Licensing Requirements, Documents and Penalties
Getting licensed
For a car licence in Pakistan the minimum age is normally 18. The process runs through the provincial licensing authority: CNIC, medical certificate, theory test, learner permit, then practical test. A learner must display the prescribed L plate and, in most provinces, be accompanied by a licensed driver. Learner permits are normally valid about six months, but confirm the current provincial rule. Licence categories cover motorcycle, car/light transport and heavy transport.
Documents to carry
- Valid driving licence for the category you are driving.
- Vehicle registration book.
- Third-party insurance, which is compulsory.
- Token tax evidence.
- Fitness certificate and route permit for commercial vehicles.
Digital licences are accepted in some provinces, but carry the original where the law requires it. A licence from one province is generally valid across Pakistan; an expired licence is not.
Penalties
Offences under the National Highway Safety Ordinance and provincial motor vehicle ordinances include driving without a licence, without insurance or registration, speeding, red-light running, phone use, no seatbelt, no helmet, wrong-side driving and defective vehicles. Penalties can include fines set by provincial schedule, impounding, and disqualification. Amounts change, so learn the offence and the process rather than memorising a rupee figure.
Worked example
A learner is stopped driving alone with a valid learner permit and L plate. Skill is irrelevant: the accompanying-driver condition is breached, and insurance cover may also be affected. The offence is driving otherwise than in accordance with the licence.
Traps
Driving on an expired learner permit; assuming a motorcycle licence covers a car; carrying only a photocopy when the original is required; forgetting that insurance is mandatory, not optional.