The Punjab government has launched an online registration process for an auction of premium vehicle registration numbers. The auction covers motorcycles, private cars, and commercial vehicles.
Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman Faisal Yousaf stated that citizens can participate in the bidding from home without having to visit Excise Department offices. Yousaf added that the platform will publish information regarding successful bidders.
Interested citizens can apply until November 30 through the e-Auction mobile application or web portal. According to the department’s e-auction policy, applicants must first verify if their preferred number is available before selecting it. Once selected, applicants must pay a non-refundable participation fee of Rs. 100 through e-Pay.
The registration process requires applicants to provide personal details, a CNIC or NTN, and the vehicle’s chassis number. Applicants are required to deposit either the reserve price or the average price, whichever is higher, for the chosen registration number. Upon system approval, applicants receive a system-generated login ID and password.
Each Automated Identification Number (AIN) allows an applicant to contest one registration number. Those wanting numbers for multiple vehicles must register each vehicle separately to obtain a separate AIN. The department will only allot numbers to vehicles owned by the applicant, a firm, or a company, including vehicles acquired through ownership transfer.
The published policy sets the following minimum reserve prices for attractive numbers:
Number 1: Rs. 10,000
Numbers 7 and 786: Rs. 7,500
Other single-digit numbers: Rs. 5,000
Selected numbers including 11, 22, 33, 111, 222 and 777: Rs. 5,000 (excluding motorcycles and rickshaws)
Optional numbers 302 and 420: Rs. 2,000 for private cars and commercial vehicles
Bidding increments are set at multiples of Rs. 500 for four-wheelers and Rs. 200 for other vehicles. While the general policy provides a three-day registration window with results normally announced at 9pm, a highest bid placed during the final 15 minutes triggers an automatic one-minute extension. Extensions continue until no bidder challenges the highest offer during the additional minute.
Successful bidders must pay the auction amount plus the prescribed vehicle registration fee and must register their vehicles within 15 days of the result announcement. The Director of Excise and Taxation may allow a further 30 days in exceptionally compelling circumstances. Paying the auction amount does not immediately authorize the display of the number; the owner must first complete the vehicle’s registration.
If a successful bidder fails to pay within the required period, the department can forfeit the deposited reserve amount and cancel the number. The policy allows for adjusting initial reserve or average-price deposits against the vehicle registration fee challan for both successful and unsuccessful applicants. The department pays no interest on deposited reserve amounts and retains the right to cancel bidding or the final allocation of a particular number.
