Authority approvals · Roads & access
For owners, developers and contractors whose project touches a public road: a new driveway, a utility connection, a hoarding on the footpath or a development big enough to change traffic. We prepare the layouts and studies and follow the RTA file through.
The edge of a plot is where private land stops and the Roads and Transport Authority's responsibility begins. Anything that crosses that line, from a new driveway to a water connection trenched under the pavement, needs RTA's agreement before work starts.
Most RTA approvals on building projects fall into three questions. How will vehicles and people get in and out of the site? Will the works occupy or dig into the road reserve, even temporarily? And is the development large enough to affect traffic on the surrounding network? Each question has its own RTA service, its own drawings and its own system.
We are an independent consultancy. RTA alone decides whether to issue a permit or NOC. We prepare the layouts and supporting documents, coordinate the contractor or RTA-approved consultant who files where that is required, and keep the application moving through comments to approval.
A new villa driveway, a widened entrance, a car park ramp or a loading bay that opens onto a public road needs its access design approved by RTA.
Concreting from the street, cranes or deliveries parked on the hard shoulder, hoarding over the footpath and similar temporary use of the right-of-way all need a permit.
Trenching for power, water, drainage or telecoms connections within the right-of-way needs a construction NOC that collects the agreement of every affected service authority.
Projects that generate significant peak-hour traffic need a traffic impact study approved by RTA, and may have to contribute to road and transport costs.
Shop and advertising signage that projects over a public road can also involve RTA, but the signage permit itself is usually a separate process. See our signage, tent and shisha permits page.
RTA runs these services through online systems rather than counters. Which one applies depends on what the works physically do to the road.
| RTA service | Used for | Who applies | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access Design Study | Design of site entrances and exits so vehicles and pedestrians can enter safely and to RTA standards | Consultants and individuals with plots | Right of Way Permit System (ROWPS) |
| Permit to utilise part of the right-of-way | Temporary use of footpath, parking, sikka or hard shoulder for concreting, loading and unloading, fixing advertisements and similar works | Contractors and government bodies | ROWPS |
| Construction NOC for infrastructure works | Proposed infrastructure works within the right-of-way, with the agreement of all concerned service authorities | Contractors | e-NOC system |
| Traffic impact study approval | Assessing a project's effect on surrounding roads and setting any contribution to road and transport costs | RTA-approved consultant on the developer's behalf | Submitted to RTA |
RTA also lists services for heavy construction vehicle movement and publishes separate NOC guidelines for works near the metro and tram. We check whether these apply when the site is close to a rail corridor or when large plant has to be delivered.
Access is the RTA question that most private owners meet. RTA's Access Design Study service gives technical guidance on the planning and design of entrances and exits, in line with engineering standards and municipal regulations. Plots that need a design-and-build NOC instead go through the building permit system, so the route depends on the type of project.
RTA asks for a detailed layout of the proposed entrances and exits that also shows the existing road features around them: kerbs, footpaths, lighting poles, trees, drainage gullies and road markings. Where the plot is not in a Dubai Municipality area, the affection plan and the building or demolition permit from the relevant authority are attached. RTA lists the service as free, with a standard of 10 working days that can vary with complexity.
The layout usually draws reviewer comments on the distance from junctions, the width of the opening, sight lines and conflicts with existing street furniture. Getting this right on the architectural site plan from the start saves redrawing the ground floor later. Our infrastructure, roads and parking design team prepares these layouts.
When a contractor needs part of the footpath, a parking bay, a sikka or the hard shoulder for a set period, the permit to utilise part of the right-of-way is the relevant service. RTA lists concreting, loading and unloading, fixing advertisements and similar works as examples. The application includes photos of the work zone and a scaled layout showing existing conditions, the proposed works and the traffic management and safety measures, prepared to the Dubai Work Zones Traffic Manual adopted by RTA.
Fees depend on the permit type, and RTA takes a refundable security deposit for the temporary occupation of the right-of-way, plus a published AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee. Processing time depends on the scope of work.
