More than 7,000 traffic tickets have been canceled by the Sharjah Police, which is a big relief.
Drivers all over Sharjah are feeling better. The emirate’s police have gotten rid of more than 7,000 traffic violations, which has helped hundreds of people who have been stuck with penalties for ten years.
This isn’t just cleaning up the office. Sharjah’s government is doing this as part of a larger effort to keep the community stable and lessen the financial burden that old, forgotten fines often cause. And most people have to pay a fee, but some humanitarian cases don’t have to pay a dirham.
What You Need to Know About the 10-Year Traffic Fine Waiver
If you have traffic violations on your record that are more than ten years old, you can now get them removed. This applies to fines given out by the Sharjah Police General Command. The program follows rules set by the Sharjah Executive Council.
The problem? You’ll have to pay a Dh1,000 processing fee for each cancellation request. Don’t worry, though; some situations don’t have to pay that fee at all.
Who Doesn’t Have to Pay the Fee?
The Sharjah Executive Council made it clear that people in need won’t have to pay. Some of these are:
- Death of the vehicle owner: If the registered owner has died and you can show proof, the fee is not charged.
- Long absence from the UAE: If the owner of the vehicle has been outside the country for at least ten years in a row, they don’t have to pay the fee.
- Vehicles that have been left behind: If a vehicle has been left behind and the owner can’t be found or contacted, there is no fee.
These exceptions show that the person thought about it and understood that sometimes people can’t deal with old violations because of their current situation.
How the Cancellation Program Works
The process is simple if you think you meet the requirements. People who qualify must go to one of Sharjah’s traffic and licensing service centers to make their request. Bring any paperwork you have, especially if you are asking for a fee waiver.
The initiative has already had an effect. According to the most recent update, more than 7,000 traffic tickets have been paid, helping 284 people in the emirate. That’s a lot of people, and it shows how many people were still dealing with these old offenses.
Benefits for More Than One Person
This program doesn’t just help drivers on their own. Sharjah is also cleaning up its traffic database and making it easier for residents to renew their vehicles by getting rid of old fines. Getting rid of old violations can have effects throughout the system because they often make insurance calculations and registration more difficult.
More Discounts on Traffic Fines Are Available
But hold on—there’s more. Sharjah hasn’t just stopped charging old fines. The Executive Council’s decision also set up structured rewards for people who pay their current fines on time.
Structure of the Early Payment Discount
The emirate now gives you different amounts off depending on how quickly you pay your fines:
- 35% off if you pay within 60 days of the violation. This discount is full; it includes the fine, the costs of impounding the car, the costs of storing the car, and any late payment fees.
- 25% off: This applies if you pay after 60 days but before one year has passed since the violation. This lower discount only covers the fine, not the extra costs, though.
These discounts make it very tempting to pay early. If you just got a traffic ticket, you can save hundreds of dirhams by acting quickly.
What Kinds of Violations Are Not Allowed?
But not all traffic violations are eligible for these discounts. The Sharjah Police have made it clear that serious violations are not eligible for any exemptions. Among these are:
- Driving too fast
- Driving recklessly puts other road users and property at risk
- Not following truck driving rules
- Pedestrians crossing roads where they shouldn’t
- Not paying attention to traffic lights
- Stopping in the middle of the road for no reason
- Using a cell phone while driving
Colonel Abdulrahman Mohammed Khater, Deputy Director of the Security Media Department at Sharjah Police, said that traffic analysis showed that these violations were not serious enough to be punished. They are directly related to traffic accidents, which is why they can’t take advantage of discount programs.
Why Sharjah Took These Steps
The timing and scope of these projects show something important about how Sharjah is run. Authorities are balancing compassion with accountability by giving both past relief (canceling old fines) and future incentives (discounts for paying on time).
Encouraging Road Safety and Following the Rules
The Sharjah Police have made their goals clear. These programs are not only meant to help people save money; they are also meant to improve road discipline and make the public safer. The emirate wants to make the roads safer for everyone by getting people to clear their records and follow the rules.
Officials have told residents many times to follow traffic rules and not break them in the first place. The message is clear: these programs are helpful, but the best thing to do is not to get any fines at all.
Gaining the Trust of the Community
There is also a bigger goal at work here. Official statements say that these steps are meant to make people feel more confident in Sharjah’s police and traffic management systems. When people see that the government is willing to help them pay off old debts and give them reasonable ways to do so, it builds trust.
This way of doing things shows that the Sharjah government is still committed to keeping the community stable and the residents happy.
How This Stacks Up Against Other Emirates
Sharjah isn’t the only emirate that will help people pay their traffic fines in 2025, but its program is different in some ways. For example, Abu Dhabi has similar early payment discounts: 35% off within 60 days and 25% off within a year. But the Judicial Department in Abu Dhabi also has a program that can give up to 50% off for some cases where the person is having trouble with money.
Dubai has tried out a number of different discount programs over the years, but they have all been different. Sharjah is different because it focuses on violations that happened ten years ago. This is a targeted way to get rid of old debt from the system.
Sharjah’s program has a Dh1,000 processing fee that is only for that program, but the humanitarian exemptions make it available to people who really can’t afford it.
Things Residents Can Do
If you live in Sharjah and want to know if you have any old fines that qualify, here’s what you should do:
Look at your history of violations: You can do this on the Ministry of Interior’s website or mobile app, or through the smart services of Sharjah Police. To see what’s on your record, type in your vehicle registration or license information.
