How to Get an HTV Licence in Punjab: Age 22 and 3 Years on a Car Licence

To get an HTV (heavy transport vehicle) licence in Punjab you must be at least 22 and have held a car or LTV licence for three years. Get an HTV learner permit from the licence centre of the district that issued your licence, wait 42 days, then pass a written and a driving test.

An HTV licence is what you need to drive a truck, a trailer or a large goods vehicle. To drive a bus or coaster with passengers, you need one more step, the PSV endorsement. Both are issued through the driving licence centres run by the Punjab Traffic Police.

We read the HTV rules in the official FAQs of the City Traffic Police Lahore and Multan, and the fee tables on DLIMS, the Punjab driving licence system, on 1 October 2026. The two sources do not agree on every charge, and we show where they differ.

Who can get an HTV licence in Punjab

You must be at least 22 years old and have held a car or LTV licence for at least three years. Both conditions apply together. Traffic Police says the three year rule is mandatory, with no way around it.

The City Traffic Police Lahore FAQ answers the question directly. Asked if an HTV licence is possible without three years on a car or LTV licence, it says: "No, passing 03 years of Car/LTV License is mandatory." The Multan FAQ uses the same words.

So the earliest most people can get an HTV licence is a few years after their first car licence. If you are still on a learner permit for a car, start with the regular Punjab driving licence after the learner, and the three year clock starts from its issue date.

How to apply for an HTV licence, step by step

Apply for the HTV learner permit at your home district's licence centre, carry it for 42 days, then book the test. After you pass both the written and the practical test, the licence is printed and posted to your address.

1. Check your dates. Your car or LTV licence must be at least three years old, and you must be 22 or older.
2. Go to the right centre. The FAQ says to get the HTV learner permit "from the license center of the district from where your driving license was issued". A centre in another district may send you back.
3. Take your papers. The FAQ lists your original CNIC, and a medical certificate if you are over 50 or have a disability. Take your current car or LTV licence too, since the HTV rests on it.
4. Get the HTV learner permit. Practise only under the conditions of a learner permit.
5. Wait 42 days. You can apply for the driving test after 42 days from the permit's issue.
6. Pass the written and driving tests. Both are needed.
7. Pay printing and delivery. The licence is posted to your written address, in four to five days according to the FAQ.

The general learner permit process is set out for the Punjab learner driving licence. The HTV permit follows the same route, but in the HTV category.

HTV licence fees in Punjab

DLIMS lists HTV renewal at Rs 1,850 a year plus a Rs 480 courier charge, or Rs 2,330. A duplicate HTV licence costs Rs 680. DLIMS does not list a first issue fee for HTV, so confirm it at the centre.

The DLIMS regular licence table stops at LTV, at Rs 1,850 a year after the test. HTV appears only in the renewal, duplicate and international tables. All three put HTV at the same rate as LTV. DLIMS also says that in any combination, the highest category fee applies.

The Traffic Police FAQs give older counter charges: Rs 60 for each learner permit category, and Rs 180 for printing and delivery. DLIMS gives Rs 480 for courier. DLIMS is the system that creates your PSID (payment slip ID), so its figure is likely to be the one you pay. Keep every receipt.

The PSV endorsement for buses and coasters

An HTV licence alone lets you drive heavy goods vehicles. To drive a bus, coaster or other heavy passenger vehicle, you also need a PSV (public service vehicle) licence, which is issued after one year on an LTV or HTV licence.

The FAQ gives examples. LTV with PSV covers light passenger vehicles such as a wagon, Euro or Bolan. HTV with PSV covers heavy passenger vehicles such as a metro bus, a Daewoo bus or a coaster. So a bus driver needs at least four years of licences in total: three on a car or LTV, then the HTV, then one more year for the PSV.

Bus and truck owners also need their vehicles tested. A licence does not cover the vehicle itself, and commercial vehicles in Punjab need testing every six months.

Keeping your HTV licence valid

Renew before it expires, because the fine grows with each month. A renewal a full year late costs Rs 4,625 in fines on top of the Rs 2,330 renewal. Penalty points can also suspend a licence.

DLIMS lets you hold a regular licence for one to five years at a time. Renewal goes through DLIMS and the Dastak app, as explained for renewing a driving licence in Punjab. Also keep within the Punjab penalty point limit of 20 in a year, or the licence can be suspended for six months.

Common questions

What is the age limit for an HTV licence in Punjab?

22 years. You must also have held a car or LTV licence for at least three years, according to the City Traffic Police Lahore FAQ.

Can I get an HTV licence without three years on a car licence?

No. Traffic Police says three years on a car or LTV licence is mandatory for an HTV licence.

How long after the HTV learner permit can I take the test?

42 days after the learner permit is issued. You then take a written test and a practical driving test.

How much does HTV renewal cost in Punjab?

Rs 1,850 for one year plus Rs 480 courier, or Rs 2,330, on the DLIMS fee table. Late renewal adds a fine of Rs 925 to Rs 4,625.

Do I need a PSV licence to drive a coaster?

Yes. A coaster carries passengers, so you need HTV with PSV. The PSV licence is issued after one year on an LTV or HTV licence.

Where do I apply for an HTV licence?

At the licence centre of the district that issued your current driving licence. Call DLIMS on 042-99202892 for general queries.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 1 October 2026. The age, three year rule, learner permit, 42 day wait, tests, Rs 180 printing charge and PSV rules come from the City Traffic Police Lahore FAQ, which the City Traffic Police Multan FAQ matches word for word. The fees come from the DLIMS fee structure page, which also lists 042-99202892 and info@dlims.punjab.gov.pk. DLIMS lists no first issue HTV fee, and the Traffic Police and DLIMS figures differ for the learner permit and delivery, so confirm the total at the counter. The papers list for an HTV learner permit is not set out separately in either source. We list the general learner permit papers from the same FAQ. We did not apply for an HTV licence ourselves.