You sold your car six months ago — maybe even two years ago — and now an e-challan SMS lands on your phone with YOUR name on it, for a signal violation on a road you have never driven. This is one of the most common and most stressful e-challan problems in Pakistan, and it has a single root cause: the ownership transfer was never completed at the Excise & Taxation Department.
The short version: camera challans follow the registration record, not the driver. Until the transfer is recorded, you are still the “owner” in the eyes of the system. Here is how to fix it, what your options are for challans already issued, and how to make sure it never happens again.
Quick answer: E-challans are issued to the registered owner in the Excise record — not the person driving. If you sold a vehicle but the buyer never completed the biometric transfer, every camera challan still comes to you. You become free of liability only when the ownership change is officially recorded at Excise & Taxation; a transfer letter or stamp-paper agreement alone does not transfer liability.
Why the Challan Still Comes to You After the Sale
Traffic cameras (Punjab’s PSCA network, Karachi’s systems) read the number plate and match it against the Excise & Taxation registration database. That database holds one name: the registered owner. Nobody at the traffic police office knows — or checks — who actually bought the car in a private deal.
Most cases of “sold vehicle still getting e-challan in my name” come from one of these situations:
- Open-letter sale: You signed a transfer letter (sometimes called an open letter) and handed over the car, but the buyer never went to the Excise office to complete the process. This is the classic trap.
- Stamp-paper deal: A sale agreement on stamp paper feels official, but it is NOT a transfer of ownership. It is only evidence of a transaction between two people.
- Buyer disappeared: The car has changed hands again and again on letters, and nobody in the chain ever visited the Excise office.
In all these cases, the Excise record still shows your name, and the camera system keeps issuing challans to you. This can go on for years.
What Actually Counts as a Transfer
A legal transfer of vehicle ownership happens only when it is recorded at the Excise & Taxation Department. For Punjab (Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and other districts), the standard process is:
- Both seller and buyer visit the Excise office (or use the relevant counter) with their original CNICs.
- Biometric verification is done for both parties — this is the step that locks the transfer in the system.
- Clear all dues first: any outstanding token tax and unpaid e-challans must be settled before the transfer can proceed. Arrears will stall the whole process.
- Collect the receipt of the transfer application and keep it safe.
A signed transfer letter, a stamp-paper agreement, or a handshake with the dealer is only supporting paperwork. The biometric transfer at Excise is the transfer. Nothing else counts.
Challans Issued After the Sale Date: What You Can Do
If the challan was issued after the date you actually sold the car, you have grounds to dispute it. Gather the following before you go anywhere:
- The dated sale agreement (stamp paper) showing the sale date
- Payment receipts — bank transfer proof, pay order copy, or cash receipt
- Any transfer application or Excise acknowledgment you obtained when you tried to get the transfer done
- Your original CNIC
Then visit the nearest traffic police office with your CNIC and the e-challan notice, and file a written dispute asking for the challan to be cancelled or reassigned to the buyer — the person who actually owned the vehicle at the time. Be aware: there is no published, automatic ‘re-attribution’ process. Offices decide case by case, and your dated sale agreement and payment proof are what make the case.
For Karachi, use the Karachi Traffic Police facilitation desks / district dispute committees for the same issue — approach them with the same set of documents.
Practical notes:
- Pay the challan if the amount is small and the dispute route looks slow. An unpaid challan sitting on the record can block your own future Excise services, and fighting a small fine for months is rarely worth it. Keep the receipt and continue pursuing the transfer separately.
- Follow up in writing. Get acknowledgment of any application you submit — a stamped copy or diary number — so you can chase it later.
- If the buyer cooperates, the fastest resolution is to complete the actual transfer together right now. Everything after that is clean.
The Open-Letter Trap: Why Sellers Get Stuck for Years
The “open letter” sale is a shortcut: the seller signs the transfer documents, gives the car to the buyer, and trusts the buyer to complete the process. The buyer often never does — they resell the car on the same letter, or they skip it to avoid transfer fees and token-tax dues.
Meanwhile:
- Every camera challan lands on the original seller.
