CNIC-based number plates to remain with owner after vehicle sale, Sindh cabinet approves plan

The Sindh cabinet approved on Thursday a proposal by the Excise department to introduce a CNIC-based vehicle registration system, along with personalised registration marks (PRMs), under which the number plate will remain with the owner even after they sell the vehicle.

The new system would link registration marks directly to a vehicle owner’s CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card) rather than the vehicle’s chassis, allowing owners to retain and reuse their personalised number plates even after selling their vehicle, the Chief Minister House said in a statement.

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“The cabinet, in principle, approved the CNIC-based registration model and its legal amendments to bring Sindh’s system in line with global best practices and recent reforms in the Islamabad Capital Territory,” the statement read.

“The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) will now be based on the chassis number, which remains the permanent identifier of the vehicle.

“PRMs can be retained, reused, or surrendered by owners. The system enables real-time traceability of vehicles and aligns with international standards. CNIC-linked registration promotes easy tracking of taxpayer assets and improves administrative convenience,” it added.

“It will be a modernised, owner-centric registration system with integration with NADRA’s national database. It will have enhanced traceability and standardisation across provinces.”

Under the model, number plates will be retained by owners, and upon sale of a vehicle, the plate is detached from the chassis and can be reassigned. If not retained, the number will be surrendered for auction or reissuance.

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Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Excise & Taxation Department to develop the CNIC-based system and begin its testing, followed by amending the necessary law.

“The CNIC-based vehicle registration would not be implemented immediately, but he [CM Sindh] would hold follow-up meetings to oversee its implementation once it has been properly tested.”

The development comes amid the provincial government’s campaign for new Ajrak-design number plates, which it links with the Safe City Project began in 2018. The new plates, according to Sindh’s Excise and Taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, include threads in the background, 3D holograms, and barcodes.

He has emphasised that Safe City Project would not succeed until the security-enhanced number plates issued by the government were fully implemented.

Seizure of unregistered customs vehicles

Meanwhile, Sindh government proposed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the registration of confiscated or seized government vehicles with tampered chassis or cut-and-weld alterations.

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The SOPs allow only federal and provincial government entities to register such vehicles under special non-transferable registration series (GPY/GPZ for federal, GSY/GSZ for provincial).

“The registration fee will be based on the vehicle’s invoice value, and thorough verification will be required before registration. Seized vehicles currently with the Sindh Excise Department may be released to Pakistan Customs, provided they are registered within 60 days under the new SOPs. The proposal has been submitted to the provincial cabinet for approval.”

The cabinet formed a committee under the Minister of Excise to firm up the proposal under the law.