To find out if you are eligible: Check the dates of any violations. They should be able to get into the cancellation program if they are more than 10 years old. If you fall into one of the exempted categories (deceased owner, 10+ years abroad, abandoned vehicle), gather your paperwork.
Go to a service center: People who are eligible must go to a traffic and licensing service center in Sharjah to ask for their cancellation. Bring your Emirates ID, vehicle registration papers, and any other paperwork that proves you qualify for an exemption.
Think about the current fines on their own: You can’t use the cancellation program if you have violations that are less than 10 years old. But you can get discounts for paying early: 35% off if you pay within 60 days and 25% off if you pay within a year.
Ways to Pay
You can pay your current fines in a number of ways if they qualify for early payment discounts. You can use:
- Mobile app from the Ministry of the Interior
- Smart services platform for the Sharjah Police
- Payment kiosks all over the emirate
- Customer service centers, if you want help in person
Digital payment options speed up the process and make it easier, especially for busy professionals.
Traffic Management in 2025: The Bigger Picture
Sharjah’s approach to managing traffic is always changing, and these relief programs are just one part of it. Sharjah Police got a new smart radar system called “Rased” earlier this year to help them find violations more quickly. The emirate has also changed its rules about taking cars away to make them easier to understand.
What we’re seeing is a two-pronged approach: stricter punishment for new violations and more lenient punishment for old ones. It’s a way to put the past behind you and set higher standards for the future.
Effect on Road Safety
Will these programs really make the roads safer? That’s the main question. Studies from other places show that programs that lower fines can have different effects. On one hand, they make it easier for people to clear their records, which encourages people to follow the rules. On the other hand, there is a chance that amnesty programs that happen too often could make people less afraid of getting caught.
It looks like Sharjah knows about this tension. That’s why the programs focus on more than just forgiveness; they also focus on following the rules and being responsible. Authorities are sending a clear message about what matters most by keeping standard penalties for serious crimes and leaving serious violations out of discount programs.
Timeline of What’s Happened Recently
It helps to know what’s going on. Here’s how Sharjah’s rules about traffic fines have changed in the last few years:
- April 2025: The Sharjah Executive Council first said that traffic violations more than 10 years old would be dropped, but there would be a Dh1,000 processing fee and some humanitarian exceptions.
- July 2025: The government made the early payment discount program bigger and made it clear that fines, impoundment fees, and storage costs are 35% off if paid within 60 days.
- July 2025: The Sharjah Police made public a long list of more than 40 serious offenses that are not eligible for discount programs. These include speeding, using a cell phone while driving, and driving recklessly.
- October 2025: Officials said that the program had canceled more than 7,000 fines, which helped 284 people.
As this timeline shows, the policy has changed over time as officials listened to residents and made things clearer as it was put into action.
What Experts and the Public Thought
Official statements have focused on the good things about these programs, and most people have reacted positively. For many people who have been breaking the law for ten years, the chance to clear their records, even if it costs Dh1,000, is a big relief.
People who care about traffic safety have said that the exceptions for serious violations help keep people from doing the most dangerous things. Sharjah is keeping the most important penalties for public safety by not allowing discounts for reckless driving, speeding, and other similar offenses.
Some people who live there have asked if the Dh1,000 processing fee is too high, but others say that for people who have had many violations over the years, the total savings could be significant. And the humanitarian exemptions make sure that groups that are already weak aren’t left out.
What This Means for Drivers in the Future
These programs are a big change in how Sharjah enforces traffic laws. Instead of just piling up fines forever, the emirate is working hard to help people pay off old debts and keep their records clean in the future.
The message for drivers is clear: make the most of these chances while you can. If you have old violations, check to see if you can get them canceled. Pay your newer fines right away to get the biggest discount.
But the most important thing is that the programs show what officials have been saying all along: it’s better to follow the rules than to get help. The best thing to do is still to follow traffic rules, drive safely, and not break them in the first place.
Making Sharjah’s Traffic System Stronger
These projects are part of Sharjah’s larger plan to modernize its traffic management infrastructure, in addition to helping people on their own. The emirate is making a system that is both fairer and more effective by getting rid of old records, using smart enforcement technology, and giving clear reasons for following the rules.
There are already 284 people who have benefited from the cancellation program. That number will go up as more people find out about the chance and go to service centers to make requests. As more people learn about the early payment discount programs, the authorities hope to see more people pay their fines quickly and fewer violations build up.
Final Thoughts on the Initiative
Sharjah’s way of helping people with traffic fines is unique because it covers so much. The system is multi-layered and meets the needs of different residents by allowing people to cancel old violations, get discounts for paying current fines early, and make exceptions for humanitarian cases.
There is no blanket amnesty; serious violations are still punished, and most people will have to pay the Dh1,000 processing fee. But it is a practical compromise between strict enforcement and caring government.
The program has changed the lives of the 284 people who have already had more than 7,000 fines canceled. And for the community as a whole, it shows that the government of Sharjah is paying attention, changing, and trying to find a balance between keeping residents safe and making sure their needs are met.
As we get closer to 2025, it will be interesting to see how many more people use these programs and if other emirates do the same thing. If you’re a Sharjah driver with old violations on your record, you can take advantage of it right now. The question is if you’ll take it.
