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Smart Cards are Replacing Vehicle Registration Book from This Month in Pakistan

The Excise and Taxation Department has announced that it will replace traditional vehicle registration books with new digital smart cards in mid-October this year.

The NFC-equipped cards are being launched for security and facilitation of the citizens. These cards will also make the vehicle registry verification process much easier, according to the Rawalpindi Excise Department’s director.

Along with the smart cards, the government will also launch new number plates and universal numbers. A universal number will ensure a clean registration process, that reduces chances of people evading the motor vehicle tax or getting fake number plates. It will be issued along with a Smart Card.

This number will work in all districts, as the public registry data is being moved to a central server, instead of the older system where each district had its own data.

What You Need To Know

Here are some things to keep in mind about the new smart card:

  • A smart card will cost just Rs. 500, and will expire after 5 years.
  • Expired cards will need to be replaced.
  • When an owner sells his/her car, its buyer will get issued a new smart card.
  • Each card will have its own NFC chip, that lets your card supply data to another supported device near it.
  • These cards will have special security features to prevent any malicious data forgery.

A smart card contains information related to a vehicle and its owner, including owner’s name, CNIC/passport info, vehicle’s engine and chassis number, registration number, assessed annual tax, token status, engine details, and much more.

Revamped Data Servers

A centralized system prevents duplicate number plates, as owners will not be able to register one vehicle in two different districts. The authorities will be able to know whether or not the vehicle is already registered under its chassis number.

Other than that, smart cards make it easy to pay token taxes for the citizens, and also to keep a track record of payments.

New Number Plate Design

Another change that is coming up is a newer design for number plates. According to an Excise department official, PSCA (Punjab Safe City Project) cameras have been having problems reading number plates. The current design is hard to read by the sensors, which is why a newer design is being introduced.

Some areas, like Islamabad, already started issuing registration cards instead of booklets, but it is now being made mandatory to replace the older registration books.


  • An extract from above copied and pasted “A centralized system prevents duplicate number plates, as owners will not be able to register one vehicle in two different districts.”,,,who came up with this logic ?. People in general arent even willing to register their car at all,, let alone have it registered twice !!!,,

  • what an easy way to rob people. If there is an issue with the CCTV camera than why we should be compelled to spend Rs500/ for number plates.

    Imran jani, we were told that through economic reforms you will generate revenue, than why us

    • This is not 500 for number plate, you are availing smart card. Thanks smart card is not renewed after year. By the way for each security camera, they have some standards to read number plate, which is not currently implemented in Pakistan. for example prescribed number plate size and color, prescribed font, prescribed font size and how font embossed.

      Currently each province has its own rule, without taking care of these standard.

      I think instead of criticizing and crying for 500, its better to appreciate.

      • Kamran sb, are you sure we will not pay vehicle tax every year after smart card issuance, bcz it will be valid for 5 years? if so than hail the govt and the strategy makers for bringing relief

        • Yeah. This is question, how they will manage taxation. Because vehicle registration need to be renewed after year, and on each renewal, new card should be issued. I agree with you, normally al over the world there is 1 year registration. You know better, what is standard of our govt employees, who does not learn from Rest of the world and there mistakes.

      • The way I see it,, there are lots of benefits for this system,, so yes Rs 500 shouldn’t be a big deal,,, regarding the number plates recognition,, well a customized OCR software should tackle this number recognition by the system as well,,

  • As usual, our gullible saaday awam have miserably failed to grasp the reality. We are only moving towards a surveillance state. Tabdeeli government has nothing to do with it. btw, ah the irony that i now must sound like that cynical Zaid Hamid.


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