Is a Helmet Compulsory for Pillion Riders in Punjab? Yes: Rs 2,000 Fine, and Only One Passenger Allowed
Punjab law makes a helmet compulsory for the pillion rider as well as the rider. No helmet costs Rs 2,000 and 2 points, and three on a bike is another Rs 2,000.
Short answer: yes. In Punjab the person on the back seat of a motorcycle must wear a crash helmet, exactly like the rider. Section 89A of the Punjab motor vehicles law says so in plain words. The ticket for riding without a helmet is Rs 2,000 and 2 penalty points. A motorcycle may also carry only one passenger, on a proper seat behind the rider. Three people on one bike is a separate Rs 2,000 ticket.
Look at any Lahore or Faisalabad signal and you will see a rider in a helmet with a passenger who has none. Many people still believe the helmet rule is for the rider only. It is not, and it has not been for years. This guide explains the pillion rider rules in Punjab, the fines, the points, and how a ticket is paid.
We read the consolidated Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 on the Punjab Code site and the Traffic Police Punjab offences page on 6 November 2026.
The helmet rule covers the rider and the pillion passenger
Section 89A says no person shall drive, or ride the pillion seat of, a two wheeled motor vehicle unless they are wearing a crash helmet. Both people on the bike are named. The section lists no exception for age, for short trips or for women.
The words "pillion seat" mean the back seat of a motorcycle. A "crash helmet" is a helmet that meets the requirements set in the rules. A cap or a cloth wrap does not count.
The same rule applies on motorways and national highways. Section 57 of the federal National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000, which the National Highways and Motorway Police apply, says no person shall drive or be carried on a motorcycle without a crash helmet.
A motorcycle may carry only one passenger
Section 89 of the Punjab law says a motorcycle rider may not carry more than one person in addition to himself. That person must sit on a proper seat fixed to the bike behind the rider.
So three things break the rule:
- A second passenger, of any age, including a child sitting in front of the rider.
- A passenger sitting on the fuel tank, a carrier rack or a loose cushion.
- A passenger sitting side on with nothing fixed to hold, if there is no proper seat.
We know this is hard for families who own one bike and no car. The law does not make an exception for that, and the risk to a small child in a fall is the reason the rule exists.
The fines are Rs 2,000 each, with penalty points
The Twelfth Schedule of the Punjab law sets the ticket amounts. It was replaced by the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Act 2026, published on 7 May 2026, which also added penalty points to every offence.
| Offence | Motorcycle | Three-wheeler | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riding without a crash helmet (rider or pillion) | Rs 2,000 | Rs 2,000 | 2 |
| Pillion riding by more than two persons | Rs 2,000 | Not listed | 1 |
| Using a hand-held mobile phone while riding | Rs 1,000 | Rs 1,000 | 3 |
| Riding without a driving licence | Rs 2,000 | Rs 2,000 | 4 |
| Riding an unregistered motorcycle | Rs 2,000 | Rs 2,000 | 4 |
The helmet row covers a two wheeled motorcycle, a three wheeled motorcycle rickshaw and a motorcycle loader rickshaw. The Traffic Police Punjab page, read the same day, shows the same Rs 2,000 for both the helmet and the pillion offence. For the mobile phone offence it shows Rs 2,000 for a bike, while the law now says Rs 1,000. The law is the authority where they differ.
Points matter more than people think. If they add up to more than 20 in one year, the licence office must disqualify the rider for six months. A rider caught without a helmet ten times in a year passes that line. Our guide to licence points in Punjab explains the system.
Pay the ticket within 10 days or it goes to court
Section 116-A of the Punjab law sets out what happens after a warden or a Safe City camera charges you. If you do not want to contest it, you must pay within 10 days. If you pay on time, the matter ends there.
- Check the ticket. It carries a Payment Slip Identification Number (PSID), or sent to you by the Safe City system.
- Pay the amount through an approved channel, such as a bank app or mobile wallet. The Traffic Police page says no officer may take the fine in cash on the spot.
- If a document was taken, collect it from the traffic sector office after the payment shows online.
- If you think the ticket is wrong, do not pay, and contest it. The case then goes to a court.
- Be aware that a court can double the fine if it finds you guilty, and a repeat offence within one month costs 5 per cent more.
To look up a ticket, see our guide to checking a Punjab traffic challan online. For all other offences, our Punjab traffic fines list covers cars and vans too.
Section 144 orders can ban pillion riding altogether
Separate from the traffic law, a district administration can ban pillion riding for a few days under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This is usually done for security around religious days or public events.
During such an order, even a passenger with a helmet is not allowed, unless the order exempts women, children or the elderly. Check the order for your district before you ride. Rawalpindi and Murree, for example, have such an order running until 8 November 2026, which we covered in our Section 144 report.
Common questions
Is a helmet compulsory for the pillion rider in Punjab?
Yes. Section 89A of the Punjab motor vehicles law says no person shall ride the pillion seat of a two wheeled motor vehicle without a crash helmet. The ticket is Rs 2,000 and 2 points.
Are women on the back seat exempt from the helmet rule?
No. The section makes no exception for women, children or older people. Everyone on the bike must wear a crash helmet.
Can I carry two children on my motorcycle in Punjab?
No. The law allows only one person in addition to the rider, on a proper seat behind the rider. A second passenger, even a child, breaks the rule, and the ticket is Rs 2,000.
Who pays the fine if the passenger has no helmet?
The schedule lists the fine under the motorcycle column and does not say which person is charged. Both people are breaking section 89A, so make sure your passenger has a helmet before you start.
What happens if I do not pay the helmet challan?
After 10 days, the police file a complaint in court. If the court finds you guilty, the fine is doubled.
Does the helmet rule apply on the motorway too?
Yes. The National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000, section 57, requires the rider and anyone carried on a motorcycle to wear a crash helmet on national highways.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 6 November 2026. The helmet, pillion, ticketing and points rules are from sections 89, 89A and 116-A and the Twelfth Schedule of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 on the Punjab Code site. The police ticket table and the no cash rule are from the Traffic Police Punjab offences page. The motorway rule is section 57 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000, published by NHMP.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
