To report a reckless driver in Dubai, upload your video or photos to the free Police Eye service in the Dubai Police app, or call 901 (999 if someone is in immediate danger). Give the plate number, location and time. If police confirm the report, the driver faces fines under Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017 of up to AED 2,000 and 23 black points, and in Dubai the car can be impounded until a AED 50,000 release fee is paid.

This guide covers both sides of that system. The first half is for the witness: which channel to use, what evidence the police can act on, and what not to do with your footage. The second half is for the driver who found an unexpected fine in the app and wants to know whether someone reported them, and what to do about it.

It is written for Dubai, with the differences in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates flagged where they matter. If you were in a collision rather than watching one, go to what to do after a car accident in the UAE instead.

The Channels for Reporting a Dangerous Driver in Dubai

Dubai Police runs three reporting routes, and they are not interchangeable. Which one you use depends on whether the danger is still happening and whether you managed to record anything.

Channel Use it when What you can send
999 Someone is hurt, a driver appears drunk, or a car is racing through traffic right now A live description: road, direction, car, plate
901 (Dubai Police non-emergency line) The incident is over, you have the plate, and you have no footage A verbal account. Staff take the details and location.
Police Eye (Dubai Police app and website) You or a passenger recorded the incident, or you have dashcam footage A written description plus photos or video

Police Eye appears on the Dubai Police site as the “Share Security Information” service, which is free and listed as instant. Its description covers security or criminal information and “phenomena that may pose a risk to society”, which is why dangerous driving is routinely reported through it.

Which channel should I use if I couldn’t record anything?

Call 901 if the incident is over, or 999 if the driver is still a danger to people on the road. You do not need a video to report, but without one the police are relying on your account alone, so the plate number, the exact location, the direction of travel and the time matter far more than a description of the car.

That is the situation behind one of the most common complaints from Dubai drivers: the car was gone before the phone came out. A report without footage can still lead police to check cameras on that stretch of road.

What Evidence Police Can Act On

A report succeeds or fails on whether police can tie a specific violation to a specific vehicle. Four details do most of the work.

  • The full plate: emirate, category letter or code, and number. A plate with one digit missing is a much weaker report.
  • Where: the road name, the direction, and the nearest exit, interchange or landmark.
  • When: the date and time to the nearest minute. Dashcam files usually carry a timestamp; check that the camera’s clock is right.
  • What: the specific behavior, for example weaving across lanes, overtaking on the hard shoulder, or tailgating at speed.

Dashcam footage is the strongest evidence a private driver can offer, because it records continuously and shows the road context. Our guide to contesting a traffic fine in Dubai covers how the same footage works in your favor when you are the one disputing a fine.

Is it legal to film another driver to report them?

Sending footage to the police as a report is the use the Police Eye service was built for. Two things around it carry risk, though.

The first is filming while you drive. Handling a phone at the wheel is a violation in its own right, so if you are the driver, the footage should come from a mounted dashcam or a passenger.

The second is posting the video online. Article 44 of the Cybercrimes Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021) punishes taking photos of people in public places and publishing images “even if it is true and genuine” with intent to harm, when done to invade someone’s privacy without consent. The minimum is six months in prison and/or a fine of AED 150,000 to 500,000.

Article 44(4) separately covers photos of accident victims taken or published without consent. Send the footage to the police, and do not post it to social media or a community group first. The UAE social media laws guide covers where the wider line sits.

What Happens After You Submit a Report

A public report is not a fine. It is information that a police officer has to verify before anything is issued against the other driver.

A senior Dubai Police traffic official described the sequence in 2018. For public reports, police “call and warn them and check the cameras before issuing a ticket”, whereas a violation seen by an officer is fined immediately. The same briefing said members of the public reported 42,303 of the 101,505 violations recorded that year.

We could not find a more recent official statement of the verification procedure. Treat the 2018 description as how the system was designed rather than a promise about how long your particular report will take.

What actually happens on your side

Police Eye does not send you a copy of any fine issued to the other driver, and there is no public record of the outcome. In practice most people who report hear nothing further unless an officer calls them to ask for the original file or a statement.

