How to check a used car's accident history in the UAE

Run the chassis number first. Abu Dhabi Police says its inquiry returns a vehicle’s accidents on the federal traffic system. A clean result is not proof of a clean car, so ask for repair papers and have the car inspected before you pay.

Which official checks can you run?

Does RTA’s paid report show accidents?

No. RTA says so on the service page, even though its website steps call the service “Vehicle History Report”.

RTA’s Technical Vehicle Status Report covers a used vehicle that is registered or has a Possession Certificate. RTA gives insurance validity and ownership history as examples of what it holds. RTA also states: “This report doesn’t include the vehicle accidents data.”⁵

RTA’s terms add that the report may not include registration records, advertisements, accident history, maintenance records, recall information, odometer readings or other information.

• Fee. AED 120: report AED 100, knowledge and innovation AED 20. Page updated 30 July 2026.
• Time. 1 working day.
• Channels. RTA website, RTA apps and Dubai Now. Not inspection or customer happiness centres.
• Who can apply. Citizens, residents, GCC nationals and diplomats with a Traffic File in Dubai.
• Consent. The owner must agree to disclose the data, and the applicant must obtain the owner’s consent.
• Imported vehicles. More information for vehicles from Japan, Europe and the USA, for additional fees.
• Use. Personal use only. No commercial use, resale, distribution or publication, and no use to build a database or directory.

Website steps from RTA:

1. Log in.
2. Select the vehicle, then Vehicle History Report under Vehicle Licensing Services.
3. Pay the fees.
4. Receive the report by email, or download it from Certificates.

What will a chassis number search show you?

Abu Dhabi Police says the inquiry retrieves “all the accidents related to a specific vehicle using its chassis number”, with the full details of each. It is open to anyone, logged in or not.³ The Arabic page says the record runs from when the vehicle entered the federal system to the day you search, and covers the damage to the vehicles that caused and suffered each accident (our translation).⁷ It also says a logged-in owner can see a vehicle’s accidents since registration on the federal system, whoever owned it.⁷ You can ask a seller to show you that screen.

The search takes a chassis number and text from an image.² MOI’s Accidents Inquiry is a public page with the same chassis number input and a “verify that you are not a robot” check. Its footer shows a last update on 14 August 2026.¹ TAMM lists “View Vehicle Accident History” under Abu Dhabi Police and asks for a UAE PASS sign-in.⁴

MOI and TAMM do not say what their results contain. Abu Dhabi Police does not say whether the federal system holds Dubai vehicles, or minor reports issued by private providers.

Umair_Alam_Tech, an independent channel, published this video on 7 April 2026.

Play: How to Check Car Accident History in UAE in 1 Minute (2026 Guide), MOINothing loads from YouTube until you click. Plays through youtube-nocookie.com.

What papers should a repaired car have?

A repair centre may not repair a vehicle with signs of accident or damage without a repair permit from the traffic authority or whoever it authorises (Art 28).⁸ So ask the seller for the accident report, the permit and the invoices for any past damage. No paper for a visible repair is a reason to ask more questions.

You can test some papers yourself:

• Abu Dhabi. The public vehicle certificate inquiry shows a certificate’s details from its number.³
• Dubai. Application Status tracks an application by reference number.⁹
• Sharjah. Rafid runs a report lookup.¹⁰ Sharjah Police issues a paint and bodywork certificate for damaged parts of a car after a technical check, so ask a Sharjah seller for it if panels were repainted.¹¹

What should you inspect before you pay?

A sign below is a reason to ask, not proof of an accident.

RTA recommends inspection by an authorised centre, an authorised agent or an independent inspector, and a test drive, before buying.⁵

Has the car been flooded?

Dealers told Khaleej Times in April 2026 that flood-affected cars can return to the market weeks after heavy rain, particularly through informal sales, and that the damage may show only over time, through electrical faults, mould and corrosion.¹⁶

• Smell. A musty smell suggests water. A strong air freshener or cleaning smell may be hiding it.^17,15
• Dirt. Look for mud, sand or waterlines in the boot, the glove box, under the seats and under the dashboard.^17,15
• Carpet. Check whether it is loose, stained or mismatched.¹⁵
• Rust. Check under the car for more rust than its age explains, and around the doors.^17,15
• Mechanic. The US Federal Trade Commission says an independent mechanic can inspect for water damage to mechanical and electrical systems.¹⁵

Ask the seller whether a rain damage certificate was issued. Each emirate’s paper is in the flood guide. Whether those certificates show on an accident inquiry is not stated.

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology lists flooded cars among 7 vehicle types barred from import, licensing and insurance under national requirements.¹⁸ That page is about imported vehicles.

What other services hold accident or vehicle records?

• Rafid. Rafid’s App Store description states that residents of Sharjah can view their accident history and incident report in its app.¹⁹ Whether a buyer can view another owner’s vehicle is not stated.
• Saaed. Saaed says a federal database lets stakeholders obtain required incident information.²⁰ Whether a buyer counts as a stakeholder is not stated.
• Emirates Vehicle Gate. u.ae lists it for paying fines and for registration.^21,22 u.ae does not list it for accidents.
• Dubai. Ask Dubai Police on 901 whether a public chassis search exists.

Who insures the car now?

The Vehicle Licence tells you. By law it shows the company that insures the vehicle (Art 1).⁸ RTA says insurance details are on the Ownership e-Card in its website and app, and on the printed Vehicle Licence. Its Document Validation service prints the licence once vehicle details are entered.⁶ RTA’s page does not say whether a non-owner may use that service, so ask RTA.

Could the car have been written off?

Chassis or pillar damage that needs cutting, tightening or welding makes a car a total loss under the Unified policies (L&D Ch 1 cl 14).²³ A policy ends on total loss provided the registration is deleted with a report that the vehicle is unroadworthy (L&D Ch 6 cl 3, TPL Ch 6 cl 3).^23,24 The total loss page covers the test for total loss.

What changes for vehicle records from 1 January 2027?

The resolution is Arabic only so far, and these summaries are ours.²⁵ Whether any of these records will be open to a buyer is not stated.

Can you see the owner’s claims record?

Ask the seller. An insurer must give a past customer a free certificate of insurance experience (Art 2(4)). A company may cut the minimum premium for “the owner of the vehicle that did not cause an accident leading to a claim” (Art 2(3)).²⁶