How to Change the Engine Number on Your Vehicle Record in Punjab: Papers Excise Lists

Short answer: If you fit a new engine, Punjab Excise lists four papers to update the record: the new engine's purchase receipt, Form F showing the new engine number, a copy of your CNIC and the original registration book with token tax paid up to date. Vehicles under the File Return Scheme also need the registration file.

A mechanic says the old engine is finished, and a new one will cost less than a new car. You agree. Months later a buyer checks your papers and finds that the engine number on the book does not match the engine under the bonnet.

We read the Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department page on registration and post-registration transactions on 14 October 2026. We did not change an engine record ourselves, so these steps follow the department's list. The page lists no fee, so we cannot give one.

The record and the engine should match

The engine number is one of the details on your registration book. When you swap the engine, the number changes, so the record has to change too. The department's name for this step is change of engine number, also called an alteration.

Do it soon after the work, while the receipt and the mechanic are easy to find. A mismatch can cause trouble when you sell, transfer or verify the vehicle. We have not seen a published penalty for it, so we do not claim one.

A check of your vehicle record shows what excise currently holds. See how to verify a vehicle in every province for how that check works.

Excise lists a receipt, Form F and your book

For an engine change, the department lists a receipt for the purchase of the new engine, a photocopy of your CNIC, Form F with the new engine number, and the original registration book showing token tax up to date. A File Return Scheme vehicle also needs its original registration file.

Ask the seller for a proper receipt in your name, with the engine number written on it. A receipt without the number may not help. We could not confirm whether excise accepts a used engine, so ask before you buy one.

Clear token tax before you apply

The registration book must show token tax paid up to date. If you owe any, pay it first, and keep the proof. The online token tax guide shows how to pay without a trip to the office.

1. Buy the engine and get a receipt with the engine number on it.
2. Fill Form F with the vehicle details and the new engine number.
3. Pay any token tax due, so the book is up to date.
4. Photocopy your CNIC, and gather the book and, if needed, the registration file.
5. Take everything to the excise office and keep the receipt it gives you.

If your book is lost, replace it first. The steps are in how to get a duplicate registration book in Punjab.

A conversion needs an examiner's endorsement

The same page lists a separate step for conversion. For a conversion, Form F must carry an endorsement from the Motor Vehicle Examiner about the nature of the conversion. You also need a CNIC copy and the registration book with token tax paid. Tie-up vehicles need a fitness certificate from the examiner.

The page does not say which conversions it covers, and we will not guess. Ask the office before you modify the vehicle, because the endorsement comes from an examiner who has to see what you did. For fitness certificates in general, see the Punjab vehicle fitness certificate guide.

We also do not know what the department means by a tie-up vehicle. The page uses the term without explaining it, so ask the office whether yours is one.

Check the record when it is done

After the office updates the record, check the new engine number, the chassis number and your name. If you plan to sell, you can then move to the car ownership transfer guide for Punjab with a clean record.

Keep the engine receipt, the Form F copy and the excise receipt together with the book. If a buyer asks why the engine differs from the factory one, you can show the paper trail.

Common questions

What does Punjab Excise need to change an engine number?

A receipt for the new engine, a CNIC copy, Form F with the new engine number and the original registration book with token tax paid. File Return vehicles also need the registration file.

Is there a fee to change the engine number?

The excise page lists no fee for this step. Ask the office to confirm before you go.

Do I need to pay token tax first?

Yes. The department asks for a registration book that shows token tax paid up to date.

What is Form F?

It is the department's form that carries the vehicle's particulars. For an engine change it must show the new engine number.

Does a conversion need a different paper?

Yes. Form F must carry the Motor Vehicle Examiner's endorsement about the nature of the conversion.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 14 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read the Punjab Excise page on motor vehicle registration and post-registration transactions. It lists no fee and no time limit for engine changes or conversions. We did not file either request. Confirm the papers and any charge with your district excise office before you go.