If the incident becomes a criminal case, for example because the driver caused injuries, police may ask you to give a formal witness statement. At that point you are no longer anonymous to the police, even if you are to the other driver. Our guide to filing a criminal complaint with the UAE police explains how that process runs.

The Penalties a Reported Driver Can Face

Two layers of law apply in Dubai. The federal schedule of administrative fines sets the fine, black points and standard impoundment period, and Dubai adds its own impoundment regime with much larger release fees.

The federal schedule is still Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017 on Rules and Procedures of Traffic Control, as published by Abu Dhabi Police. The new traffic law, Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, leaves administrative penalties to a Cabinet resolution under Article 45 and keeps earlier resolutions in force under Article 49(2) until they are replaced.

Behavior commonly reported (schedule item) Fine (AED) Black points Federal impoundment (light vehicles)
Driving in a way that endangers the driver’s or others’ lives or safety (1) 2,000 23 60 days
Sudden swerving (29) 1,000 4 None listed
Overtaking on the hard shoulder (42) 1,000 6 None listed
Wrong overtaking (31) 600 6 None listed
Not leaving a safe distance, tailgating (52) 400 4 None listed
Running a red light (33) 1,000 12 30 days
Entering a road in a dangerous way (43) 600 6 None listed

The 23 points in the first row often matter more than the fine. Black points accumulate on the driving license and can lead to its suspension, which is covered in the black points section of our fine grievance guide.

Dubai’s AED 50,000 impound release fee

On top of the federal fine, Dubai Decree No. 30 of 2023 makes impoundment mandatory in 13 cases. Article 4 then sets what the owner pays to get the car back.

Release amount (AED) Cases under Article 2 of the Dubai decree
100,000 Taking part in a road race without a police permit
50,000 Reckless driving or driving that endangers lives or property; running a red light; a recreational motorcycle on a paved road; a counterfeit or obscured plate; deliberately hitting a police car; a driver under 18
10,000 Modifications that raise speed or make loud noise; escaping police; driving without plates; gathering to watch races or performing stunts; illegal window tint
The outstanding fines More than AED 6,000 of traffic fines recorded against the vehicle

Once the impoundment period ends, the owner pays a further AED 50 for each day the car stays in the pound. The release fee is paid by the vehicle’s owner, which is why a car lent to a friend or rented out can leave the owner with the bill.

When reckless driving becomes a criminal matter

Under Article 31(3) of Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2024, traffic police may arrest a driver caught in the act of driving “in a reckless manner or in a manner that poses a danger to the public”. Article 38 separately punishes fleeing from police or causing a chase with up to two years in prison and a fine of at least AED 50,000.

Arrest powers apply to drivers caught red-handed, not to a report reviewed days later. A driver identified from a video is typically summoned, and the vehicle is impounded under the Dubai decree.

Reporting Outside Dubai

The federal fines in the table above apply in every emirate, but the reporting channels and the local impound rules do not. Dubai’s AED 50,000 release fee is a Dubai decree and does not follow a driver into Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.

  • Everywhere: 999 for an emergency, including a driver who is a live danger.
  • Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police handle traffic reports. Its parking and fines system is different from Dubai’s, as our guide to Abu Dhabi traffic fines and Mawaqif parking explains.
  • Other emirates: report to that emirate’s police. The Ministry of Interior’s UAE-wide app also carries traffic services for the northern emirates.

We could not retrieve the current reporting pages of Abu Dhabi Police or the Ministry of Interior while preparing this guide. Check the police app for the emirate where the incident happened before relying on any specific channel outside Dubai.

Got a Fine You Don’t Recognize? How to Tell If You Were Reported

If a fine appears in the Dubai Police app for a moment you don’t remember, it came from one of three places: a fixed or mobile camera, an officer, or a verified public report. The fine itself carries the clues.

Open the fine in the Dubai Police app or on the RTA and Dubai Police fines inquiry, and read the violation description, date, time and location. Our guide to checking and paying Dubai traffic fines online shows where each detail sits.

