NADRA
Last Updated: October 2026
A Punjab arms licence is applied for online at pal.nadra.gov.pk, a portal NADRA runs for the Home Department of the Government of Punjab, and decided by the Deputy Commissioner of your district. NADRA has acted as the Punjab government’s agent for arms licences since February 2015 and counts 195,515 Punjab licences in 2025, more than every other system it runs put together. Changes to an existing licence, such as a duplicate, a new weapon or more rounds, start with an application to the Deputy Commissioner, who then writes to NADRA.
This guide uses the portal itself, NADRA’s Domestic Projects page, and the Arms Licence Branch documents the Deputy Commissioners of Lahore and Muzaffargarh publish on their district websites, read on 16 October 2026, with news reports where no official page exists. We did not create a portal account or apply for a licence. For the other provinces, see our guide to who issues an arms licence in Pakistan.
Who does what
| Who | What the sources say they do |
|---|---|
| Home Department, Government of Punjab | Owns the portal, whose footer reads “Home Department, Government of Punjab”. Approves new licences for institutions and security companies, and deals with arms dealers’ matters. |
| Deputy Commissioner of your district | The licensing authority named in the Lahore document. Approves applications after checking the manual record, and decides changes of weapon, extra rounds, transfers, cancellations and duplicates. |
| NADRA | Runs the portal and the computerised licence as the Punjab government’s agent. Takes action on a change once the Deputy Commissioner’s letter reaches it. |
| Local police and the Assistant Commissioner | Report on transfer cases, and the police can recommend a cancellation. |
The portal
pal.nadra.gov.pk opens on a page titled “Apply Online” with two options, New Account and Login, and the line “Simplest and Fastest way to apply for Punjab Arms License online”. It showed version 3.2.4 when we read it. Everything else sits behind the login, so we cannot describe the form, the fee screen or the documents it asks for. The address is a subdomain of nadra.gov.pk, which NADRA’s Domain Authenticity Policy says makes it NADRA’s own.
Daily Pakistan reported on 22 April 2026 that Punjab applicants now complete biometric verification through the PakID app after applying on the portal, and that the Home Department had stopped manual licences in November 2025. We found neither on an official page. If the app step applies to you, our PakID app guide covers signing in, and our guide to failed PakID fingerprint checks covers what NADRA says to do when a scan is refused.
What the Deputy Commissioner’s office handles
The Lahore and Muzaffargarh documents list the same ten jobs for the Arms Licence Branch, each tied to a section of the law:
- New licences for institutions and security companies (section 11), issued after the Home Department’s approval.
- Revalidation and verification through NADRA’s portal (section 9). NADRA collected manual licences from February 2015 to 31 December 2020 to issue smart licence cards, and the office approves those applications after checking its manual record.
- Arms dealers’ matters (section 34 onwards), dealt with by the Home Department after a report.
- Weapon entries for licences issued by the Ministry of Interior to residents of the district.
- Change of weapon (section 19), on a written application giving reasons. If the office approves, it issues a letter to NADRA.
- More bullets or rounds (section 19), the same way.
- Cancellation (section 31), at the holder’s request, on a police report or recommendation, or on a court order.
- Transfer to a legal heir (sections 22, 23 and 24), on the holder’s death or ill health.
- A duplicate licence (section 10), if the original is lost.
- Modifications to the record (section 19).
The Lahore document says no timelines could be set, because of the variety and load of cases and the time it takes to search the record.
The documents the office lists
| Case | What the Lahore document asks for |
|---|---|
| Duplicate smart card or licence | An application, an affidavit, a copy of the original or attested FIR, an announcement in a newspaper, a copy of your ID card and a copy of the licence. |
| Transfer on the holder’s death | An application, a copy of the death certificate, a copy of the licence, the transferee’s fitness certificate and domicile, and reports from the local police and the Assistant Commissioner. |
| Transfer on the holder’s ill health | The same, with a copy of the holder’s medical certificate in place of the death certificate. |
| Change of weapon or more rounds | A written application to the Deputy Commissioner giving cogent reasons. |
| Modifications | An application from the holder. The document says no form is prescribed for this in the rules it cites. |
The modifications the office lists are a duplicate smart card, a bore change, more rounds, a name correction, a weapon number correction, typographic mistakes on smart cards (by NADRA and the Arms Branch), gratis cases for army personnel, and new weapon entries on NADRA and security demand notices. For a death case you will need the death certificate first: our death certificate guide explains who issues it.
