Tyre expiry in the UAE: the rule, the fine and the test

Where the five-year rule comes from

The rule is not new and it does not come from tyre sellers. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has stated that tyres are valid for five years from the date of manufacture irrespective of use, and that vehicles with expired tyres fail the technical test. Its 2020 field inspection campaign, announced through the Dubai Media Office, checked tyres at the roadside on exactly this basis. Gulf News has reported the reminder that tyres more than five years old should not be used on Dubai roads.

The underlying standard is from the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), whose tyre rules, as reported by Gulf News when they were introduced, set a five-year lifespan for car and motorcycle tyres. ESMA's work now sits with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. We have not found a single consolidated rulebook published online, so the sources here are official statements and established press reporting.

Penalties for expired and unfit tyres

Khaleej Times has reported that police enforcement of tyre condition is active and that tyre blowouts remain a leading concern in the summer months. Retailer blogs sometimes quote stricter limits, such as a two or three-year rule for new tyres. We have not found an official source for those figures, so we do not repeat them.

How tyre age is checked at inspection

When your car goes through the annual test for registration renewal, at RTA-approved centres in Dubai or the equivalent centres in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, the inspector checks each tyre's condition and age. In practice that means:

• Reading the DOT code on each tyre to confirm it is within five years of manufacture.
• Checking the tread depth against the minimum, commonly applied as 1.6 mm.
• Looking for damage: cuts, bulges, exposed cords or deep cracking.
• Checking that tyres on the same axle match in size and type.

The spare is part of the car's equipment, and it ages at the same rate whether it has turned a wheel or not. An original spare on a car more than five years old is almost certainly expired.

Reading the DOT code on your own tyres

The full DOT code is a string of letters and numbers after the letters DOT on the sidewall. Only the last four digits matter for age: the first two are the week, the last two the year. Some practical points that trip people up:

• The full code is often only on one side. If you cannot find it on the outer sidewall, it is on the inner face, towards the car. Turn the steering to full lock to see the front tyres' inner sidewalls.
• A three-digit date code means the tyre was made before 2000. It is long expired.
• A partial code without a date on the outer side is normal. Look on the other side for the four-digit stamp.
• Do the sum. A tyre stamped 1821 was made in week 18 of 2021 and reaches five years in week 18 of 2026.

Our tyre size guide explains the rest of the sidewall markings, from width to speed rating.

What to do with expired tyres

1. Replace them before the test or renewal date, not after a failure, to avoid a second visit to the test centre.
2. Check the DOT on the replacements. A new tyre that has been in stock for years still counts its five years from manufacture. We show you the date on every tyre before fitting.
3. Do not sell them on or keep them as a spare. An expired tyre is not safe on any car.
4. Recycle them. When we replace tyres, we take the old ones away for recycling at no charge.

New tyres start from AED 150 each fitted, with fitting at AED 100 per visit, at your home or office in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. For the wider care routine that keeps tyres healthy until they reach that age, see our tyre maintenance guide.