What the fine shows Likely source
Speeding, red light, or a lane or tailgating offense at a fixed point, often with a camera image available Radar or smart camera
A behavioral offense such as endangering driving, swerving or wrong overtaking at a place with no camera An officer or a public report
A summons, a call from police, or an impoundment notice rather than a simple fine A video that reached police, often through Police Eye or social media

This table is a practical reading, not an official classification. Dubai Police does not publish which fines came from public reports, and the fine record does not identify who reported you.

Can I find out who reported me?

No. The fine record does not name a source, and Dubai Police offers no service for finding out who submitted a Police Eye report. If you believe the fine is wrong, you can challenge the violation itself through the official grievance process, where you can ask police to review the evidence behind it.

Trying to track down the person who reported you, or confronting them, can create a criminal problem that is far worse than the fine.

How to Challenge a Fine That Came From a Report

A reported fine is contested the same way as any other: through a grievance to the authority that issued it, within the deadline shown on the fine. Our step-by-step guide to contesting a traffic fine in Dubai covers the channels and timelines, so they are not repeated here.

What is specific to a reported fine is the evidence. If your own dashcam shows the moment differently, for example that you swerved to avoid a car that cut in, submit that clip with the grievance.

  • Check the details first: a wrong plate, a car that was elsewhere at that time, or a car you had already sold are all strong grounds.
  • Keep your dashcam files: most cameras overwrite on a loop, so save the clip the day you see the fine.
  • Watch the black points: a 23-point violation left unchallenged stays on your license long after the money is paid.
  • Pay attention to renewals: unpaid fines can block vehicle registration renewal, as explained in how traffic fines affect Dubai renewals.

FAQ

How do I report a reckless driver in Dubai?

Use Police Eye in the Dubai Police app to upload a video or photos, or call 901 with the plate number, location and time. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. The service is free, and dashcam or passenger footage gives police the most to work with.

Can I report a driver anonymously in Dubai?

The fine a reported driver receives does not name the reporter, and Police Eye is promoted as a way to report without being exposed. If the case becomes criminal and police need a witness statement, you will have to identify yourself to the police, though not to the other driver.

Do I need video evidence to report dangerous driving?

No, but it helps. Without footage, police rely on your description and may check road cameras for that time and place, so the full plate number and exact location are essential. A partial plate with no video is unlikely to lead to a fine.

Will the reckless driver be fined immediately?

No. A public report is verified first; Dubai Police has described calling the driver and checking cameras before a ticket is issued. A violation seen directly by an officer is different and is fined on the spot.

What is the fine for dangerous driving in the UAE?

Under the federal schedule in Ministerial Resolution No. 178 of 2017, driving in a way that endangers lives or safety costs AED 2,000, 23 black points and 60 days of impoundment for a light vehicle. In Dubai, the car is also impounded under Decree No. 30 of 2023 and released only on payment of AED 50,000.

Can I post a video of a reckless driver on social media?

It is risky. Article 44 of the Cybercrimes Law punishes photographing people and publishing images, even true ones, to invade their privacy or harm them, with at least six months in prison and/or a fine of AED 150,000 to 500,000. Send the video to Dubai Police through Police Eye instead.

How do I know if a fine came from someone reporting me?

Look at the violation type and location in the fines app. A camera offense at a fixed point usually came from a radar, while a behavioral offense like endangering driving, recorded where there is no camera, usually came from an officer or a verified report. The record does not name the reporter.

Can I contest a fine that came from a public report?

Yes. It follows the normal grievance process for Dubai traffic fines, and you can submit your own dashcam footage as evidence. Save your recording as soon as you see the fine, since most dashcams overwrite older files.

Is it illegal to film while driving to report someone?

Handling a phone while driving is a traffic violation in itself, so the driver should not film. Use a mounted dashcam, or ask a passenger to record.

How much does it cost to get an impounded car back in Dubai?

It depends on the reason. Dubai Decree No. 30 of 2023 sets AED 100,000 for an unauthorized race, AED 50,000 for reckless driving or running a red light, and AED 10,000 for cases such as loud modifications or escaping police. AED 50 a day is added once the impound period has ended.

Official Sources

Information current as of September 2026. Verify with official authorities before proceeding.

This guide is for informational purposes only. UAE regulations and fees are subject to change. Always verify current requirements with the relevant official authority before proceeding with any application or transaction.