Punjab Opens Registration for Premium Vehicle Number Auction

The Punjab government has launched an online registration process for the auction of premium vehicle registration numbers for motorcycles, private cars, and commercial vehicles. According to Punjab Information Technology Board Chairman Faisal Yousaf, citizens can now bid for these numbers from their homes without visiting Excise Department offices.

Once registration closes on November 30, the platform will disclose the details of successful bidders. Interested individuals must first verify if their chosen number is available, then select it and pay a non-refundable participation fee of Rs. 100 via e-Pay. Along with these details, applicants need to provide their CNIC or NTN, as well as the vehicle's chassis number.

They also have to deposit the higher of the reserve price or average price for their selected registration number. After successful registration, applicants receive a login ID and password to participate in the bidding process, with each Automated Identification Number (AIN) permitting only one registration number contest. The department will only assign a number to a vehicle owned, acquired, or transferred by the applicant.

For selected attractive numbers, the minimum reserve prices are Rs. 10,000 for Number 1, Rs. 7,500 for Numbers 7 and 786, Rs. 5,000 for other single-digit numbers, and Rs. 5,000 for certain selected numbers including 11, 22, 33, 111, 222, and 777. Optional numbers 302 and 420 have minimum reserve prices of Rs. 2,000 for private cars and commercial vehicles.

Bidders can increment their bids in Rs. 500 for four-wheelers and Rs. 200 for other vehicles, with the system announcing results within three days of registration. If the highest bid is placed during the final 15 minutes, the auction extends for an additional minute, allowing for further bid adjustments. Successful bidders must pay the auction amount plus the vehicle registration fee within 15 days of the result announcement.

Failure to do so may result in the forfeiture of the deposit and cancellation of the allocated number.