Tech Desk 
Sep 19, 2025
In order to improve security and convenience for its citizens, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has implemented a new system for vehicle registration and number plates that is based on the federal model.
In place of the vehicle's chassis number, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department's system associates number plates and registration numbers with the owner's Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).
CNIC-linked vehicle registration system
The CNIC-based registration enhances accountability and guarantees correct ownership records.
Moreover, to avoid liability, sellers must make sure that vehicles are properly transferred into their names, and buyers must do so within three months of the purchase under the new system.
Once sold, the CNIC-linked smart card or registration copy will be deactivated, but it will stay with the seller until it is reassigned.
Deactivated numbers can be kept for up to three years with yearly biometric verification, allowing owners to transfer registration numbers and plates to new cars.
The number will be cancelled, and the registration documents must be returned if it is not reassigned within three years.
The system will be fully enforced after November 30, 2025, and it has been put into place throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with immediate effect.
In order to maintain compliance and prevent fines, car owners are encouraged to update their records as soon as possible.
The new system seeks to increase security, give citizens more convenience, and stop vehicle misuse in crimes.
The government hopes to strengthen the digital record of ownership, improve traceability, and decrease disputes by tying vehicle registration to individual identities.