- If the vehicle is used in a crime, the police first come to the registered owner’s door.
- Token-tax arrears keep piling up in your name.
Sellers who sold a car three or four years ago are still getting challans today because the chain of open letters never ended at an Excise counter. If this is your situation, there is no shortcut: you need the documented sale evidence above, and you need to push for the transfer — with the current holder of the car, or through the dispute route with your evidence.
Preventing This When You Sell Your Next Vehicle
Prevention is simple and it costs you nothing compared to years of someone else’s fines:
- Never hand over the car on an open letter. Complete the biometric transfer before or immediately after the money changes hands.
- Make the transfer part of the deal. Sit with the buyer, do the biometrics, get the receipt — then hand over the keys.
- Clear dues before the sale. Settle your token tax and any e-challans first so nothing stalls the process.
- Keep copies of everything: sale agreement, payment proof, transfer receipt, both CNICs.
- Watch the challan portal for a few months after the sale. If a challan appears in your name after the transfer date, chase it immediately while the evidence is fresh.
- Reverse rule when buying: check the challan record of any used car BEFORE paying for it, so you don’t inherit someone else’s fines.
What If the Buyer Has Vanished or Won’t Cooperate?
This is the hard case. If you cannot find the buyer or they refuse to appear for biometrics:
- Your dated sale agreement and payment receipts are your evidence that the car left your possession on a specific date.
- Visit the Excise office with these documents and have your sale evidence recorded on the file; keep the stamped acknowledgment. There is no published Excise procedure for forcing a transfer when a buyer won’t cooperate — beyond recording your evidence, that becomes a legal matter.
- For disputed challans, use the traffic-police dispute route described above with the same evidence.
Keep pressing through official channels. An uncooperative buyer does not leave you without options, but it does mean you must build the paper trail yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
I sold my car on stamp paper. Am I still liable for e-challans?
Yes. A stamp-paper sale agreement is not an ownership transfer. Until the Excise & Taxation record is updated with the buyer’s name, camera challans keep coming to you.
What is an “open letter” sale, and why is it risky?
An open-letter sale is when you sign the transfer documents and hand over the car without completing the Excise process. The buyer may never transfer it, so you remain the registered owner — liable for every challan, tax arrear, and legal notice the vehicle attracts.
How do I complete a vehicle transfer in Punjab?
Both seller and buyer go to the Excise & Taxation office with original CNICs, complete biometric verification, clear any outstanding token tax and challans, and collect the transfer receipt. The transfer is complete only when it is recorded in the Excise system.
Can challans issued after my sale date be moved to the buyer’s name?
There is no published, automatic process for moving a challan to the buyer’s name. What you can do: take your dated sale agreement, payment receipts, and CNIC to the traffic police office, file a written dispute, and ask for the challan to be cancelled or reassigned — offices decide case by case, and challans dated after your documented sale are the strongest candidates.
The buyer refuses to come for the transfer. What now?
Collect your sale agreement, payment proof, and any Excise acknowledgment, and approach the Excise office to have your sale evidence recorded — keep the stamped acknowledgment. There is no published procedure for forcing the transfer against an uncooperative buyer; beyond recording your evidence, it becomes a legal route. Separately, dispute the challans at the traffic police office with the same documents.
Will unpaid challans on the sold car affect me?
Yes — as the registered owner, unpaid challans sit against your record and can block Excise services you need, such as transfers or smart-card issuance on your other vehicles. Clear them or dispute them with evidence rather than ignoring them.
Should I check challans before buying a used car?
Absolutely. Check the vehicle’s challan record before paying. Outstanding challans and token-tax arrears must be cleared for the transfer to go through — negotiate that into the deal price or make the seller clear them first.
Who do I contact for help with a challan dispute?
For Punjab camera challans, the dispute route runs through the traffic police office with your documents; PSCA’s portal is echallan.psca.gop.pk, helplines are 15 and 042-99051606, and the dispute email is etclhr@psca.gop.pk. For Karachi, approach the relevant Karachi Traffic Police branch office.