopping at current methods. The force is preparing to expand its use of devices that detect and measure vehicle noise, which Bin Suwaidan said "will help authorities identify sources of excessive noise and offending vehicles, strengthening monitoring and enforcement."

Dubai's Penalties For Excessive Vehicle Noise

Impounded Ford pickup in Dubai

Impounded Ford pickup in Dubai

Photo by: Dubai Police

The two violation types carry separate penalty structures. Driving a vehicle that causes excessive noise brings a fine of Dh2,000 (about $545) plus 12 black points on the driver's license, a steep hit aimed squarely at loud exhausts and aftermarket noise.

Unauthorized modifications to an engine or chassis draw a lighter fine of Dh1,000 (about $270) but the same 12 black points, with an added 30-day impoundment period attached to the vehicle itself. Authorities treat structural changes as a bigger safety risk than noise alone.

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Additional measures can apply on vehicle impoundment, which sets fixed release fees and daily storage charges in specified cases before a seized car is returned to its owner. The rules sit alongside broader scrutiny of altered vehicles and attention-getting patrol cars, including a Lamborghini Temerario hybrid supercar recently added to the official Dubai Police luxury fleet.

Residents can report suspected violations directly through the Dubai Police smart app or by calling 901, a direct channel into a campaign officials describe as ongoing.