Check a Vehicle Tracker Company Is PTA Licensed Before You Buy in Pakistan
Before you buy a car or bike tracker in Pakistan, check the seller on PTA's vehicle tracking licence list: licence number, expiry date and areas covered.
Short answer: Before you buy a car or bike tracker in Pakistan, check that the seller holds a PTA data licence for vehicle tracking services. PTA publishes a list of these licensees, with their licence numbers, grant and expiry dates, and the areas they may serve. The list we read has 194 numbered entries.
A tracker is a small device that sits in your vehicle and uses a SIM and GPS to send its position to an app. If the company behind it is unlicensed, you hand your daily movements, your home address and your vehicle details to a business that PTA does not regulate for this service.
We downloaded PTA's "Data CVAS (VTS) Licensees of Pakistan" list from its licensing page and read it on 13 October 2026. CVAS means a class of value-added service licence. PTA's licence lists have no date on this file, so ask the company for its current licence paper as well.
Find the list on PTA's licensing page
PTA's "List of Operators" page has 22 licence categories. Category 16 is "Vehicle Tracking CVAS". It opens a PDF titled "Data CVAS (VTS) Licensees of Pakistan". Each entry has a number, company name, licence number, dates, area and contact details.
- Open the PTA website and go to the list of operators under licensing.
- Choose "Vehicle Tracking CVAS", item 16, to open the PDF.
- Use the search tool of your PDF viewer (Ctrl+F) and type the company name.
- If the name is not there, search the licence number the seller gave you.
- Read the whole row: the licence number, the grant date, the expiry date and the jurisdiction.
- Call the phone number in the row and confirm that the person selling to you works for that company.
Read each column before you trust a listing
A name on the list is only the start. The row also tells you where the company may work, how long its licence runs and whether the service has started. A company with a licence for one province should not sell in another.
| Column in PTA's list | What to check |
|---|---|
| Entity name | Matches the name on your invoice and the app |
| Licence number | Format like DIR(L)/CVAS-number/PTA/year; ask the seller for it |
| Grant date and expiry date | Expiry must be after today |
| Jurisdiction | "Pakistan", or only one or two provinces |
| Service type | Vehicle tracking services |
| Commencement status and date | Shows that PTA issued a commencement certificate |
| Contact person, address, phone | Use these to confirm the seller is real |
In the file we read, licences granted in 2012 run to 2027, so a licence term looks like 15 years. Some entries are limited to Punjab, Sindh or Balochistan, and many say "Pakistan". The newest numbers we saw were 1353, 1354 and 1355, all from 2026. The list also includes a public body with a not-for-profit licence.
Know what a PTA licence does not prove
The list shows that PTA licensed the company to offer tracking as a data service. It does not show the price is fair, the device is good, or that your data is safe. It is not an insurance approval, and it is not an endorsement.
If you are buying a tracker because your insurer asks for one, ask the insurer which devices it accepts. Our page on checking a vehicle insurer on the Sindh Excise list shows how to check the insurer side for Sindh.
Ask the company four plain questions before you pay. Where is my location data stored? Who can see it? How long do you keep it? What happens to the SIM and my data if I cancel? Get the answers in writing.
Check the device too
A tracker is a radio device. It should be a PTA approved model with a clear IMEI, like a phone. Look for the approval mark in PTA's approved equipment list, using the same approach as in our page on checking a router or modem is PTA type approved.
The SIM inside the tracker is also registered to someone. Ask whose CNIC it is on, and who pays the monthly data bill. If it is your CNIC, check it in the page on SIMs registered on your CNIC, so a lost tracker does not become your risk.
PTA also ran a public consultation in March 2026 on a draft template of a class licence for tracking services, with comments due on 19 March. We did not find a final version, so the old licence list still applies in our reading.
Report a problem to PTA
If a company that is not on the list sells you a tracking service, or a licensed company ignores your complaint, tell PTA. PTA's helpline is 0800-55055, and its complaint system is the same one used for operator complaints.
The steps in the PTA telecom complaint guide apply, but we have not tested a complaint about a tracker company. Give the licence number, the date you paid and any messages. If money was taken without service, also ask your bank or wallet about the payment.
Common questions
Does a vehicle tracking company need a PTA licence?
PTA lists vehicle tracking as a licence category under data value-added services, with its own licensee list. A company not on that list is a risk, and you should ask PTA before you pay.
Where is the PTA list of vehicle tracking licensees?
On PTA's licensing page, "List of Operators", item 16, "Vehicle Tracking CVAS". It opens as a PDF with 194 numbered entries in the file we read.
How do I know if a licence is still valid?
Check the expiry date in the company's row. The licence terms we saw run for 15 years from the grant date, but each row shows its own date.
Can a licensed company sell in any city?
Not always. The "jurisdiction" column shows whether the company may serve all of Pakistan or only some provinces. Check that your city is covered.
Is a PTA licence proof that the tracker is safe for my data?
No. It shows that PTA licensed the service. Ask the company in writing where it stores your location data and who can see it.
Which number do I call at PTA?
PTA's helpline is 0800-55055, listed on its website.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 13 October 2026, Pakistan time. We read PTA's List of Operators page, its vehicle tracking licensee list and its consultation papers page. The list has no update date, and we did not call any company in it. We did not verify any single company's current licence status.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
