Islamabad Tinted Glass, Fake Number Plate and High Beam Fines: Full Excise List for Cars and Bikes
Islamabad Excise charges Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 for tinted glass, non-pattern plates or dazzling lights, and up to Rs 100,000 for a fake plate. See every fine.
In Islamabad, tinted glass, non-pattern number plates and dazzling aftermarket lights each cost a car owner Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 the first time, and the registration is suspended until you pay; a fake plate gets the car impounded and costs Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000. Repeat offences cost five times as much. The full list, for cars and motorcycles, is below.
These are not traffic police challans. They are reinstatement and release fees set by the Excise and Taxation Department of the Islamabad Capital Territory, published on islamabadexcise.gov.pk, which we read on 27 October 2026. The department's notice board says: "Use concerned department issued vehicle number plates, remove Tinted Glasses and discomfort lights from the vehicle to avoid road violation fines."
Islamabad Excise fines run from Rs 1,000 to Rs 100,000
The amount depends on the offence, the engine size and whether it is a repeat. A first non-pattern plate, tinted glass or discomfort light case costs Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000 for a car. A fake plate costs Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000.
| Offence | Up to 1000cc | 1001cc to 2000cc | 2001cc and above | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-pattern number plate, first time | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 20,000 | Rs 1,000 |
| Non-pattern plate, repeat by same owner | Rs 25,000 | Rs 50,000 | Rs 100,000 | Rs 5,000 |
| Fake number plate (release fee) | Rs 25,000 | Rs 50,000 | Rs 100,000 | Rs 5,000 |
| Tinted glass, first time | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 20,000 | Not listed |
| Discomfort lights, first time | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 | Rs 20,000 | Not listed |
Tinted glass and discomfort lights also rise to Rs 25,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 for a repeat by the same owner. The department adds a note under each table: the fine is five times higher on each later violation while the vehicle stays with the same owner.
A non-pattern plate suspends your registration until you pay
Any plate other than the one issued by the registering authority counts as non-pattern. The department says ownership of such a vehicle is suspended at once, and the owner must pay the reinstatement fee to restore it.
The page gives two time limits for that payment. The paragraph says the fee is payable within 15 days. The table heading above the amounts says "Re-instatement fee within 45 days". We cannot tell which is current, so pay within 15 days to be safe.
In practice, that covers any plate made privately instead of the one Excise issued. The fix is cheap compared with the fine: put back the official plates. Punjab publishes its official number plate size and format, which shows what a standard plate looks like, but an Islamabad car needs the plates Islamabad Excise issued.
A fake number plate gets the car impounded on the spot
A fake plate is a registration mark no authority issued, or an expired temporary mark. The department says the vehicle is impounded at once. It is released only after proof of registration, verification with the authority that registered it, and payment of a release fee.
- Get a proper registration mark from a registering authority, as the department directs.
- Bring proof of registration to the officer who impounded the vehicle.
- Wait for the registration to be verified with the authority that issued it.
- Pay the release fee: Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 for a car, Rs 5,000 for a motorcycle.
- Collect the vehicle with the receipt.
Expired temporary numbers fall under the same rule, which matters most to new car owners. A car that runs on its temporary mark long after the deadline falls under the fake plate rule, and Islamabad's late registration fees are also steep, starting at Rs 60,000 for a small car 61 days late. Register on time and fit the issued plates as soon as they arrive.
Tinted glass and aftermarket high beams are seized and fined
For tinted glass, the department says the modification is removed and seized and the registration is suspended until the fee is paid. For lights that dazzle other road users and are not the maker's original lights, the registration is suspended until the fee is paid.
The glass rule follows rule 160: the windscreen, side and rear windows must be clearly transparent, giving the driver a clear view to the front, the sides and, through the mirror, the rear. The lights rule applies at night, from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and at any time when visibility is poor.
The light rule targets aftermarket lights, not ordinary high beam use. The department's wording is lights "other than original equipment manufacturer lights which would dazzle or cause discomfort". Motorway police run their own campaigns on the same problem, set out in the motorway police high beam crackdown, and national highways have separate penalties for tinted glass and unfit driving.
Repeat offences cost five times more while you own the car
Each table carries the same note: on every later violation, the fine is five times the amount, as long as ownership of the vehicle stays the same. For a 1300cc car with tinted glass, Rs 10,000 the first time becomes Rs 50,000 the second time.
The repeat count is tied to the owner and the vehicle together. A car sold to a new owner starts again from the first offence amount, on the department's wording. That is one more reason a buyer should check a used car's record before paying, and why Excise fines are separate from the Islamabad traffic police e-challan, which you check and pay through a different system.
Common questions
What is the fine for tinted glass in Islamabad?
Rs 5,000 up to 1000cc, Rs 10,000 up to 2000cc and Rs 20,000 above, the first time. Repeat offences cost Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000.
What is the fine for a fake number plate in Islamabad?
The car is impounded and the release fee is Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 by engine size, or Rs 5,000 for a motorcycle.
Are fancy number plates allowed in Islamabad?
No. Plates other than those issued by the registering authority are non-pattern, and the registration is suspended until you pay.
Is using high beam at night an Excise offence?
The Excise rule covers lights other than the maker's original ones that dazzle other drivers. It is aimed at aftermarket lights.
Who collects these fines?
The Excise and Taxation Department, Islamabad, as reinstatement and release fees. They are separate from traffic police challans.
Is there a fine for tinted glass on a motorcycle?
The tinted glass and lights tables list cars only. Motorcycles appear in the number plate tables.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 27 October 2026. Every amount, rule and procedure comes from the Excise and Taxation Department, Islamabad: its vehicle violation challans notice and its fee schedule at islamabadexcise.gov.pk, read on 27 October 2026. The 1300cc example is our arithmetic. The department's notice links to a downloadable notification, which we did not read. The page gives both 15 days and 45 days for paying the non-pattern fee, and we could not resolve which applies. The department works under the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
