Vehicle Verification Punjab
Check any car, jeep or bike registered in Punjab before you buy it. Vehicle verification in Punjab needs the registration number and the registration date, and it shows the owner, the token tax position and any open file from the official MTMIS record.
What vehicle verification in Punjab tells you
Every motor vehicle registered in the province has one file with the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department. The department keeps that file in MTMIS, its Motor Transport Management Information System. So a vehicle verification is simply a look at that file as it stands today.
The record answers four questions. Who owns the vehicle on paper? What is it, and when was it registered? How far is the token tax paid? Finally, is an application such as a transfer still open on the file?
However, the record cannot tell you everything. It does not show traffic fines, it does not say whether the vehicle was ever stolen, and it says nothing about the engine or the body. That is why a full check in Punjab has three parts, which this page covers one by one. If you only want to know what the MTMIS screen looks like, our MTMIS Punjab guide has a sample result line by line, and our how we check page explains where our information comes from.
How to verify a vehicle online in Punjab
The form at the top of this page sends your search to the official portal and shows its answer on the same screen. It works on any phone, and you do not need an account.
- Type the registration number exactly as the papers show it, for example LEB 1234.
- Add the registration date from the smart card, the registration book or the e registration card.
- Copy the security code, then press Verify vehicle.
- Read the four parts of the result and compare each one with the vehicle in front of you.
The whole check takes about a minute. Most failed searches come from a wrong letter in the number or a wrong date, so check both before you try again.
Typing the number when plates look different
Since February 2026, Punjab no longer makes official number plates, and owners buy them from private vendors in the approved format. As a result, fonts, spacing and stickers now vary from car to car. Ignore the decoration and type only the letters and digits, in the same order as the registration papers.
No registration date from the seller?
The MTMIS search asks for the registration date, and the date is printed on the papers that only the owner holds. So a seller who will not share it is a warning in itself. Ask for a clear photo of the smart card or the registration book before you travel to see the vehicle.
Reading a Punjab vehicle registration check like a buyer
A result is useful only when you compare it with what you can see. Therefore read it with the seller's CNIC and the vehicle's papers in your hand, and go through it in this order.
Owner name. The name should match the CNIC of the person selling. If it does not, the seller must show signed papers from the owner, or the owner must be present for the transfer.
Make, year and colour. These should match the vehicle exactly. A different colour can be an honest repaint, but then the papers should say so.
Token tax paid up to. This date shows how far the yearly tax is paid. Any arrears stay with the vehicle, not with the seller, so agree in writing who clears them.
Application tracking. An open transfer that nobody mentioned is serious. It can mean the vehicle was already sold to someone else.
When the registration is suspended
In June 2026 the Excise Department suspended the registration of more than 850,000 vehicles whose owners had not paid token tax. The department said the status stays suspended until all the tax due is paid. So if a result shows unpaid tax, expect the vehicle to need a payment before any transfer goes through.
| What the result shows | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Owner matches the seller | The person selling owns the vehicle on paper | Continue with the theft and e challan checks |
| Owner differs from the seller | The file is in someone else's name | Meet the owner or walk away |
| Token tax unpaid | Arrears are due on the vehicle | Agree who pays before any money changes hands |
| Transfer in process | Someone has already applied for a transfer | Ask for the application details and stop until it is clear |
| No matching record | The number and date do not match together | Check the papers again; a new vehicle may not be registered yet |
Source: Field names as shown on the official MTMIS Punjab result; suspension rule as reported by ProPakistani, June 2026.
Three checks that complete a car verification in Punjab
The MTMIS record is the first check, not the last. Two other public records cover what it leaves out, and together they take about five minutes.
First, the MTMIS record. Use the form at the top of this page. It covers the owner, the vehicle, the tax and any open application.
Second, the e challans. Unpaid traffic tickets stay on the vehicle number. In July 2025 the Punjab Safe City Authority asked buyers to check for them before buying a used vehicle. The e challan portal asks for the vehicle number and the owner's CNIC, so ask the seller for both.
Third, the theft check. Punjab Police district pages describe an SMS service: send the chassis number to 8521, starting with CNO, and the reply shows whether the vehicle is listed as stolen or recovered. Read the chassis number from the vehicle itself, not from the papers.
Punjab Safe City e challan portal
echallan.psca.gop.pk
See unpaid camera tickets on a vehicle number, with the owner's CNIC.
