A permit, renewed a month early
Executive Council Resolution No. 47 of 2017 requires a rental permit, valid for one renewable year and renewed at least 30 days before it expires.
The two layers of rulesRent a car software for Dubai.
The RTA permit, the TARS unified contract, the DET deposit circular, ten Salik gates and fines that arrive weeks after the car came back. DECK is the operations panel that keeps a Dubai rental office on the right side of all of it.
The rules here
What Dubai asks of a rental office.
The RTA unified contract, through TARS
RTA has issued electronic lease contracts through TARS since October 2021 and campaigned in 2026 that the unified contract is mandatory for Dubai rental offices: photographed condition at hand-over and return, a deposit refund commitment, a ban on undisclosed charges such as tolls, and OTP as the signature.
What the market actually doesThe 30 day deposit rule
DET Circular No. 1 of 2024: the security amount is blocked, not charged, and released within 30 days of the return. Deductions are limited to actual costs, meaning fines, damage, tolls and a stated admin fee. DET fines for breaking it start at AED 10,000.
The deposit and the 30 day ruleSalik, variable and now with VAT
Ten gates. Peak AED 6.30 and off peak AED 4.20 since VAT arrived on 1 June 2026, free from 01:00 to 06:00, flat on Sundays. Crossing on an empty account costs AED 50 a day after five working days, and that penalty cannot be passed on.
What Salik charges nowFines from Dubai Police, weeks later
Look them up through the RTA or Dubai Police fines inquiry, the apps, or by calling 901. Dubai publishes no standing early payment discount; campaigns come around national occasions. Moving a fine to the driver is done in person at a traffic department with their Emirates ID and licence.
Where to look up a fineThe clause that held up in court
In a case reported in June 2026 the Dubai Civil Court ordered a renter to pay a rental company AED 8,735, including AED 5,660 in traffic fines and AED 350 in Salik, on the strength of the lease and the violation and toll records.
The clause that decides
Salik at a glance
What a crossing costs in Dubai.
Including 5 per cent VAT since 1 June 2026. Public holidays and special event days revert to the normal peak bands; in Ramadan peak is 09:00 to 17:00. The full picture, with sources, is in Salik and Darb side by side.
| Window | Hours | Per crossing |
|---|---|---|
| Peak, Monday to Saturday | 06:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00 | AED 6.30 |
| Off peak, Monday to Saturday | 10:00 to 16:00 and 20:00 to 01:00 | AED 4.20 |
| Sunday | All charged hours | AED 4.20 |
| Free window, every day | 01:00 to 06:00 | AED 0 |
In DECK
What DECK does with it.
The agreement, signed on their phone
Fuel, kilometres, price and deposit recorded at hand-over and printed on the contract, with the clauses that let you recover a fine or a toll. Every driver named on it signs, on WhatsApp, by email or in person.
ContractsSalik crossings on the right contract
Sign in to your Salik account once. Every crossing lands on the rental that was live at that minute, so it leaves on the invoice before the deposit is released inside the 30 days.
Fines and tollsEvery plate, every date
Mulkiya and insurance expiry on every car, what is out and what is back today, and a planner that refuses to promise a car twice.
Fleet and planner
Questions
What Dubai operators ask.
Does DECK issue the RTA unified contract through TARS?
No, DECK is not connected to TARS today. It writes and signs your own agreement, which is the document the guide suggests keeping alongside the RTA contract: fuel, kilometres, price, deposit and the clauses that make a fine or a toll recoverable.
Does DECK read my Salik account?
Yes. You sign in once and DECK reads the crossings and the balance, and puts each crossing on the rental that was running at that minute.
We have cars in Dubai and Sharjah. Is that one account?
Yes. One account, every branch and every person on the desk included. DECK serves every emirate; Abu Dhabi has its own page only because Darb works differently from Salik.
How much is it for a Dubai fleet?
AED 8,700 a year, every car included, wherever the cars are. No setup fee, no per-car charge, seven day trial with no card.
Nothing slips.
Open the demo and run one rental. It takes a minute and it is the whole product.