Mafraq Traffic Department operates on Sheikh Makhtoum Bin Rashid Street in Baniyas East, near Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Abu Dhabi and offers services related to vehicle registration, license renewal, transfer of ownership and traffic fine issues in relation to cars that are registered in Abu Dhabi. Our team has sent readers here for years, and the short version is this: it’s the go-to branch for residents on the eastern side of the capital and along the Al Ain Road and Dubai border corridor, and most transactions here can now be done online first through TAMM to avoid the counter entirely.
If you’re heading there today or trying to decide whether you even need to go, here’s everything we verified directly against Abu Dhabi Police records and multiple independent branch listings.
- Where Is Mafraq Traffic Department Located?
- Contact Details & Working Hours
- Services You Can Actually Complete at Mafraq
- How to Renew Your Vehicle Registration at Mafraq — Step-by-Step
- Vehicle Registration Fees 2026
- Checking and Paying Traffic Fines Before You Go
- Getting to Mafraq Traffic Department: Transportation Guide
- Mistakes We See Drivers Make at This Branch
- Mafraq vs. Other Abu Dhabi Traffic Departments
- Visit in Person or Use TAMM? Pros and Cons
- Our Final Thoughts
Where Is Mafraq Traffic Department Located?
The branch address is Sheikh Makhtoum Bin Rashid Road, Baniyas East – Bawabat Al Sharq, Abu Dhabi (Plus Code: 8J63+HX4). It’s not in Dubai, and it’s a different building from Al Mafraq Police Station and the main Abu Dhabi Police traffic HQ near Al Wahda — a mix-up we see constantly in reader questions, so double-check your map pin before you drive out.
Who this branch actually serves best:
- Residents of Baniyas East, Baniyas West, Al Shahama, and Al Wathba
- Shakhbout City and MBZ City drivers
- ICAD (Industrial City of Abu Dhabi) workers and fleet businesses
- Drivers coming off Al Ain Road (E22) or the Dubai–Abu Dhabi border who don’t want to cross into the city centre
Baniyas sits roughly 25–30 km southeast of downtown Abu Dhabi, along the Al Ain highway corridor. If your vehicle is registered in Dubai, Mafraq cannot help you — Dubai Police handles those fines and renewals separately, and the two systems don’t cross over.
Contact Details & Working Hours
| Detail | Verified Information |
| Phone | +971 2 513 6900 |
| Address | Sheikh Makhtoum Bin Rashid Road, Baniyas East – Bawabat Al Sharq, Abu Dhabi |
| Managing authority | Abu Dhabi Police – Traffic and Patrols Directorate |
| Online portal | TAMM (tamm.abudhabi) and Abu Dhabi Police e-services (es.adpolice.gov.ae) |
| Working days | Sunday – Thursday |
| Working hours | 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM (cross-checked across three independent branch listings) |
| Closed | Friday and Saturday |
| Online services | Available 24/7 via TAMM and the Abu Dhabi Police app |
Two things worth flagging from our own research: Abu Dhabi Police has previously run shortened counter hours (ending around 2:30 PM) at select branches during certain periods, and Ramadan schedules typically compress to 8:00 AM–1:00 PM or 8:00 AM–6:00 PM depending on the year. Call the branch or check the TAMM app the same week you plan to go — don’t rely on hours from an old blog post, including this one, without a quick confirmation call.
Services You Can Actually Complete at Mafraq
| Service | Available at Mafraq? | Also Available Online? |
| Vehicle registration renewal | Yes | Yes — TAMM |
| New vehicle registration | Yes | Partial — needs dealer paperwork first |
| Ownership transfer | Yes | Yes — TAMM, both parties need UAE PASS |
| Driving licence renewal | Yes | Yes — TAMM |
| Traffic fine payment | Yes | Yes — TAMM, MOI site, or app |
| Vehicle inspection referral | Yes (referral, not the inspection itself) | N/A |
| Accident report processing | Yes | Minor accidents can be filed via app |
| Plate replacement | Yes | Yes, with courier delivery option |
Vehicle inspections happen at Tasjeel centres, not at the traffic department counter. Mafraq processes the registration paperwork once your inspection result is already logged in the system — don’t show up expecting a physical inspection bay here.
How to Renew Your Vehicle Registration at Mafraq — Step-by-Step
- Clear outstanding fines first. TAMM and the MOI system will block renewal if you have unpaid tickets. Check this before you leave home.
- Confirm your insurance is active and covers at least 12 months — registration will not process without it.
- Get your vehicle inspected at a Tasjeel centre if it’s due (typically required after year three for private cars, then annually).
- Choose your channel: TAMM app/website for online submission, or walk into the Mafraq counter with your Emirates ID and current registration card.
- Pay the renewal fee by card at the counter or online through TAMM.
- Collect your new registration card on the spot at the branch, or select courier delivery if you renewed online.
In our experience, drivers who pre-clear fines and confirm insurance before arriving cut their counter time to under 15 minutes. Walking in with an insurance gap is the single most common reason we’ve seen transactions get rejected on the spot.
Vehicle Registration Fees 2026
| Transaction | Light Vehicles | Motorcycles | Heavy Vehicles / Buses |
| New registration | AED 400 | AED 200 | AED 1,200 (+AED 170 inspection if over 3 years old) |
| Renewal | AED 350 | AED 200–250 | AED 400 |
| Knowledge fee (motorcycles) | — | +AED 20 | — |
| EV registration discount | 15% off standard fee | 15% off standard fee | 15% off standard fee |
| Vintage vehicle (road-legal) | AED 400 new / AED 350 renewal | — | — |
| Vintage vehicle (exhibition-only) | AED 1,100 (3-yr) / AED 1,050 renewal | — | — |
Fees are set by Abu Dhabi Police and shift with policy updates, so treat this table as a planning reference and confirm the exact figure on TAMM before you pay. The electric vehicle discount is a live 2026 incentive — worth checking if you’ve recently gone electric, since it isn’t applied automatically at every channel.
