Buy a Used Bike in Pakistan: 8 Checks Before You Pay (Excise Record, Token, Lien, Transfer by Province)
Before buying a used bike in Pakistan, match engine and chassis numbers, check the Excise record, token, lien and challans. Punjab transfer costs Rs 910.
Before you pay for a used motorcycle in Pakistan, check the engine and chassis numbers against the registration card, look the bike up on the province's Excise record, and make sure the seller is the registered owner. Then check token tax, any bank lien and pending e-challans, and transfer it at once. In Punjab the transfer costs Rs 910. The eight checks, with the official figures for Punjab and Islamabad, are below.
We read the motor vehicle tax schedule of the Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on excise.punjab.gov.pk and the fee schedule of Islamabad's Excise department on islamabadexcise.gov.pk on 27 October 2026. Bikes are most of the market: by the Economic Survey's count, 30.5 million of Pakistan's 39.3 million registered vehicles are motorcycles.
Eight checks to run before you pay for a used bike
Run these in order. The first three take ten minutes and catch most problems: numbers that do not match, a seller who is not the owner, and a bike that is not what the card says. The rest protect you from debts that follow the bike.
- Match the engine and chassis numbers on the bike to the registration card or smart card.
- Look up the registration number on the province's online Excise record.
- Check that the seller's CNIC matches the registered owner.
- Check token tax is paid, or that it was paid for life at registration.
- Ask whether the bike was bought on instalments, and check for a bank or company lien.
- Check for unpaid e-challans on the number plate.
- Agree to complete the transfer, with the seller's biometric, before you take the bike away.
- Pay only in person, after the checks, and never an advance to a stranger online.
Match the engine and chassis numbers before anything else
The engine number and chassis number are stamped on the bike itself. They must match the registration card exactly. A mismatch means a replaced engine that was never recorded, a re-stamped frame, or a card that belongs to another bike.
An engine change is legal if it was recorded. Punjab has a process for recording a new engine, with a fee and a receipt. If the seller says the engine was changed, ask for that receipt. No receipt, no deal.
Look at the stamping in daylight. Numbers that look ground down, uneven or freshly painted over are a reason to walk away, whatever the price.
Check the bike on the province's Excise record
Every province keeps the registration online, and the record shows the owner, model and registration date. Use the portal of the province where the bike is registered, which is shown by its number plate, not where you are buying it.
| Registered in | Where to check |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Punjab Excise vehicle record |
| Sindh | Sindh Excise vehicle search |
| Islamabad | Islamabad Excise portal and PAK APP |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | KP Excise vehicle verification |
| Any province | working portal for every province |
Compare three things with what the seller tells you: the owner's name, the model and year, and the engine and chassis numbers if the record shows them. If the record shows a different make or colour, stop.
Make sure the seller is the registered owner
The person selling should be the person on the card, with an original CNIC that matches. If the bike has passed through several hands on signed transfer letters that were never lodged, the registered owner is still the first seller, and so are the challans.
Buying on such an "open letter" is common and risky. If any of those earlier owners cannot be found to give biometric verification, you may never be able to transfer the bike into your name. Punjab's Excise department announced that biometric verification for vehicle registration and transfer would run through the PAK Identity app, so the registered owner has to take part.
Islamabad works the same way: a transfer needs the seller's biometric receipt, and the department says transfer is mandatory within 60 days of the sale.
Check token tax, any lien and pending challans
Punjab charges motorcycles a one-time token of Rs 1,500 at registration. Islamabad charges a lifetime Rs 1,000 up to 200cc. A bike bought on instalments may still carry a hire purchase entry, and unpaid e-challans stay on the number.
| Item | Punjab | Islamabad |
|---|---|---|
| Token tax for a motorcycle | Rs 1,500 at registration | Rs 1,000 lifetime up to 200cc |
| Transfer fee | Rs 910 | Shown as exempted |
| Transfer within 10 years of registration | Rs 1,500 less 10% a year | Not listed |
| Hire purchase entry on a motorcycle | Rs 150 | Rs 1,200 up to 1000cc |
| Duplicate registration certificate | Rs 500 | Rs 1,000 up to 1000cc |
Punjab's schedule says that if a motorcycle is transferred within ten years of registration, Rs 1,500 is charged with a 10% rebate for each financial year. On a bike registered four years ago, that is about Rs 900 on our arithmetic, on top of the Rs 910 fee. Islamabad's schedule shows motorcycle transfers as exempted, although a reading of an April 2025 notification gave Rs 550 to Rs 1,500, so check your challan.
Instalment bikes are the lien trap. If a lender's hire purchase entry is still on the card, ask for the lender's NOC before paying. For challans, Punjab bikes can be checked with the Punjab e-challan check by plate.
Pay in person and transfer the same week
Pay only after the checks, in person, and ideally at the Excise office or with the transfer underway. Never send an advance to hold a bike you found online. Then complete the transfer quickly, because until you do, the bike stays in the seller's name.
Advance payment requests, fake payment screenshots and "courier will deliver" offers are the common OLX scams in Pakistan. A real seller will meet you and show the bike.
Once the bike is yours, sort out cover too. Third party insurance pays for damage you cause to others, as explained in motorcycle insurance in Pakistan.
Common questions
How do I check a used bike's registration in Punjab?
Use the Punjab Excise online vehicle record with the registration number, and compare the owner, model and numbers with the card.
What is the bike transfer fee in Punjab?
Rs 910 on the Punjab Excise schedule, plus Rs 1,500 less 10% a year if the bike is under ten years old.
Is it safe to buy a bike on an open letter?
It is risky. The bike stays in the first owner's name, and a transfer needs the registered owner's biometric.
How can I tell if a bike was bought on instalments?
Ask, and look for a hire purchase or bank entry on the registration card. Get the lender's NOC if there is one.
Can I check a bike by chassis number?
Match the chassis number on the frame with the card and with the online record. The search fields differ by province, so check what your province's portal accepts.
Do I pay token tax every year on a bike in Punjab?
No. Punjab's schedule lists a Rs 1,500 token for motorcycles at the time of registration.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 27 October 2026. Punjab figures come from the motor vehicle tax page of the Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, and its announcements page, read on 27 October 2026. Islamabad figures come from the Excise and Taxation Department, Islamabad, read the same day. The vehicle count is from Pakistan's Economic Survey 2025-26. The Rs 900 example is our arithmetic. We could not open Punjab's MTMIS lookup from our connection, so we did not test a search, and we did not check rules for Balochistan, AJK or Gilgit-Baltistan bikes.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
