Driving License Services Stopped Across Punjab for DLIMS Upgrade

Driving license services have been stopped across Punjab for the time being. The Driving License Issuance Management System (DLIMS) is being upgraded, and until the work is finished, people cannot apply for, renew or track a driving license anywhere in the province. City Traffic Police Lahore shared the news on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, in a short Urdu post on its official X account.

The traffic police asked citizens to cooperate and said services will come back as soon as the upgrade is complete. No date or time for the restart has been announced so far.

Which Services Are Stopped

DLIMS is the one central computer system used by every driving license office in Punjab. When it goes offline, almost all license work stops with it. This includes learner permits, new regular licenses, renewals, and license upgrades or category changes, such as adding a car to a motorcycle license.

Application processing, checking and verification of license records, and online tracking of applications are also affected. People who applied in recent days may not be able to see the status of their license until the system is back.

Earlier this year, Punjab moved its DLIMS services to the Dastak app, where people can apply for a renewal online and pay the fee. Renewals made through Dastak are still processed through DLIMS. Officials have not said whether online applications will keep moving during the upgrade, so these may also face delays.

What Citizens Should Do Now

The safest step is to wait before visiting a licensing center. Anyone who has a driving test, renewal or appointment in the coming days should check the latest update from their city traffic police on Facebook or X before leaving home. In Lahore, the City Traffic Police Lahore website lists 042-99332181 for driving license questions and 042-99030130 for appointments.

Many drivers are also asking whether they could be fined if their license runs out during the shutdown. Officials have not said anything about this yet. During an earlier upgrade in May 2024, the Chief Traffic Officer of Lahore said e-licenses would be accepted and no challans would be issued to e-license holders during the closure. No such promise has been made this time.

Why the Timing Hurts

The shutdown comes in the middle of a strong campaign against people who drive cars and ride motorcycles without a license. In early September, DIG Traffic Punjab Muhammad Waqas Nazeer ordered officers across the province to strictly check the licenses of commercial vehicle drivers. He said goods and passenger vehicles would not be allowed on Punjab roads without valid licenses.

This pressure has pushed demand very high. According to Punjab Police, more than 4.84 million driving licenses were issued in the province from January to the end of July 2026. That is more than 20,000 licenses on an average day, so even a short break can mean long queues when offices reopen.

For people planning to apply once services return, the Punjab fee for September 2026 was set at Rs1,980 in total for a one year car license. This includes a Rs150 test fee, a Rs1,350 license fee and Rs480 for courier delivery. A one year motorcycle license costs Rs980 in total.

How DLIMS Works and Past Shutdowns

DLIMS was built by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and started working across Punjab in 2015. Before that, records were kept separately, and people who had moved to another city often had to travel back to their home district to get a license. DLIMS put all of Punjab on one database. Licenses are now printed centrally and sent home by courier, and anyone can check a license online with a CNIC number.

This is not the first time the system has gone offline. In May 2024, license offices across Punjab stayed closed for about four days, from 5 pm on May 23 to 3 pm on May 27, for a similar upgrade. In December 2025, the DLIMS website also went down for a while without any official reason being given.

The latest upgrade also comes soon after the Inspector General of Police Punjab approved a new endorsement facility. Under it, drivers can get their second driving license from any district in Punjab after passing the required test. Before this, it had to be issued in the same district as the first license. Officials said the online system now makes it easy to check an applicant's data from anywhere.

For now, the traffic police say only that services will return once the upgrade is done. Citizens are advised to follow the official traffic police pages for the restart announcement before making any trip to a license office.