How old can a taxi be?
In Saudi Arabia, the Transport General Authority (TGA) says a taxi must be no more than five years old from its model year, and Gulf News reported in 2022, citing the TGA, that a taxi's permitted operating life is five years from its manufacture year. In Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) sets a prescribed operating life for limousines and taxis; in 2022 it added one year for registered limousines due for replacement in 2022–2024.
Once a car passes its limit, it cannot keep its place in a licensed fleet, so every car has a replacement date. The planner works out that date for each car, the date to order its replacement, which cars need action now, whether an operating card runs past the limit, and the replacement budget for each year.
Why plan replacements car by car?
- Cars bought together age out together: a fleet bought in one year has to be replaced in one year, which is a large one-off spend.
- Ordering takes time: a new taxi needs fittings, plates and an operating card before it earns. Order too late and the shift is lost.
- Operating cards and age are linked: an operating card that expires after the car reaches its limit will not be renewed for that car, so plan the change before the card renewal.
- Budget follows the calendar: a year-by-year view shows the peak year early enough to finance it or spread purchases.
What inputs do you need?
| Input | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Age limit and how it is counted | Your regulator: TGA and the Naql portal in Saudi Arabia, RTA in Dubai | Confirm whether age counts from the model year or from registration. |
| Model year and first registration | Vehicle registration (istimara) | The model year is on the registration, not the purchase date. |
| Operating card expiry | The operating card or the Naql portal | Enter the date on the current card. |
| Lead time | Your last purchases | Count dealer delivery, fittings, plates and the new card. |
| Price and resale | Dealer quotes, recent sales of retired cars | Use the price of the fitted car. |
How is it calculated?
The date each car reaches the limit
"To year end" reads the limit as an age in years that must not be above the limit: a 2021 car with a 5-year limit is 5 years old in 2026 and reaches the limit on 31 December 2026. "From 1 Jan" retires it a year earlier, on 1 January 2026. Choose the reading your regulator applies. When you count from registration and a row has no registration date, that row falls back to the model year and is marked with *.
Status
Replacement budget
A replacement is assumed new, with its model year in the year it is bought. The tool has no age limits, prices or resale values of its own beyond the default you can change.
Sources
- Taxi requirements in Saudi Arabia, including "no more than five years old from its model year": Saudi Press Agency, 10 August 2023. Source: SPA.
- Taxi operating life of five years from the manufacture year, citing the TGA: Gulf News, 29 May 2022. Source: Gulf News.
- Executive regulation for taxi transport and taxi passenger intermediation, Umm Al-Qura 2 September 2025. Source: Qanoniah. Amendments of 10 April 2026 (replacing cars that reach the operating age needs TGA approval in contract cities): Source: Umm Al-Qura.
- RTA adds one year to the operating life of limousines due for replacement in 2022–2024: Dubai Media Office, 2 March 2022. Source: Dubai Media Office. Last reviewed 21 October 2026.
Worked example: eight taxis on 21 October 2026
The example cars are on the Fleet tab, with a 5-year limit counted to the end of the model year and a 4-month lead time. Replace them with your own.
- TX-108, a 2020 car, reached the limit on 31 December 2025: past the limit.
- TX-101 and TX-102, both 2021, reach it on 31 December 2026. Their order-by date was 31 August 2026, so both show Order now. TX-102's operating card runs to 31 March 2027, past its limit.
- TX-104's operating card expired on 31 August 2026.
- Three cars need action within 12 months; the fleet's average age is 3.8 years.
- At $25,000 a car and $5,300 resale, 2026 needs $59,100 net for three cars, 2027 $39,400 for two, and each of 2028–2030 $19,700: $157,600 over five years.
How to read your results
- Past the limit cars should not be working. Take them off shifts and check what your regulator allows.
- Order now means the lead time has started: if you wait, the car stops before its replacement arrives.
- Card past limit flags cars whose current operating card ends after the car's limit; plan the change before the card renewal.
- The peak year is the one to finance early or to smooth by replacing some cars a year sooner.
What to do next
- Track every document date: registration, inspection, insurance and operating cards in the Fleet Document Expiry Reminder.
- Check the cost of keeping or replacing a car before the limit forces it, with the Fleet Vehicle Replacement Calculator and the Vehicle Depreciation Calculator.
- Check that each car earns its place: the Taxi & Limousine Profit and Driver Pay Calculator works out profit per car and shift.
Assumptions and limits
The age limit, how it is counted and the operating card rules are set by your regulator and can change; the tool applies the figures you enter and does not know the rules of every city or activity. In Saudi Arabia, check the Naql portal for your activity. Prices and resale values are examples. This is a planning aid, not legal or financial advice.