Trenching for a new connection is different, because it can affect assets belonging to several service authorities. The e-NOC system collects their approvals in one application. RTA publishes processing times of 3, 5 or 7 working days depending on the type of works, and the NOC is valid for six months from the final issue date. RTA also states that all concerned service authorities must approve within two months of submission, or the application is cancelled, so it pays to answer each authority's remarks promptly.
Linked approvals: a utility connection often needs both an infrastructure NOC and a right-of-way permit, plus the utility's own clearance. For example, a new power or water connection involves DEWA as well as RTA.
Dubai's Law No. 6 of 2006 and its implementing bylaw (Administrative Resolution No. 603 of 2021) set out when a development must study its traffic effects. Under the bylaw, a traffic impact study must be submitted where a project generates more than 150 trips during peak hours on the affected roads. It is prepared at the developer's expense and submitted by an RTA-approved consultant.
The bylaw sets three levels by trip numbers, with the largest projects needing a traffic model and a cost-sharing agreement. Projects that require a study also contribute to the cost of roads and public transport. For warehouses, malls, mixed-use buildings and schools, the study can shape parking numbers, service access and even the building footprint, so it should be scoped before the design is fixed.
We review the site plan, access points, utility routes and construction logistics to see which RTA services apply and whether a traffic study is needed.
Owner + our team
Access drawings, traffic management plans and utility route drawings are prepared to RTA standards and checked against the architectural and MEP drawings.
Consultant
Access and right-of-way applications go through ROWPS, infrastructure NOCs through e-NOC. The applicant marks the location on the map, enters contractor details and uploads the documents.
Consultant or contractor, as RTA requires
RTA engineers review the application with the relevant internal departments and, for e-NOC, the other service authorities. Comments are answered with revised drawings.
RTA · applicant responds
Once approved, the applicant pays any fees or deposit and downloads the permit and approved drawings.
Applicant
The contractor works within the permit's dates and conditions, reinstates the road reserve and closes the permit so any deposit can be released.
Contractor
Many of these overlap with the wider mistakes we see across authorities, covered in common mistakes when applying for building permits.
For an owner-friendly overview, read RTA permits explained: right-of-way and work permits.
Usually, yes, because the change affects the kerb and footpath in the public road reserve. RTA's access design service covers entrances and exits for individual plots. Your master developer may also have its own requirements.
The e-NOC construction NOC confirms that RTA and the other service authorities have no objection to proposed infrastructure works in the right-of-way. The right-of-way permit authorises temporary use of part of the road reserve for a set period. Utility connections often need both.
RTA publishes 3, 5 or 7 working days for infrastructure NOCs depending on the type of works, and 10 working days for an access design study. Right-of-way permits depend on scope. Preparation and comment rounds add to these times.
Under Administrative Resolution No. 603 of 2021, a study is required where a project generates more than 150 peak-hour trips on affected roads. It must be submitted by an RTA-approved consultant. We confirm current requirements for each project.
No. We are a private consultancy. RTA alone issues its permits and NOCs. We prepare and coordinate the applications.
On this page
Works near a public road?
Send us the plot location and a sketch of the access or works. We will tell you which RTA approvals apply.
Guide
RTA publishes separate infrastructure NOC services for design and construction within the right of way.
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Guide
The time quoted for a complete application does not include every activity needed to prepare one.
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Guide
Building permit preparation can stall when the team proceeds without reliable plot information, appointments or coordinated drawings.
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Service
Coordinate roads, drainage, parking and utility interfaces with the development they serve. We help define the technical brief and organise the approvals information required from the responsible design professionals.
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Service
One team to track every NOC your Dubai project needs: developer, building management, DEWA, Civil Defence, RTA, telecoms and more, sequenced around your permit.
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Service
Get support for Dubai Municipality approval: drawings, NOCs, permits, submissions and completion coordination. Check the approval route for your project.
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Service
DEWA building NOCs, load approvals and electricity and water connections for new buildings, extensions and fit-outs in Dubai: documents, steps and common delays.
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Service
Shop signs, billboards, Ramadan and event tents, and shisha smoking-area permits in Dubai: which authority issues each, the main rules and how to prepare.
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Share a few details and we will tell you which approvals apply, what documents you need and how we can help. There is no obligation.