Checking and Paying Traffic Fines Before You Go
Don’t find out about a blocked renewal at the counter. Check first:
- TAMM app or website — log in with UAE PASS, search under vehicle services
- Abu Dhabi Police app — direct fine lookup by plate number or Emirates ID
- es.adpolice.gov.ae/TrafficServices — the department’s own e-services portal
If fines are outstanding, pay them through any of these channels before your visit. Walking in expecting to “sort it out at the desk” is one of the most frequent complaints we’ve picked up from readers about this specific branch.
Getting to Mafraq Traffic Department: Transportation Guide
Most visitors drive, and that’s genuinely the easiest option — the branch sits directly off Sheikh Makhtoum Bin Rashid Road with on-site parking, and it’s a straightforward pull-off from Al Ain Road (E22) for anyone coming from Dubai, Al Ain, or the eastern suburbs.
By car:
- From Abu Dhabi city centre: roughly 25–30 km, about a 30-minute drive via Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street or Al Ain Road (E22), traffic-dependent.
- From Zayed International Airport (formerly Abu Dhabi International Airport): about 20 minutes’ drive via E20/E22.
- From Dubai: the branch is one of the closer Abu Dhabi Police offices for southern Dubai residents, roughly 40–50 minutes depending on your starting point and E11/E311 traffic.
By public bus (DARB network):
| Route | Connects to Mafraq Area | Nearest Stop |
| 401 | Runs through Baniyas East / Bawabat Al Sharq | St 6 / Police Station (approx. 5-min walk) |
| 443 | Mafraq Hospital – Sama International Complex | St 6 / Police Station |
| 444 | Mafraq Hospital – LifeCare Hospital | St 6 / Police Station |
| 447 | Baniyas East Bawabat Al Sharq Mall – Al Wathba South Prison | Bawabat Al Sharq Parking North |
Buses run roughly from early morning (around 5:45 AM) until close to midnight on these routes, but frequency thins out considerably outside peak hours. If you’re relying on the bus for a time-sensitive transaction, build in extra buffer time — a missed connection here can easily add 30–40 minutes to your trip.
Taxi and ride-hailing: Widely available and the most practical non-driving option, since this is a suburban government office rather than a metro-connected downtown location. Expect a higher fare than a typical city-centre trip given the distance from central Abu Dhabi.
Our take: unless you already live in Baniyas, Shahama, or the surrounding communities, driving or taking a taxi will save you significantly more time than the bus network. We only recommend the bus route if you’re already nearby or specifically avoiding a car for the day.
Mistakes We See Drivers Make at This Branch
- Assuming Mafraq handles Dubai fines. It doesn’t. Dubai-issued tickets go through Dubai Police only.
- Arriving without a printed or digital insurance certificate. Staff need to verify this, and a verbal “it’s active” isn’t enough.
- Skipping the inspection step for older vehicles. If your car is past the exemption window, the system will reject registration until Tasjeel clearance shows up.
- Not bringing the physical Emirates ID. A photo on your phone isn’t accepted for in-person counter transactions.
- Underestimating queue times on Sunday mornings — the first working day of the week is consistently the busiest, based on patterns we’ve tracked across visits.
Mafraq vs. Other Abu Dhabi Traffic Departments
| Branch | Best For | Typical Crowd Level |
| Mafraq (Baniyas East) | Eastern Abu Dhabi, ICAD, Shahama residents | Moderate–High |
| Al Wahda / Muroor HQ | City-centre residents, complex or legal cases | High |
| Shahama Traffic Department | Shahama and outer-eastern communities | Moderate |
| Al Ain Traffic Department | Al Ain city and surrounding areas | Low–Moderate |
If you live near the city centre, Muroor is closer but busier. If you’re anywhere along the eastern corridor toward Dubai, Mafraq will almost always save you drive time even with a longer counter wait.
Visit in Person or Use TAMM? Pros and Cons
| Factor | In-Person at Mafraq | TAMM Online |
| Speed | Same-day card issued at counter | A few hours to next business day |
| Convenience | Requires travel and possible queue | Do it from home, 24/7 |
| Document handling | Staff verify on the spot | You upload scans yourself |
| Physical card | Immediate collection | Courier delivery, small extra wait |
| Best for | New registrations, complex ownership transfers | Straightforward renewals, licence renewal |
Our recommendation for most readers: run the transaction through TAMM first. If the system flags a document issue or requires physical inspection sign-off, that’s when a Mafraq counter visit becomes worth the trip.
Our Final Thoughts
We’ve routed enough readers through Mafraq to say this plainly: it’s a solid, reliable branch for anyone based in eastern Abu Dhabi, but it’s not the closest option if you live downtown, and it’s absolutely not a Dubai facility despite how often that confusion pops up in searches. The single biggest time-saver we can pass on is sequencing — clear your fines, confirm your insurance, and complete your Tasjeel inspection before you ever get in the car or open TAMM. Every wasted trip we’ve heard about traces back to one of those three steps being skipped.
If your transaction is simple — a straightforward renewal or a licence update — do it on TAMM and skip the drive entirely. Use the personal visit only if you wish to register your car, to transfer your ownership in the presence of both parties or if something went wrong in the online application system. Moreover, try to avoid the evening hours and go there on a weekday during the morning time since it is less crowded than in the late afternoon.
The rules and fees applicable to the services provided by any branch of Abu Dhabi Police may vary depending on policy changes, therefore this guide should be viewed as a checklist prior to the visit.
