How to Verify a Vehicle's Registration Online in Pakistan

The short answer

Each province's Excise and Taxation Department runs its own vehicle database. To verify a vehicle:

1. Go to your province's official Excise website or app (listed below).
2. Enter the registration number exactly as on the number plate.
3. Compare the result with the vehicle and its documents.

The check is free and usually shows the owner's name, make and model, engine and chassis numbers, registration date and token tax status.

Province by province

Website addresses change from time to time. Search for the department by name and use the official government (.gov.pk) site. Avoid third-party sites that ask for payment or personal details.

How to enter the registration number

• Use the format on the plate, including letters, numbers and any dashes. For example: LEA-1234 or LEA-21-1234.
• Choose the right category, such as car or motorcycle, if the site asks.
• Use capital letters if the search fails.
• Vehicles registered in another province appear only in that province's database.

What to check in the result

Compare the online record with:

1. The registration book or smart card, held by the seller.
2. The vehicle itself: the chassis number (stamped on the frame, often under the bonnet or seats) and the engine number.
3. The seller's CNIC: the owner's name should match, or the seller should have a valid transfer letter or open-transfer documents.

Warning signs:

• The owner's name does not match, and there is no proper transfer paperwork.
• Engine or chassis numbers do not match, look tampered with, or have been re-stamped.
• Token tax has not been paid for years.
• The record cannot be found at all.
• The seller pressures you to pay quickly, or refuses an inspection.

Before buying a used vehicle: full checklist

• Verify registration online and match every detail.
• Check token tax and pay any arrears before transfer, or agree who pays.
• Check e-challans (traffic fines) against the registration number. Our guide to checking and paying e-challans explains how.
• Ask the police whether the vehicle has been reported stolen, using the provincial police or CPLC service where available.
• Get a mechanical inspection from a trusted mechanic or inspection service.
• Check the original documents: registration book or card, original purchase invoice, previous transfer letters and the original file.
• Complete the ownership transfer at the Excise office with biometric verification of both parties. Do not rely on an "open letter" alone.

Paying token tax online

Most provinces let you pay token tax online, through bank apps, mobile wallets or the province's own app, using a PSID generated on the Excise website. Keep the receipt. Token tax rates are set in provincial budgets and change, so check the current amount on the official site.

If you are selling a vehicle

• Complete the transfer into the buyer's name, rather than handing over open documents. Until the transfer is complete, fines and liability may still be linked to you.
• Keep copies of the buyer's CNIC and the sale agreement.
• Remove your personal number plates, if you use them.

Electric vehicles

EVs are registered through the same Excise systems, with any special rates or incentives set by the provincial government. See our electric vehicle buying guide for what to consider before you buy.

Key takeaways

• Each province's Excise department offers free online vehicle verification by registration number.
• Match the owner, engine and chassis numbers against the vehicle and its documents.
• Online checks do not prove a vehicle is not stolen; check with the police too.
• Always complete a biometric ownership transfer at Excise.

Websites, procedures and tax rates are set by provincial governments and change. Use the official Excise and Taxation website for your province.