Buying
How to Verify a Vehicle Online Before You Buy
Vehicle verification takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and is the cheapest insurance available on a used car purchase. Every province runs its own online register, and each one will tell you whether the registration number in front of you matches the car in front of you. Do this before any money moves.
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Why verification matters more than an inspection
A mechanical fault is negotiable. A documentation problem often is not. A car with a tampered chassis number, an unresolved lease, or a registration that does not match its plate can be seized, cannot be legally transferred, and is extremely hard to sell on. No amount of good condition compensates for that.
Verification catches these problems before you have committed. It is the first thing to do, ahead of the test drive and well ahead of the deposit.
Where to check, by province
Registration records are provincial, so use the portal for the province that issued the registration — not the province you live in.
| Registration issued in | Where to verify |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Punjab Excise & Taxation online services |
| Sindh | Sindh Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control online services |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | KP Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control online services |
| Islamabad (ICT) | Islamabad Excise & Taxation online services |
What to check against the car
The record tells you what the government believes about this vehicle. Your job is to confirm the metal in front of you agrees with it.
- Chassis number — physically located on the car, matched character by character against the record and the registration book
- Engine number — same check. A replaced engine is not automatically a problem, but an undeclared one is
- Make, model and year — an entry showing a different model year than the seller claims is a straightforward misrepresentation
- Engine capacity — this drives both token tax and transfer fees, so a discrepancy costs money
- Owner name — must match the CNIC of the person actually selling you the car
- Token tax status — arrears must be cleared before a transfer can be recorded
Warning signs worth walking away from
- The chassis number is hard to read, re-stamped, or sits on a plate that looks disturbed
- The seller's name does not match the registered owner and there is no clear chain of transfer documents
- The record shows nothing at all for a registration number that is supposedly active
- The seller is reluctant to let you run the check, or wants a deposit first
- The car is under a bank lease and there is no no-objection certificate from the bank
- Significant unpaid token tax that the seller expects you to absorb
Frequently asked questions
Is online vehicle verification free?
Yes. The provincial excise departments provide registration lookups through their own online services at no cost. Any site charging a fee for this is reselling something you can do yourself for nothing.
What do I need to verify a vehicle?
The registration number is enough for a basic check. To confirm the car matches its record you also need physical access to the chassis and engine numbers on the vehicle and sight of the original registration book.
Can I check whether a car has outstanding token tax?
Yes, the provincial portals show tax status against the vehicle. This matters because arrears must be cleared before an ownership transfer is recorded, so an unpaid balance becomes your problem at the point of sale unless you agree otherwise in writing.
What if the chassis number does not match?
Stop the purchase. A mismatch between the physical chassis number and the registration record can indicate a tampered or stolen vehicle. It is not something to negotiate a discount on — the car may be unregisterable and seizable.
Sources
- Punjab Excise & Taxation — official portal
- Punjab Excise & Taxation — online motor vehicle tax calculators
Government fees and tax rates change with provincial budgets. Confirm current figures with the relevant department before making a payment.