Islamabad Police to Impound Vehicles Driven Without a Licence, Parents Must Sign for Under Age Drivers

Short answer: Islamabad Police says it will impound any vehicle driven by someone without a valid driving licence, and keep it at the police station until the driver gets one. If the driver is under age, the vehicle is impounded instead of a criminal case being filed, and parents must come to the station and sign a written undertaking to get it back.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Captain (retd) Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry, announced the crackdown at a meeting with a delegation of court reporters. It was reported on the morning of Tuesday, 20 October 2026. He said the traffic laws against unlicensed and underage driving would be "strictly" enforced in the capital.

This is the Islamabad unlicensed driving crackdown in one line: no licence, no car. The rule matters most to families who let a teenager take the car or the motorcycle to college, and to anyone still driving on an expired learner permit.

Islamabad Police will impound cars and bikes driven without a licence

Any vehicle driven by a person without a valid licence will be taken to the police station for that area. The owner gets it back only after the driver obtains a valid licence. The rule covers cars and motorcycles alike, according to the IGP's remarks as reported.

That is a bigger cost than a fine. A fine is paid and forgotten. An impounded car sits at the station until a licence exists, and in Islamabad a new licence still means a learner permit, a waiting period and a driving test.

The IGP did not give a start date, so treat the rule as live now. He also did not say which fine, if any, comes on top of the impounding.

Under age drivers lose the vehicle but avoid a criminal case

When the driver is below the legal age, police will impound the vehicle rather than register a criminal case. The vehicle is released after the parents come to the police station and submit a written undertaking. The undertaking is a signed promise, usually that the child will not drive again.

That is a softer line on the child and a harder one on the parent. The person who handed over the keys has to show up in person. We think that is the point of it.

It also fits a direction Islamabad Police has taken before. Last month officers were told to fine traffic violators rather than file cases, which we covered when Islamabad Police moved away from Section 279 cases for ordinary traffic offences.

Half of Islamabad's fixed checkposts are gone, patrols replace them

The IGP also said more than half of the security checkposts outside the Red Zone have been removed. Police have been told to patrol instead of standing at fixed barriers, and Safe City cameras are being used to prevent and investigate crime.

Reports differ slightly on the count. One account puts it at 12 of the city's 24 fixed checkposts, and names E-7, F-7, Daman-e-Koh and the Motorway Link Road among the points cleared. Another says "more than half" outside the Red Zone. Either way, fewer stops at fixed points does not mean fewer checks. Mobile patrols can stop you anywhere.

Cameras matter here too. Islamabad already fines people for damaging Safe City cameras, and the same network is now named as a policing tool in its own right.

Impounding is already common in Islamabad traffic enforcement

Islamabad Traffic Police already impounds vehicles in large numbers. Its own press release for August 2026, No. 1254/PRB/CPO dated 3 September 2026, said more than 7,000 vehicles and motorcycles were impounded that month, alongside action against more than 72,000 people.

So the new step is not the impounding itself. It is the promise to hold the vehicle until the licence exists, and the written undertaking for parents.

When we checked the Islamabad Police news page at about 13:00 PKT on 20 October 2026, it had no written press release on the crackdown yet. The latest items were dated 19 October. Until a written order appears, the details above rest on the IGP's remarks as reported.

Get a learner permit online before you drive again

If you drive in Islamabad without a licence, the fastest fix is a learner permit through the ITP DLIMS portal. Islamabad Traffic Police moved learner permits, renewals and duplicates online from 19 October 2026, so most of the paperwork no longer needs a counter visit.

1. Register on dlims.islamabadpolice.gov.pk with your own CNIC or passport number.
2. Apply for a learner permit, or for renewal if your licence has expired.
3. Pay the amount the portal shows and keep the receipt.
4. Carry the learner permit, and drive only as its conditions allow.
5. Check your licence or permit on the portal's Verify License page before a trip.

The move of Islamabad licence services online covers renewals and duplicates, while a first licence still means a test, as set out for getting a driving licence in Islamabad. If your licence was lost, a police lost report comes first.

Parents should check one more thing. If your child is not old enough to hold a licence or permit, there is no paperwork that makes the drive legal. The only fix is not to hand over the keys.

Common questions

Will Islamabad Police impound my car if I forgot my licence at home?

The IGP spoke of drivers without a valid licence, not drivers who left the card at home. If you hold a licence, police can check it on the DLIMS Verify License page. Carry the card anyway to avoid an argument at the roadside.

How do I get my impounded vehicle back in Islamabad?

For an adult driver, after the driver obtains a valid licence. For an under age driver, after the parents appear at the police station and sign a written undertaking. We would also take the registration book and the owner's CNIC, in case the station asks for proof of ownership.

Is a criminal case filed against an under age driver?

No. The IGP said police will impound the vehicle instead of registering a criminal case when the driver is under age.

Does the rule apply to motorcycles?

Yes. The announcement covers vehicles driven by anyone without a valid licence, and that includes motorcycles.

Which Islamabad checkposts were removed?

Reports name E-7, F-7, Daman-e-Koh and the Motorway Link Road among them. Islamabad Police has not published a list, so treat the locations as reported.

Who do I call about a traffic problem in Islamabad?

The Islamabad Traffic Police helpline is 1915, police emergency is 15, and complaints about police go to the IGP Complaint Cell on 1715, all listed on the Islamabad Police website.

How we verified this

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

We read the Islamabad Police website and its news page on 20 October 2026 at about 13:00 PKT. The news page had no press release on this crackdown; its latest items were dated 19 October. The site lists DLIMS for licence services and the 1915, 15 and 1715 helplines. The August 2026 impounding figure comes from Islamabad Traffic Police press release No. 1254/PRB/CPO, which we read on the same site in September 2026. The impounding rules, the undertaking for parents and the checkpost removals rest on the IGP's remarks as reported on 20 October 2026. We could not verify the exact checkpost count or locations, a start date, or whether a fine is added to the impounding. The online licence route is on ITP DLIMS, which we read on 20 October 2026.