Punjab E-Challan 2026: Check and Pay Your Traffic Challan Online

If you drive in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan or Gujranwala, a traffic camera may already have your number plate on file. Punjab's e-challan system automatically detects violations through Safe City cameras and issues electronic fines against the vehicle's registered owner. This guide explains how to check your pending challans on the official portal, pay them through the 17-digit PSID, dispute a wrong challan, and spot the fake SMS scams going around.

What is the Punjab e-challan system?

The e-challan system is run by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA). AI-powered surveillance cameras on major roads detect violations such as signal jumping, speeding, wrong-side driving, mobile phone use, missing helmets and seatbelts, and the system generates an electronic ticket against the vehicle. The challan follows the vehicle, not the driver: the registered owner is liable, and challans keep generating in the seller's name if a sold vehicle was never transferred to the buyer.

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Enforcement started in Lahore, where PSCA operates more than 10,000 cameras, and has expanded to Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Bahawalpur. In November 2025 Gujranwala's system went live with over 1,000 HD cameras, and in 2026 Punjab approved around 10,000 additional cameras across 98 tehsils, pushing enforcement into smaller districts too.

How to check your e-challan online

The only official portal is echallan.psca.gop.pk. Any other website carrying a PSCA logo is not official. The PSCA Public Safety mobile app (Google Play and App Store) also carries the e-challan search. Here are the steps:

Open the portal. Go to echallan.psca.gop.pk and find the Search E-Challan section.
Enter your vehicle registration number. The portal accepts formats such as ABC 000, ABC 0000 and ABC-00-0000. If you get no result, try the spaced and hyphenated forms before concluding there is no challan.
Enter the registered owner's 13-digit CNIC (without dashes) or the vehicle's chassis number. You need the plate number plus one of these identity fields. You cannot search by CNIC alone, and the portal does not ask for a mobile number, licence number or challan number.
Complete the captcha and press Search.
Review each pending challan. Every record shows the challan number, violation type, date and time, the location or camera point, the camera photograph as evidence, and the fine amount. It also carries the 17-digit PSID (payment reference) you will use to pay. You can print or download the challan from the same portal.

"No record found" means no pending challan matches those details today, though a wrong plate format can also produce an empty result, so double check the format first.

How to pay an e-challan

Payment is made against the 17-digit PSID shown on the challan. Every payment channel asks for this number. Official payment routes include:

ePay Punjab (PITB's official payment gateway, app and website), which lists PSCA eChallan as a service and accepts payment through ATMs, internet and mobile banking, telco agents, mobile wallets and bank counters
Bank mobile apps under government payments
JazzCash and Easypaisa
1-Link ATMs and any bank branch counter against the PSID
e-Khidmat Markaz centres, where you can pay with your CNIC and challan at the bank counter on site

Payment is completed online. No traffic warden is allowed to collect the fine in cash, and no official will ever ask for cash, bank account details or card details.

Traffic fine amounts in Punjab

The current fine schedule comes from the Punjab Motor Vehicle Ordinance 2025. The figures below are per the Punjab Traffic Police fine schedule, as transcribed from the official penalties page in September 2026:

Exceeding the speed limit: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle), Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 20,000 (car over 2000cc and public vehicles)
Traffic signal violation: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle), Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 10,000 (car over 2000cc), Rs 15,000 (public vehicles)
Wrong-side driving: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle), Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 10,000 (car over 2000cc), Rs 15,000 (public vehicles)
Mobile phone while driving: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle), Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 10,000 (car over 2000cc), Rs 15,000 (public vehicles)
Driving without a licence: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle), Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 10,000 (car over 2000cc), Rs 15,000 (public vehicles)
No helmet: Rs 2,000 (motorcycle)
No seatbelt: Rs 5,000 (car under 2000cc), Rs 10,000 (car over 2000cc and public vehicles)

PSCA's cameras detect 21 violation types in total, including triple riding, one-wheeling, tinted glass, parking violations, driving without lights at night and unregistered vehicles. A reported penalty-points system (points per violation, licence suspension at 20 points a year) has appeared in media reports but is not confirmed on any official Punjab government page, so treat it as unconfirmed for now.

What happens if you do not pay

No Punjab government page publishes a payment deadline or a late-payment surcharge for e-challans. Deadlines quoted on third-party websites (10, 15 or 30 days) do not appear on any official page found. What is confirmed is that an unpaid challan stays on the vehicle's record and surfaces at transfer and verification time.

Enforcement has teeth regardless. In September 2026, Lahore traffic police declared 2.9 million vehicles e-challan defaulters, set up checkpoints against vehicles with unpaid challans, published a top-100 defaulter list, took vehicles with unpaid challans into police custody, and restricted access to 14 police services (including driving licence services and character certificates) for defaulters. Safe City, Police Khidmat Markaz and licensing systems are now integrated to track violations. Paying early is simply the cheaper option.

Warning: fake e-challan SMS scams

PSCA has warned citizens about fake e-challan SMS messages. Remember these rules from PSCA:

Genuine challan SMS come only from the official short code 9915.
Real messages never contain payment links and never ask for bank or card details.
Officials never request cash, account information or card details by SMS.

If you receive a challan SMS with a payment link or a request for personal details, do not click it. Check the challan yourself on the official portal instead.

How to dispute a wrong challan

If a challan was issued in error, you do not need to visit an office. PSCA runs an email-based complaint system: write to etclhr@psca.gop.pk with the challan photograph, your vehicle registration number and an explanation of the dispute. For general e-challan queries, call the police helpline 15 and select option 6, call the PSCA call centre at (+92)-42-9905-1605(08), or email info@psca.gop.pk.

FAQ

Where do I check my Punjab e-challan?
On the official PSCA portal at echallan.psca.gop.pk, using your vehicle registration number plus the owner's 13-digit CNIC or the chassis number.

What is the PSID on my challan?
The 17-digit Payment System Identifier is the payment reference printed on every e-challan. All payment channels (ePay Punjab, bank apps, JazzCash, Easypaisa, ATMs, bank counters) ask for this number.

Can I pay the fine in cash to a traffic warden?
No. Payment is completed online through the official channels. No warden is allowed to collect fines in cash.

Is there a deadline for paying an e-challan?
No Punjab government page publishes a payment deadline or late fee. However, unpaid challans stay on the vehicle record and Lahore police have impounded vehicles and restricted police services for defaulters, so paying promptly is advisable.

How do I know an e-challan SMS is genuine?
Genuine messages come only from short code 9915 and never include payment links or ask for bank details. Verify any challan on the official portal before paying.

Sources: https://echallan.psca.gop.pk/ ; https://psca.gop.pk/ ; https://epay.punjab.gov.pk/