Lahore Police Target Fake Number Plates, No More Hiding

Lahore traffic police and Safe City cameras are now hunting vehicles with fake, fancy, or unauthorized number plates. They check every plate against the real Excise Department records in seconds.

If the plate doesn’t match the vehicle in the official database, you’re in trouble.

What Counts as a Fake Plate

• Plates with extra stars, flags, government logos, or army symbols when you’re a civilian

• “Fancy” numbers written in English letters (like “BOSS-007” instead of proper Urdu/Punjabi digits)

• Plates that belong to a different vehicle or a different owner

• Homemade plates, printed stickers, or plates with wrong colours and fonts

• Using the federal government or VIP series when you have no right

All of these are now illegal.

What Happens if They Catch You

First time: your vehicle gets impounded on the spot, and a heavy fine is imposed.

Second time or serious cases: police register an FIR under Section 420/468/471 PPC (cheating and forgery). That means court, possible jail time, and a criminal record.

Safe City cameras have already caught more than 450 vehicles in the first three days. Most owners thought no one would notice.

They were wrong.

Why Authorities Are So Serious This Time

Fake plates help criminals. Stolen cars, bikes used in street crime, and even terrorist vehicles often carry false plates. When police run the number, the system shows a clean Corolla owned by a housewife in Gulberg, while the real car is being used for robbery.

The new high-definition Safe City cameras read plates clearly, even at night. The old tricks don’t work anymore.

How to Fix It Before You Get Caught

1. Go to the Excise office or an authorized dealer.

1. Pay any pending token tax (many fake-plate users also skip tax).

1. Get the original green government plate with proper Urdu digits.

1. Auction plates or applied fancy numbers are still allowed, but only if the Excise issued them officially.

The cost of a proper pair of plates is under 5,000 rupees in most cases. Impound release plus fine starts at 50,000 and goes up.

Timeline and Hotspots

The operation is province-wide but heaviest in Lahore. Police set up special checkpoints on:

• Mall Road

• Jail Road

• Canal Road

• Ring Road entrances

• DHA phases

• Johar Town

• Thokar Niaz Baig

Motorcycles with fake plates are also on the list. Delivery riders using “AG-786” or English-letter plates are already losing bikes.

A Straight Message to Drivers

If your plate looks cool but isn’t the plain green one issued by Excise, change it today.

Police say they will show zero tolerance. No phone call, no “sifarish,” no crying on the roadside will help once the camera flags you.

Fix it now while it only costs a few thousand rupees. Wait a week, and it will cost your vehicle and maybe your freedom.

Clean plate, peaceful drive. That’s the deal in Lahore right now. For more updates, visit DrivePK.com