Documents Motorway Police Can Demand in Pakistan, and 15 Days to Produce Them

On a national highway or motorway, a uniformed officer can demand your driving licence, your insurance certificate and your vehicle registration. If you do not have one with you, you get 15 days to bring the original to a patrol post, but that grace does not apply to paid drivers or transport vehicles. We read the rule on 22 October 2026.

A stop on the motorway is short and tense. You are told to pull over, someone asks for papers, and you remember the registration book is in a drawer at home. What happens next is set by section 58 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000, and the rule is kinder than most drivers think. We read the Gazette copy that the National Highways and Motorway Police publish on nhmp.gov.pk. It is the 2000 text, so check for later changes.

You must stop when a uniformed officer tells you to

Section 59 says a driver on a national highway must stop, and stay stopped as long as reasonably necessary, when a police officer in uniform requires it. Section 77 punishes wilful disobedience of a lawful direction with up to six months in jail, or a fine of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, or both.

So the first step is simple. Pull over where it is safe, switch off the engine and keep your hands visible. The way to report an officer who behaves badly is in the guide to the NHMP helpline 130 and complaint cell numbers.

Three papers for a private driver, five for a transport vehicle

Section 58(1) says the driver must produce the driving licence, the certificate of insurance and the certificate of registration on demand. If the vehicle is a transport vehicle, the certificate of fitness and the permit must also be produced. The demand can come from a uniformed officer or anyone the government authorises.

The insurance certificate is the one many drivers miss. The ordinance asks for a no-fault insurance certificate, which is explained in the guide to no-fault accident insurance on national highways.

A private driver gets 15 days to bring a missing document

Section 58(2) says that if the registration, insurance or licence is not with you when asked, it is enough to provide the original documents within 15 days. You take them to the concerned patrol post or to the same police officer. This is the rule that protects the driver who left the file at home.

It is not a cure for having no licence. Section 3 still bars driving without a valid licence for the vehicle class. The 15 days only excuses not carrying a paper you do hold.

1. Tell the officer which document you do not have with you.
2. Ask what the officer wants to see, and where to bring it.
3. Take the original, not a photocopy, to the patrol post or to the same officer within 15 days.
4. Ask for a written receipt showing the date you produced it.

The 15 day grace does not cover paid drivers or transport vehicles

The proviso to section 58(2) says the grace does not apply to a driver driving as a paid employee, to the driver of a transport vehicle, or to anyone required to produce the registration or fitness certificate of a transport vehicle. A truck, bus or hired driver must have the papers in the cab.

The cost is not small. Section 81 allows a uniformed officer to arrest without a warrant for driving a transport vehicle without a valid licence, fitness certificate, registration certificate, route permit or insurance certificate. The full list is in the guide to when the motorway police can arrest without a warrant.

Police cannot take your documents for a minor violation

Section 82 says no police officer shall seize the documents of a vehicle for a minor violation unless a court orders it or an officer of Superintendent of Police rank or above in the NHMP gives written orders. The exception is where the officer has sufficient reason to believe the document is forged.

If a patrol officer asks to keep your original licence or registration for a small offence, it is fair to ask for the written order, or to ask to speak to a senior officer. After a fine is written, the process is described in the guide to paying an NHMP charge sheet within 10 days.

Common questions

What documents must I carry on a Pakistani motorway?

Your driving licence, insurance certificate and vehicle registration. A transport vehicle driver also carries the fitness certificate and permit.

Can I show documents on my phone?

The ordinance asks for the documents themselves, and the original within 15 days if missing. We did not read any rule on phone copies, so carry the papers.

How long do I have if I forgot my registration book?

15 days, under section 58(2), at the patrol post or to the same officer. It does not apply to paid or transport drivers.

Can the police keep my licence?

Not for a minor violation, unless a court or a Superintendent of Police or above orders it in writing, or the document looks forged.

What happens if I refuse to stop?

Section 77 allows up to six months in jail or a fine of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, or both, for wilfully disobeying a lawful direction.

Who do I call to complain about a stop?

The NHMP helpline is 130. See the complaint cell numbers in our helpline guide.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 22 October 2026. Sections 3, 58, 59, 77, 81 and 82 come from the National Highways Safety Ordinance, 2000, in the Gazette copy at nhmp.gov.pk, which is a scan we read as text and cross-checked. It is the 2000 text, so a later amendment could change a detail, and provincial roads follow provincial law. We did not test a roadside stop and did not find a rule on phone copies of documents.