Important: both district documents say the branch works under the Punjab Arms Rules 2017, while news reports since 2023 describe newer Punjab Arms Rules 2023. The documents carry no date, so the office’s current list may differ. Ask the Arms Licence Branch at your Deputy Commissioner’s office before you collect papers.
Fees and renewal
We found no official page that publishes a Punjab licence fee or renewal period. NADRA’s fee structure page has no arms licence entry, and the portal shows nothing before you log in. The Express Tribune reported in September 2023 that proposed amendments would move renewal from every five years to every year, with a yearly NADRA processing fee and a provincial renewal fee, but it described them as not yet notified. Press reports of a new licence fee have also varied. Treat any fee you see quoted as unconfirmed until the portal or the office shows it to you.
What we could not confirm
- Anything behind the portal login, including the application form, the fee and the document list.
- The PakID biometric step and the November 2025 end of manual licences. Both reported by Daily Pakistan, not found on an official page.
- Which rules the district offices now apply. Their documents cite the 2017 rules and are undated.
- Fees and the renewal period. Not published on any page we read.
- QR code verification. Daily Pakistan reported in March 2025 that the Home Department asked NADRA to add QR codes so the police can check a licence online. We found no public verification page.
Common mistakes
- Treating NADRA as the licensing authority. It runs the system. The Deputy Commissioner decides.
- Asking NADRA for a change of weapon first. The Deputy Commissioner approves it and then writes to NADRA.
- Applying for a duplicate without an FIR and a newspaper notice. The Lahore office lists both.
- Using a site that is not pal.nadra.gov.pk. Check the address ends in nadra.gov.pk.
- Relying on a fee from an old article. Punjab’s rules and fees have been reported to change since 2023.
Sources: the portal at pal.nadra.gov.pk; the Punjab start date and licence counts from NADRA’s Domestic Projects page; the branch’s jobs, sections, documents and the 2015 to 2020 collection from the Arms Licence Branch documents of the Deputy Commissioner Lahore and the Deputy Commissioner Muzaffargarh; the subdomain rule from NADRA’s Domain Authenticity Policy; and the reported changes from Daily Pakistan (22 April 2026), Daily Pakistan (13 March 2025) and The Express Tribune. All read on 16 October 2026. The Home Department can change the process without notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about this topic.
How do I apply for an arms licence in Punjab online?
Through pal.nadra.gov.pk, the Punjab arms licence portal NADRA runs for the Home Department of the Government of Punjab. It opens with New Account and Login options, and the rest of the process sits behind the login, so we cannot describe the form. The Deputy Commissioner of your district decides the application.
Does NADRA issue the Punjab arms licence?
No. NADRA has acted as the Punjab government’s agent since February 2015 and runs the computerised licence, but the Lahore Deputy Commissioner’s office names the Deputy Commissioner as the authority and approves applications after checking its record.
How do I get a duplicate arms licence in Punjab?
Apply to the Arms Licence Branch at your Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Lahore office lists an application, an affidavit, a copy of the original or attested FIR, a newspaper announcement, a copy of your ID card and a copy of the licence.
How is an arms licence transferred after the holder dies?
The legal heir applies to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The Lahore office lists an application, a copy of the death certificate, a copy of the licence, the heir’s fitness certificate and domicile, and reports from the local police and the Assistant Commissioner.
How do I change the weapon or add rounds on my licence?
Apply in writing to the Deputy Commissioner with cogent reasons. If the office is satisfied, it approves the application and issues a letter to NADRA, which then updates the licence.
What is the Punjab arms licence fee?
We found no official page that publishes it. NADRA’s fee structure page has no arms licence entry and the portal shows nothing before you log in. Press reports of the fee and of a move to yearly renewal have varied, so rely on what the portal or the office shows you.
Do I need the PakID app for a Punjab arms licence?
Daily Pakistan reported in April 2026 that Punjab applicants complete biometric verification through the PakID app after applying on the portal. We found no official page saying so, so check what the portal asks for when you apply.
Can a Punjab arms licence be cancelled?
Yes. The Lahore office says a valid licence can be cancelled at the holder’s request, on a police report or recommendation, or on a court order, under section 31.
How long does the Deputy Commissioner’s office take?
The Lahore office says no timelines could be framed, because of the variety and load of cases and the time it takes to search the record.
