Complain About a Property Dealer in Punjab: Excise Registration and Penalties
Complain about a property dealer in Punjab. Dealers must hold a yearly Excise certificate; the 3 faults that get it cancelled, and when to go to the police.
In Punjab, a property dealer must be registered with the Excise and Taxation Officer and renew every year. To complain, write to the district Excise and Taxation Officer, who can suspend or cancel the dealer's certificate. Cheating and forgery go to the police as well.
Most people never ask a dealer for his registration. The law that requires it is more than 40 years old: the Punjab Real Estate Agents and Motor Vehicles Dealers (Regulation of Business) Ordinance 1980. We read it on the Punjab Code on 2 October 2026, with its 2002 changes. It still says nobody may work as a real estate agent in Punjab without a valid certificate.
That gives you a lever. A dealer who loses his certificate cannot lawfully keep trading.
The law covers every property dealer in Punjab
The 1980 Ordinance calls a property dealer a "real estate agent". That is anyone who arranges a sale, exchange, mortgage, lease or tenancy of property for a commission. A rental agent counts too, not only a seller's agent.
Section 3 bans that business without a certificate from the "registering authority". Since 2002 that means the Excise and Taxation Officer, or Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer, notified for the area where the dealer's office is.
The certificate lasts one year. Section 6 says it must be renewed annually, within 30 days before it expires. A certificate from 2019 on the wall proves nothing about today.
Section 4 also bars some people from registering at all. A person convicted of cheating, criminal breach of trust or a similar offence cannot be registered until three years after finishing the sentence.
Three dealer faults the law lets Excise punish
Section 9 lets the Excise officer suspend or cancel a dealer's certificate for false accounts, for knowingly selling property with a defect in its title, or for charging more commission than the government allows.
| Fault | What it looks like | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect accounts | No receipt, or a receipt for less than you paid | 9(1)(i) |
| Known defect in title | Selling a plot he knew was disputed, mortgaged or not the seller's | 9(1)(ii) |
| Excess commission | Charging above a rate the government has set | 9(1)(iii) |
| Trading without a certificate | No registration, or an expired one | 3 and 10 |
| Breaking a certificate condition | Any condition written on the certificate | 9(1) |
A suspension can last up to three months for a first breach and up to six months after that. The dealer gets 15 days to answer a show cause notice first.
On commission, the law is weaker than people think. Section 7 lets the government set a maximum rate. We found no notified maximum in force on the Punjab Code or the Excise website, so the "excess commission" fault is hard to use today.
How to complain about a property dealer, step by step
Write a short complaint to the Excise and Taxation Officer of the district where the dealer's office is. Attach receipts, messages and the sale papers. Ask the officer to check his registration and act under section 9.
- Collect your proof. Keep every receipt, token money slip, cheque copy, WhatsApp message and the agreement. Note the dealer's name, office address and phone number.
- Write the complaint. Address it to the Excise and Taxation Officer of your district. Name the dealer and the office, say what happened and when, and say which fault in section 9 it fits.
- Ask two direct questions. Is this dealer registered under the 1980 Ordinance, and is his certificate valid today? A written answer is useful later.
- Submit it at the Excise office and get a receiving. Ask for a stamped copy with the date. Without it, you cannot show you complained.
- Follow up after 15 days. The dealer must first get a show cause notice and 15 days to reply. Ask what was decided.
Only the registering authority can take a dealer to court for trading without a certificate. Section 10(2) says no court will hear that offence on anybody else's complaint. The penalty is up to six months of simple imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs 5,000, or both.
When to go to the police or a court instead
An Excise complaint can stop a dealer trading, but it cannot get your money back. For cheating or forgery, file a police complaint. For a fake sale or a grabbed plot, the courts and Punjab's property tribunals are the route.
Money handed to a dealer for a plot that did not exist is a cheating case for the police. Ask the police station to register an FIR, and keep its number. A bounced cheque from a dealer is its own criminal offence with its own route.
If a dealer or seller has taken or kept your property through forgery or force, the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act 2025 lets the lawful owner complain to the district Punjab Property Tribunal. It also brought complainants under Punjab's free legal aid rules.
A district consumer court hears complaints against sellers of goods and services. It can be a cheaper route for a refund claim, but the time limit is short.
Check a dealer before you pay token money
Ask to see the dealer's registration certificate and its date. Then check the land record and the housing scheme yourself. A dealer's word is not proof of title, and section 9 only helps once the harm is done.
- See the certificate. It must be current, from the Excise office of that district, and in the dealer's own name.
- Check the land record. Get the fard for the land and verify the land record before paying.
- Check the scheme. In a society, check it is on the development authority's approved list.
- Pay by bank, not cash. A bank transfer or crossed cheque leaves a record that a cash payment does not.
Registered dealers also pay professional tax to Excise every year. The Excise website lists Rs 20,000 a year for real estate agents in metropolitan and municipal corporation areas, and Rs 10,000 elsewhere. A property developer or builder pays Rs 50,000.
Common questions
Does a property dealer in Punjab need a licence?
Yes. The 1980 Ordinance requires a registration certificate from the Excise and Taxation Officer, renewed every year.
Who do I complain to about a property dealer?
The Excise and Taxation Officer of the district where the dealer's office is. For cheating, also go to the police.
Is there a fixed commission for property dealers in Punjab?
The law allows the government to set a maximum. We found no notified maximum in force, so the rate is agreed between you and the dealer.
Can Excise get my token money back?
No. Excise can suspend or cancel the dealer's certificate. Money claims go to a court or the police.
What can a dealer do if his certificate is cancelled?
He can appeal to the Excise Director or District Officer within 30 days. That decision is final.
Is there an online list of registered property dealers?
We did not find one on the Excise and Taxation Punjab website. Ask the district Excise office in writing.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 2 October 2026. We read the Punjab Real Estate Agents and Motor Vehicles Dealers (Regulation of Business) Ordinance 1980, as amended to 2002, and the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act 2025, both on the Punjab Code. Professional tax rates are from the Excise and Taxation Punjab professional tax page. We could not find rules under the Ordinance, a registration fee, a notified commission cap or a public register of dealers, so none is stated.
About the author
Tax, Bills and Technology Writer
Ali Akhtar is a young and curious voice here at Pakistan Era. He is currently pursuing his A-Levels and has a growing interest in Pakistan’s changing industrial landscape and educational trends. Ali likes to write in a way that helps him explain and explore the world around him. His writing reflects the perspective of the new generation navigating the evolving trends of Pakistan where technology, youth innovation, and shifting opportunities are reshaping the country’s future.
