When a company needs an RTA no-objection certificate

In Dubai, a trade licence that includes a commercial transport activity needs the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) involved at every stage. RTA lists more than 80 such activities, for example car rental, hourly car rental, parcels and documents delivery, order management and delivery through apps, cargo transport by light or heavy trucks, furniture removal, school transport, passenger transport by luxury vehicles, driving schools, vehicle auctions and vehicle technical testing. For a new company with such an activity, RTA issues an NOC (free-zone licences) or a permit to activate the 'inactive' activity (DET licences). For renewal, an RTA NOC is needed unless the activity is on RTA's auto-renewal list: 28 activities (for example buses, trucks, driving schools, fleet management, bicycle and motorcycle rental, hazardous and petroleum materials transport) are renewed at the Department of Economy and Tourism without an NOC; car rental is not on that list. To add or remove a partner, manager or activity, change the trade name or site, or to cancel, suspend or resume the licence, an NOC to modify the licence is needed. Each NOC is valid for 90 days and is applied for on the RTA website or through the Invest in Dubai portal. Fees depend on the activity: the NOC itself is AED 1,000 for most activities and from AED 500 to 5,000 for some (school transport is free), plus AED 20 knowledge and innovation fees and, for some services, AED 100 notary or legal letter fees; a suspension costs AED 220 in total. All RTA fines must be paid first, and activities that need RTA approval take 3 to 15 working days. Working with an inactive or unapproved transport activity exposes the company to violations.