9771 Registration Failed: Causes and Fixes

Written by Tayyab Qureshi · Updated 9 Oct 2026

Quick diagnosis: find your problem

What happened	Most likely cause	Go to
Reply says registration failed	SIM-CNIC mismatch or wrong vehicle details	Causes 1-4
No reply at all	Network load or message not sent	Cause 5
Bike accepted but car rejected	Car not in your name, over 800cc, or registered before 2006	Cause 6
Registered, but no token	Wrong token request or quota used	Cause 7

Cause 1: the SIM is not registered on your CNIC

The most common reason a PM Fuel Relief Scheme registration fails is that the SIM used to send the SMS is not registered on the CNIC typed in the message. The 9771 system checks the CNIC against telecom SIM records, so a SIM issued to a parent, spouse, employer or friend will be rejected even if every other detail is correct.

Fix: send the REG message from a SIM issued on your own CNIC. To see which mobile networks have SIMs registered on your CNIC, text your CNIC number (without dashes) to PTA's 668 service. If you have no SIM in your name, get one issued at your network's franchise with biometric verification, then register.

Cause 2: plate number typed incorrectly

The 9771 system matches the plate against provincial excise records, character for character.

• Wrong: LEA-1234, LEA 1234
• Right: LEA1234

Fix: remove spaces and dashes, and copy letters exactly as they appear on the registration book, not a custom or decorative plate.

Cause 3: wrong province code

The province code must be where the vehicle was registered. People who moved cities often use their current province by mistake.

Example	Wrong	Right
Bike registered in Faisalabad, used in Islamabad	I	P
Rickshaw registered in Hyderabad, used in Quetta	B	S

Codes: P Punjab · S Sindh · K Khyber Pakhtunkhwa · B Balochistan · I Islamabad · A AJK · G Gilgit-Baltistan.

Cause 4: registration date format or mismatch

The date must be written as DDMMYYYY with no slashes, and it must be the date on the vehicle's registration record, not the purchase date.

• Wrong: 15/03/2019, 2019-03-15, 150319
• Right: 15032019

Fix: copy the registration date from the registration book or smart card. For a second-hand vehicle, use the original registration date shown on the record. No book? Look the date up with your province's online vehicle record.

Cause 5: no reply from 9771

Many applicants received no reply from 9771 in the first days of the PM Fuel Relief Scheme because of very high traffic: more than 600,000 SMS reached the system from Islamabad alone on the first day of registration. Daily Pakistan also reported messages failing to leave phones and replies not arriving, even after repeated attempts.

Fix:

1. 1

   Step 1

   Check your sent messages. If it shows "failed" or "not sent", check that your SIM has signal and is active.

2. 2

   Step 2

   If it was sent, wait a few hours before trying once more. Repeated identical messages add to the queue.

3. 3

   Step 3 · Final step

   Try at off-peak hours, such as early morning.

Cause 6: the vehicle is outside the scheme rules

• Car is not registered in your name (the open-letter exception covers only bikes and rickshaws)
• Car engine is above 800cc
• The vehicle was registered before 1 January 2006
• The vehicle is already registered under another CNIC

Fix: check the full eligibility rules. For a car, transfer ownership at the excise office first.

Cause 7: registered, but tokens are not coming

Send exactly TOK to 9771 from the registered SIM. If your monthly 20- or 30-litre quota is used up, no new token will be issued until next month. See how the TOK fuel token works.

Before you resend: a 30-second check

REG [13 digits] [plate, no spaces] [P/S/K/B/I/A/G] [DDMMYYYY]

• Is the SIM in my name?
• Does the CNIC have 13 digits and no dashes?
• Is the plate joined together?
• Is the province where the vehicle was registered?
• Is the date 8 digits and from the registration book?

Use the correct REG message format with worked examples, or return to the PM Fuel Relief Scheme guide.

Sources. Official: Radio Pakistan, 15 Sep 2026 (registration requirements); Radio Pakistan, 17 Sep 2026. News: ProPakistani, 13 Sep 2026; Dawn, 14 Sep 2026; Express Tribune, 19 Sep 2026.

SchemesPK is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the Government of Pakistan. A 24-hour control room operates at the Ministry of IT, and 9772 serves petrol pump operators; no dedicated public helpline number has been published.