# The car is in your hands. Is it yours?

> On paper the car is still not yours. The law treats the registered person as the owner, and the buyer must report the transfer within 30 days (s.32, Motor Vehicles Ordinance). Courts have refused to hand back seized cars to buyers who held only the file or an open letter.

- Topic: Property and inheritance
- For: Citizens
- A 12-slide carousel: https://failegal.site/media/the-car-is-in-your-hands-is-it-yours-openletter
- Published by FAI Legal on 2026-11-14

## On paper, not yet.

The law's owner is the registered person.

- **Owner** The person in whose name the vehicle is registered.
- **Open letter** Signed by the seller, never registered in the buyer's name.
- **30 days** The buyer must report the transfer within thirty days.

## Section 32: 30 days.

Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965.

> "The transferee shall, within thirty days of the transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle registered under this Chapter, report the transfer to the registering authority within whose jurisdiction he ordinarily resides along with prescribed documents ..." (Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 · s.32(1), Punjab text)

## A real case: the file was not enough.

Balochistan High Court, Crl. Revision 90 of 2021, 8 Sep 2021.

- **The crash** A vehicle hit and killed a boy. The police took it.
- **The claim** The driver said he owned it and had the original file.
- **The ruling** The file does not prove ownership. Release refused.

## Supreme Court: an open letter.

Supreme Court of Pakistan, Crl. P. 74-L of 2018, 13 Mar 2020.

- **The seizure** Police seized a car in a narcotics case.
- **The claim** A man said he owned it on an open transfer letter.
- **Too late** It was put in his name only after the crime and the seizure.
- **The rule** The physical check of a vehicle applies to every transfer too.

## Car seized? Who gets it back?

Courts look to the registered owner.

- **Balochistan High Court** Crl. Appeal 407 of 2021, 30 Aug 2022: a buyer on a sale deed, never registered, could not claim as owner.
- **Islamabad High Court** Crl. Appeal 79 of 2021, 28 Jun 2022: the registered owner, with no link to the crime, got the car back.

## Quick quiz. What helps you?

Guess first, then swipe for the answer.

- **A. The original file**
- **B. The car registered in your name**
- **C. The seller's phone number**

## Answer: B. Registration.

The file alone is not proof of ownership.

- **Transfer within 30 days** Section 32.
- **Get the car checked** The physical check applies to transfers too.
- **Keep the sale papers** Dated receipt, CNIC copies, both signatures.

## Myth or fact?

What buyers believe.

- **Myth: The original file and the open letter make it mine.**
- **Fact: Courts treat the person in the registration record as the owner. Get it transferred.**

## Buying used? Save this.

Four steps, in order.

- **Before paying** Check the registration with the registering authority.
- **On the day** Dated receipt, CNIC copies of both, both signatures.
- **Within 30 days** Report the transfer, get the new registration.
- **Never** Drive for months on an open letter.

## Your car on a letter?

Ask FAI for the section and the cases.

- **I bought a car on an open letter a year ago. Police took it. Can I get it back?**
- **What papers do I need to transfer a used car in my name?**

## Sources

- Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 · s.32(1), Punjab text: Transfer of ownership

---

Educational legal information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. Speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation. Review status: Pending advocate review.

FAI Media is part of FAI Legal (https://failegal.site), research on Pakistani statutes and judgments. Free to watch and read.