Used car buying checklist
Tick each check from the first message to the seller until the car is in your name: what to ask, what to inspect, the official checks and the transfer. Pick the emirate where the car will be registered.
This changes the official checks and the transfer steps.
Runs on your phone. Nothing you pick is uploaded. Your ticks are saved only in this browser on this device, so they are still there when you come back. "Clear ticks" removes them.
Good to know
In Dubai, all traffic fines on the vehicle, in Dubai and in other emirates, must be paid before the ownership can change (RTA). Agree in writing who pays them before you hand over money.
If the car is financed, the lender's mortgage must be released before the transfer. Ask for the loan clearance letter, or pay the lender directly with the seller present.
Cars built for the Gulf have cooling and dust filters made for our summer. In Dubai, an imported car needs proof of Gulf specifications compliance from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology if its customs card does not show it.
A paid pre-purchase inspection at a workshop you choose, not one the seller suggests, can find hidden accident repairs, leaks and gearbox faults.
Sources, all checked on 27 October 2026: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) Dubai, "Change of Vehicle Ownership" (Emirates ID of buyer and seller; electronic insurance and technical inspection before the transaction; proof of Gulf specifications from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology if the customs card does not show it; electronic mortgage release; all fines in Dubai and other emirates paid; the sale agreement is valid for 14 days; fees for a light vehicle AED 350, plus plate AED 35 short or AED 50 long, sale agreement AED 50 and knowledge and innovation AED 20), "Vehicle Inspection" (AED 170 for a light vehicle including the AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee; certificate valid 30 days; approved centres across Dubai) and "Technical Vehicle Status Report" (AED 120; needs the owner's consent and a Dubai traffic file; covers insurance validity and ownership history; does not include accident data) (rta.ae); Abu Dhabi TAMM, "Transfer Vehicle Ownership" (tamm.abudhabi); Ministry of Interior, traffic fines services (moi.gov.ae). We found no official public service that shows a car's full accident history: that item is marked "check with the authority", as are the Abu Dhabi and northern emirates transfer details. This is a guide, not legal advice.