How to get a fancy number plate in Punjab through e-auction
A fancy number plate in Punjab carries a single-digit mark, a repeated pattern or a personal name, and the Excise and Taxation Department sells every such mark through one channel: the official e-auction portal at eauction-excise.punjab.gov.pk. No counter allotment and no agent quota exists for these numbers, so every buyer meets the same portal, the same registration window and the same bidding rules. The department runs the system with the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), and the portal covers motorcycles, cars and commercial vehicles. This guide explains the two auction routes, the registration and bidding sequence, the PSID payment, and the assignment of the won number at the Motor Registration Authority (MRA) office. The vehicle that receives the number sits on the registration record covered in MTMIS Punjab: the complete guide to online vehicle verification.
Table of contents
- Two routes to a choice number in Punjab
- The numbers buyers compete for
- Eligibility checks before registration
- Register on the e-auction portal
- How the bidding windows work
- Winning, the PSID deadline and payment
- Assignment of the number at the MRA office
- Base prices: the figure sits in the listing
- Cautions that protect the bidder
- Frequently asked questions
Two routes to a choice number in Punjab
The e-auction system sells choice numbers through two distinct routes, and the bidder selects the route before any money moves. The table below separates the two routes:
| Route | What the buyer gets | Who applies |
|---|---|---|
| Series auction | An attractive number inside a new registration series | The owner of a vehicle entering that series |
| Personalised plate auction | A self-selected combination of letters and digits | An individual owner, or a registered company for its brand |
The series auction runs on a monthly schedule: the department announces the series for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, opens a registration window for each series, and runs bidding over set days. The personalised route runs on the Gold and Platinum categories for individuals: a Gold plate carries a fixed pattern of letters with digits, and a Platinum plate carries buyer characters up to the limit the portal enforces. A Corporate category admits a registered company that places its own brand name on company vehicles. Both routes end at the same place: the won mark enters the record of one specific vehicle under one specific owner.
The numbers buyers compete for
Demand inside a series concentrates on a small set of patterns:
- Single-digit numbers. The marks 1 to 9 carry the highest demand in every series.
- Repeated digits. Patterns such as 11, 111, 1000 and 2222 attract collectors and status buyers.
- Round and sequence numbers. Marks such as 100, 500, 123 and 786 carry steady demand across districts.
- Personal combinations. Names, initials and meaningful digit groups enter through the personalised categories rather than the series auction.
A bidder who chases a contested pattern pays an auction price, and a bidder who accepts a quiet pattern inside the same series often closes near the base price.
Eligibility checks before registration
The portal ties every bid to a vehicle record, so the bidder clears three checks before registration. First, the vehicle token tax stands paid: the auction terms bar a token tax defaulter, and a vehicle under a suspended or cancelled registration cannot take part. An owner with arrears settles the dues first through the process in how to pay token tax online with ePay Punjab: the PSID guide. Second, the ownership record stands clean: the personalised categories admit a sole owner, so a vehicle under joint ownership or an open transfer chain fails the check. Third, the bidder holds the registration number and the registration date of the vehicle exactly as the smart card prints them, because the portal fetches the owner record against that pair.
Register on the e-auction portal
Here is how to register for the e-auction:
- Open the official portal at eauction-excise.punjab.gov.pk and create an account with the name, Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number, mobile number and email address of the bidder.
- Sign in with the CNIC and the account password.
- Add the vehicle: enter the registration number and the registration date as the smart card prints them, and confirm the owner details the portal fetches.
- Select the route and the mark: pick the series and number in a series auction, or enter the desired characters in a personalised category.
- Accept the auction terms and conditions on the portal.
- Pay the entry fee the portal shows for the category through ePay Punjab, and keep the payment proof.
- Await the scrutiny decision where the route requires one: a committee examines personalised requests and approves or refuses the mark before bidding opens.
