Punjab car fitness test deadline 15 October: fees Rs 500 to Rs 2,000

Private car owners in Punjab have until 15 October 2026 to get an emissions and fitness certificate. From that date, the Punjab Transport Authority says, vehicles without one face fines of Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 and can be impounded where necessary. Around 2.3 million private vehicles in the province are covered, according to Daily Pakistan.

Which cars need the test

The test is due once a car reaches a certain age, based on engine size, and then every year after that:

So a 2020 Suzuki Alto or Cultus (1,000cc) is already due. A 2020 Honda City or Toyota Corolla (1,300cc to 1,800cc) falls due from 2026. A newer car does not need one yet.

What it costs

Test fees at the Provincial Vehicle Inspection and Certification System (PVICS) centres, as reported by PakWheels on 15 September:

A pass gives you a sticker valid for one year, which is how traffic police will spot compliant cars on the road. The fee is roughly the same as the fine, so testing costs you nothing extra compared with being caught once.

Where to go

• Punjab PVICS centres: 13 centres have been licensed so far, eight of them in Lahore, with plans to expand to 25 in the city. Operator Auto Aeon says it runs stations in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Sargodha.
• Booking: online through the operator's website without an account, or walk in.
• Time: under five minutes when there is no queue.

How to pass first time

1. Clear your token tax before you go. Check what you owe with our token tax calculator.
2. Fix the number plate so it is properly displayed.
3. Get a basic service: clean or replace the air filter and spark plugs, and have the engine tuned. Worn plugs, dirty filters, a faulty oxygen sensor and a tired catalytic converter are the usual reasons cars fail.
4. If you fail, you are not banned. Repair the fault and test again.

Buying a used car? Confirm its registration first with our vehicle verification guide.

Also on Punjab's roads: pressure horns

The DIG Traffic has told every chief and district traffic officer in Punjab to act against pressure horns and needless honking near hospitals, schools and emergency centres. Commercial vehicle owners have been told to remove pressure horns immediately. More than 383,000 people have been fined for horn violations in Punjab this year, 48,000 of them in Lahore.

Both drives are part of the province's push against smog ahead of winter, when Lahore's air quality is at its worst.