Find out + pay your dues in traffic fines in less than three minutes: Years ago, the only way to find out how much you owed in traffic tickets was by going to your local traffic unit or post office, handing over your national ID and car license, and then forking over whatever money was required. It was not typically a fast process, to say the least…

Then the government went on a digitization drive. Today, if you don’t have the time during the week to handle traffic fine payments (let alone the patience to deal with Mme. Afaf at the traffic unit), you can easily pay your dues from the comfort of your couch.

Let’s face it — bureaucratic errands are best done online: While the post office is a relatively easy place to get your government-related documents done (compared with other government offices), you’d still need to go out of your way to locate your nearest post office and get there mid-week before they close. Working hours vary by branch, but most post offices open at 8am and close between 3-6pm on weekdays, according to Egypt Post representatives. Only a few post offices — including the one at City Stars — operate for longer hours and during the weekends, they said.

THE SOLUTION: Visit the Public Prosecution for Traffic Services website and find out exactly how much you owe, and pay on the spot. (The website is Arabic only, so grab an Arabic-enabled parent or a friend if that’s going to be an obstacle for you.)

All you need to do is go to the Inquiries (or Este’lamat) tab on the website, and choose whether you’d like to check fines for your car license or your personal driving license. If you’re paying personal fines, fill out your license info (including your license number, your governorate, and licensing unit). If you’re paying vehicle fines, just fill in your plate number.

You can also see photos of your car caught in the act: You can get details on each traffic ticket (including where you were slapped with the fine and what exactly you did wrong) by clicking or tapping on your ticket and filling in your national ID and phone number. The details will be accompanied by a photo of your car caught in the act.

You can pay what you owe online or request to make your payments through a delivery person, who will swing by your flat to sort out the transaction. Another convenient way to settle your fines is through fintech platforms including Fawry (either through one of its points of sales across the country or through its app), Vodafone Cash, and Jumia Pay.

And remember: There’s no renewing your car license if you haven’t paid your fines. After you pay off your fines, you get a clearance certificate, which you’re required to have on hand when you renew your car license every 1-3 years, depending on the period of validity you’ve paid for. After your license expires, you have a 30-day grace period to renew it. If you fail to pay your fees and renew the license on time, you will be fined one-third of the tax you paid for your car, according to Ahram Gate.

Have an issue with the tickets you got? You can also dispute your tickets and file complaints through the website. We advise you to click on the photo to double check that it is, in fact, your car that was caught in the act. One of us here at Enterprise HQ recently found that one of the fines on his account wasn’t for his vehicle, but for another with a similar plate number.

Don’t know what to expect when it comes to fines? Here's a handy breakdown of some of the most common traffic violations and the fines associated with them, according to a set of documents (pdf) from the Interior Ministry picked up by Akhbar El Youm:

• Not wearing a seatbelt: EGP 100-300;
• Driving with a cracked windshield: EGP 20-100;
• Illegal parking: EGP 200-500;
• Talking on the phone while driving: EGP 100-300;
• Running a red light: EGP 500-1k;
• Deliberately disrupting traffic: EGP 300-1.5k;
• Speeding: EGP 300-EGP 1.5k;
• Driving with an expired driver’s license: EGP 1-2k;
• Driving without a driver’s license: EGP 1-2k;
• Driving without a car license: EGP 1-3k;
• Driving in the wrong direction: EGP 1-3k.

Some areas now also have “premium” electronic traffic units where you can find out and pay off your fees — and renew your license in relative comfort (Egyptian citizens only). The perks are: they operate at extended hours and they’re much, much less crowded than your neighborhood unit. You will find traffic units at City Stars and Dandy Mall, as well as in New Cairo’s Mivida compound, Omar Makram Mosque in Downtown Cairo, and Ard El Maared in Nasr City, according to Youm7.