The committee refuses marks that imitate a government body, copy an existing plate, or carry an offensive meaning in any reading. The terms give a refused applicant an appeal route to the Director General Excise and Taxation. The entry fee stands as a non-refundable charge under the terms, so the bidder reads the category rules in full before payment.
How the bidding windows work
Each route runs bidding inside a published window. In a series auction, the monthly schedule names the registration days and the bidding days for each series, and bidding runs during set hours on the bidding days. A bidder registers inside the window, selects the number, and raises bids in the fixed steps the auction screen shows. In a personalised auction, approval of the mark opens a longer bidding period, and any other bidder can enter the same mark by registering and paying the entry fee for that mark. The closing rules protect the final stage: late entry near the close stands restricted, and a bid placed in the final minutes extends the closing by a short interval until a bid stands unanswered. The bidder sets a personal ceiling before the final day, because the extension rule removes the value of a last-second bid.
Winning, the PSID deadline and payment
The portal declares the result at the close of the window, and the winning bidder receives a PSID for the balance amount. The winner pays the balance through ePay Punjab against that 17-digit PSID, at a bank counter, a bank application, an ATM or a wallet service. The PSID carries an expiry date, and the expiry carries the sharpest penalty in the system: a winner who lets the PSID expire loses the mark, and the number returns to a later auction. The entry fee stays with the department in every outcome. The winner keeps the PSID, the payment receipt and the portal result page together, because the MRA counter asks for the payment proof at the assignment stage.
Assignment of the number at the MRA office
Payment alone does not place the number on the vehicle. The winner visits the MRA office with the payment proof and the vehicle documents, and the office assigns the won mark to the vehicle record named in the application. The assignment binds the number to that vehicle and owner record across the registration file, the smart card record and the verification result. A mark won for one vehicle cannot move to another vehicle through the auction route, and a later change of vehicle follows the standard transfer and registration processes of the department. The owner collects the department-issued plates in the approved format after the assignment, because a self-made plate in the won pattern carries no legal standing.
Base prices: the figure sits in the listing
Every mark in the auction carries a base price, and the base price is the floor below which the portal accepts no winning bid. The department does not publish one rate card for all marks: the base price varies by route, category and pattern, and the portal shows the base price against each number inside the auction listing. A bidder reads that figure on the listing before registering for the mark. Guides that print a single price for a fancy number describe one category of one round, and the figure ages with every new schedule. The final price of a contested mark is the winning bid, and the winning bid can stand far above the base price for single-digit and repeated patterns.
Cautions that protect the bidder
Three cautions protect every bidder in the system. First, bid only inside the official portal: no agent, dealer or social media page can allot a Punjab choice number, and money paid outside the portal buys nothing the record recognizes. Second, guard the PSID deadline after a win: record the expiry date on the day the result arrives, because the system returns an unpaid mark to auction without a second notice. Third, keep every proof in one file: the entry fee receipt, the result page, the paid PSID and the assignment receipt together prove the chain from bid to plate if a question reaches the owner later. A bidder with a process question before payment can raise the question on the Excise helpline 1035 or the PITB helpline 0800-08786.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Punjab fancy number auction take place?
The auction takes place only on the official portal, eauction-excise.punjab.gov.pk, which the Excise and Taxation Department runs with PITB. No office counter and no agent allots a choice number outside the portal.
What is the base price of a fancy number in Punjab?
The base price varies by route, category and pattern, and the portal shows the figure against each number in the auction listing. The listing figure governs the round, and the winning bid sets the final price.
Can a token tax defaulter bid in the e-auction?
No. The auction terms bar a vehicle with unpaid token tax and a vehicle under a suspended or cancelled registration. The owner settles the dues first and then registers for the auction.
What happens when the winner misses the PSID payment date?
The allotment lapses. The unpaid PSID expires, the mark returns to a later auction, and the entry fee stays with the department under the terms.
Can the winner assign the number to a different vehicle later?
No, not through the auction route. The assignment binds the mark to the vehicle and the owner record named in the application. A change of vehicle follows the standard department processes for transfer and registration.