Vehicle transfer in Punjab: process, documents and fees

A vehicle transfer in Punjab takes two things: an application and payment on ePay Punjab, then biometric verification of the seller and buyer, which you can now give in NADRA’s Pak ID app. Punjab Excise lists the transfer fee, as of October 2026, at Rs 910 for a motorcycle and Rs 4,540 for a car up to 1000cc, rising to Rs 18,150 above 1800cc. Late reporting is fined: from day 31 a car buyer pays an extra Rs 10,000.

The rules come from the Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department (here “Excise”), which registers vehicles in Punjab. FBR’s advance tax on transfers comes from the Income Tax Ordinance.

What is the vehicle transfer fee in Punjab?

These are the transfer fees on Excise’s rate page, checked on 13 October 2026:

What other taxes are added to a transfer?

The challan can include more than the transfer fee:

• FBR advance tax (section 231B(2)) on cars above 850cc, for the first five years after first registration in Pakistan. It falls by 10% a year. See the table below.
• Lifetime token tax (Excise rate page, October 2026). A vehicle up to 1000cc transferred within ten years of registration pays Rs 20,000, less 10% for each financial year. For a motorcycle it is Rs 1,500 on the same terms. Our token tax guide covers annual rates.
• Capital value tax of 1% of the car’s value on every transfer of a car above 1300cc, for about five years after registration. Excise applies 10% depreciation to the value each year.
• Unpaid token tax, if the car is a defaulter. ePay adds it to the transfer challan.

FBR’s rates as updated to 30 June 2026, before the 10% yearly reduction:

The ATL is FBR’s Active Taxpayer List, which decides whether you count as a filer. Someone not on it pays three times as much. You can check your filer status before you buy, and the tax is adjustable against your income tax. See filer vs non-filer for what else changes.

What documents do I need for vehicle transfer in Punjab?

Excise lists these for a transfer of ownership:

• the prescribed Transfer Order (T.O.) form
• a photocopy of the seller’s CNIC and the buyer’s CNIC
• photocopies of the witnesses’ CNICs
• the original registration certificate, with token tax paid up to date
• the original registration file, if the vehicle was registered under the “File Return Scheme”

If the registration certificate is lost or stolen, you first need a duplicate. Excise asks for a police report, a CNIC copy and an up-to-date token tax certificate.

How do I transfer a vehicle online in Punjab?

Excise’s ePay guide sets out these steps:

At the February 2026 launch of the Pak ID service, Excise’s director general said a transfer is finalised within 48 hours of verification and payment, as reported by The News.

How does biometric verification for a vehicle transfer work?

Biometric verification has been required for registration and ownership transfer in Punjab since 11 January 2022. Both the buyer’s and the seller’s identities are checked against NADRA’s records after the challan is paid.

Since February 2026 it can be done in NADRA’s Pak ID app, with fingerprint or Face ID. According to ARY News (27 July 2026), the process works like this:

• Seller: in Pak ID, open Apply Digital Cards, select Vehicle, pick the car and tap Transfer Now. Complete the face and fingerprint checks and enter the buyer’s CNIC. The app gives a Tracking ID and PIN ID to send to the buyer.
• Buyer: enter the Tracking ID and PIN ID in Pak ID, complete your own biometric, and pay the fee by e-Sahulat, Raast, Easypaisa, JazzCash or card.

Excise’s 2022 guidance also allowed biometric at a motor registration office in any Punjab district or a NADRA e-Sahulat centre, for Rs 120. PakWheels reported that e-Sahulat agents charged Rs 150 to Rs 250 before Pak ID. At the Pak ID launch, Excise’s director general said manual and embassy-based alternatives had been abolished, so ask your registration office before going in person.

What if the owner is abroad, has died, or is a company?

• Owner abroad: Pak ID works from overseas. When the app launched, Excise said overseas owners no longer need embassy visits, attested affidavits or a power of attorney.
• Owner has died: the heirs go to the motor registration office with a NADRA family registration certificate or a succession certificate.
• Company-owned vehicle: the company names a representative, who gives biometric through a special online login.

What is the penalty for late vehicle transfer?

A notification dated 2 October 2025 amended rule 47(3) of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Rules 1969. If the buyer doesn’t report the change of ownership in time, the buyer pays this on top of the normal fee:

We read the notification from a copy published by PakWheels; we couldn’t find it on the Excise website. It doesn’t say what applies after day 120.

Excise also warns that driving on an open transfer letter (a signed transfer form never submitted) is an offence. It lists challans, cancelled registration, trouble clearing e-challans and police action as the results.

What if the car is on bank finance or imported?

Car on finance (hire purchase). The bank’s or leasing company’s interest is recorded on the registration. To end it, Excise needs the borrower’s application, an NOC from the bank, a CNIC copy and the original registration certificate. If a financed car is transferred, the bank’s representative also gives biometric. See car financing in Pakistan for how these loans work.

Imported car. Under a policy reported by ARY News on 30 September 2026, an imported vehicle must stay in the importer’s name for one year from registration. This covers personal, gift and residence schemes, and Excise’s system blocks earlier transfers.

How do I check vehicle transfer status in Punjab?

On ePay the application moves through biometric and two Excise approvals before it shows Delivered. To look up a registered vehicle, before you buy or after the transfer, use Excise’s Online Verification of Registered Vehicles service at mtmis.excise.punjab.gov.pk.

Before buying, also check the token tax position on ePay, so the arrears aren’t added to your challan. Then arrange car insurance in your own name.

More guides: token tax in Punjab, car financing in Pakistan, property transfer in Punjab, income tax slabs 2026-27, Money.