Check e challansMTMIS official portal
mtmis.excise.punjab.gov.pk
The same Excise record our form reads, on the department's own website.
Open MTMISWarning signs to look for during the check
Most bad deals look normal until you compare the details. Tap or hover over each card to see what the sign usually means and what to do about it.
Punjab number plate check after the 2025 rule change
Since 1 September 2025, Punjab links a registration number to the first owner's CNIC. According to the Excise Department, the number stays with that owner when the vehicle is sold, and the buyer gets a new number. A seller can move the number to his next vehicle, and the department holds an unused number for up to two years.
This changes how you read a plate. A number on a car is now a label that can move, while the chassis and engine numbers stay with the vehicle for life. So for a Punjab number plate check, always match the chassis and engine numbers on the vehicle with the papers, and treat the plate as the starting point only.
It also helps sellers. If you sold a vehicle and the buyer never transferred it, the Excise Department has said you can call its 1035 helpline to have the registration suspended. That stops future fines and taxes landing on your name.
Vehicles a Punjab vehicle verification will not find
Some searches come back empty for a good reason. Before you assume the worst, check whether the vehicle falls into one of these groups.
Vehicles from other provinces. Islamabad, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan keep their own records. For a Karachi number, for example, use the Excise Sindh vehicle verification page instead.
New vehicles still in registration. A vehicle bought new is not on the record until the Excise office completes the registration. Since September 2025 the Lahore office has accepted photos of the vehicle instead of a physical inspection, which shortens the wait.
Vehicles with no Pakistani registration. A vehicle that was never registered has no file at all. In that case no online check can help you, and the sale itself is the risk.
After a clean result: move the vehicle into your name
Online vehicle verification in Punjab protects you before you pay. Afterwards, the transfer protects you for as long as you own the vehicle. Since February 2026 the seller and the buyer can give their biometrics in the Pak ID app, and the Excise Department says the transfer completes within 48 hours of the payment. Our vehicle ownership transfer guide covers each screen.
Once the transfer is done, the new smart card travels by post. You can follow it on the smart card tracking page, and meanwhile you can download the e registration card as a PDF. For motorcycles, the bike verification Punjab guide explains the life time token tax line.
Questions about vehicle verification in Punjab
Can I verify a vehicle in Punjab with the chassis number?
Not on MTMIS, which now asks for the registration number and the registration date. However, the chassis number still matters. You need it for the police theft check by SMS, and you need it to download the e registration card. So write it down from the vehicle during your inspection.
How do I check whether a car is stolen in Punjab?
Send the chassis number to 8521 by SMS, starting with CNO, as Punjab Police district pages describe. The reply lists the registration, engine and chassis numbers with a stolen or recovered status. Then compare those numbers with the vehicle, because a mismatch is also a warning.
Is an online check enough before buying a used car?
No. An online check confirms the record, but it cannot inspect the car. Combine the three record checks with a mechanic's inspection and a test drive. Then finish the biometric transfer before the final payment, because only the transfer puts the vehicle in your name.
What is Excise and Taxation Punjab online verification?
It is the same MTMIS check described on this page. The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department runs the record, and its portal is at mtmis.excise.punjab.gov.pk. Our form passes your search to that portal, so the answer is the same on both websites.
Why does the check show no record for a brand new car?
Because the registration is not complete yet. The number on a new car, or on its temporary papers, only opens a record once the Excise office finishes the file. So wait a few working days, then try again with the registration date from the new papers.
Can I verify an Islamabad or Karachi vehicle here?
No. This check covers vehicles registered in Punjab only. Islamabad, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan each run a separate record, so use the verification service of the province where the vehicle was registered.
Sources
- MTMIS official portalExcise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, Punjab Official
- Punjab Safe City e challan portalPunjab Safe Cities Authority Official
- Vehicle verification and SMS 8521 stolen vehicle checkPunjab Police, Attock Official
- PSCA urges e challan verification on purchase of used vehiclesARY News, 24 July 2025
- Punjab to link vehicle registration numbers with CNIC from SeptemberProfit, 26 August 2025
- Punjab ends number plate requirementThe Express Tribune, 22 February 2026
- Punjab suspends registrations of 850,000 vehiclesProPakistani, 23 June 2026
- Punjab Excise department launches biometric verification of vehiclesDawn, 17 February 2026
Verify it before you pay for it
Vehicle verification in Punjab takes a minute, and the two extra checks take five. That is a small price for knowing who really owns the vehicle you are about to buy.