Check the SIMs on Your Own CNIC or Number
Pick a tab and press the button to see the official PTA check for your own CNIC, or for the SIM in your phone. Nothing you type leaves this page, and this site does not look up other people's numbers.
A CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card) is the identity card NADRA issues to Pakistani citizens. Its 13-digit number is also the key to your mobile life: every SIM in Pakistan is registered against a CNIC after fingerprint checks with NADRA, and the CNIC holder is responsible for every SIM in their name. This page explains the number, how it links to SIMs, and how to protect it.
Last checked: October 2026
This is an independent information site, not NADRA or PTA. For anything about your actual CNIC record, use nadra.gov.pk or a NADRA centre.
What is a CNIC?
The CNIC is issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and is the main proof of identity for adult citizens. You need it for bank accounts, property, travel documents and, of course, SIM registration.
Overseas Pakistanis use the NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis). A NICOP also carries a 13-digit number and can be used in the same places a CNIC number is asked for, including SIM checks.
The 13-digit CNIC format
A CNIC number has 13 digits and is written as 12345-1234567-1. When you use it for SIM checks such as 668 or cnic.sims.pk, you type the 13 digits without dashes.
Two parts of the number carry meaning:
| First digit | Province or region |
|---|---|
| 1 | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| 2 | Former FATA |
| 3 | Punjab |
| 4 | Sindh |
| 5 | Balochistan |
| 6 | Islamabad |
| 7 | Gilgit-Baltistan |
The last digit indicates gender: odd for male, even for female. Nothing else about a person, such as their name, address or phone numbers, can be read from the number itself.
How your CNIC links to SIM registration
Biometric verification
Every SIM in Pakistan is issued only after your fingerprints are verified against NADRA records at an operator franchise or retailer. This is the Biometric Verification System. The same check is needed for a SIM replacement, an ownership transfer and Mobile Number Portability. A photocopy of a CNIC on its own should not be enough to get a SIM.
The 5 + 3 limit
One CNIC can hold at most 5 voice SIMs and 3 data-only SIMs, 8 in total across all networks. The limit comes from Supreme Court of Pakistan rulings in 2012 and 2015, and PTA restated it in December 2025. Details on our SIM limit per CNIC page.
Owner liability
PTA says every SIM must be registered in the name of the person who actually uses it, and the registered owner is held responsible for calls, messages and data on it. Violations can lead to penalties or disconnection. In practice this means a SIM used by your brother or a former employee but registered on your CNIC is your responsibility.
Checking the SIMs on your CNIC
Send your 13-digit CNIC to 668 for a per-operator count (about Rs 2 + tax), or enter it at cnic.sims.pk for a free total. Neither lists numbers. See our CNIC SIM check guide.
CNIC expiry and SIM blocking in 2026
A CNIC has an expiry date, and an expired or cancelled CNIC can now cost you your SIMs. PTA figures reported in August 2026 show that between January and July 2026:
- 1.838 million SIMs were blocked in total;
- 244,357 SIMs registered on cancelled or expired CNICs were blocked;
- 903,230 SIMs registered to deceased persons’ CNICs were disconnected;
- 691,102 illegal SIMs were blocked.
If your CNIC has expired, renew it with NADRA. Once it is renewed, contact your operator from your SIM (Jazz 111, Zong 310, Ufone 333, Telenor 345) if any SIM is still not working.
SIMs of a deceased relative
When a CNIC holder dies, SIMs on their CNIC are among those being disconnected. If the family wants to keep a number, for example because it is linked to bank alerts or is known to relatives, the heir who uses it should get it transferred to their own name. Transfers need biometric verification of the new owner, so visit the operator’s franchise and ask what documents they need. Doing this also stops a SIM staying active on the CNIC of someone who has passed away.
Protecting your CNIC
Most CNIC misuse starts with a copy handed over too easily. Simple habits help:
- Do not share copies freely. Give a copy only when it is genuinely required, and ask why.
- Write the purpose on photocopies. Common advice is to write across the copy what it is for and the date, for example “For house rent agreement only, October 2026”. This makes it harder to reuse.
- Do not post CNIC photos online, including in social media groups or chats with unknown sellers.
- Never type your CNIC into “SIM database” or “CNIC details” websites. These sites typically show leaked or fake data and can collect what visitors enter. See CNIC details by number.
- Watch your fingerprints at SIM shops. Give biometrics only for a SIM you are actually getting, and use official franchises or known retailers.
- Check your SIM count every few months with 668.
Misusing someone’s identity information is an offence under PECA 2016 Section 16, with up to 3 years in prison, a fine up to Rs 5 million, or both.
If your CNIC is lost or stolen
- Report it to NADRA and apply for a replacement through nadra.gov.pk or a NADRA centre. Ask NADRA what else they need from you.
- Check the SIMs on your CNIC by sending the number to 668. Note the result.
- Account for every SIM using our SIM audit steps.
- Remove anything you don’t recognise at the operator’s franchise with your fingerprint. See how to deactivate an extra SIM.
- Report misuse. If someone uses your identity for fraud or threats, report to NCCIA on 1799 and keep evidence.
- Check again with 668 after a few weeks and every few months after that.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone look up my details from my CNIC number?
Not through any official public service. NADRA and PTA do not publish CNIC records, and the 668 and cnic.sims.pk checks return only SIM counts. Treat any site claiming otherwise as unsafe.
Can a NICOP be used for SIM checks?
A NICOP has a 13-digit number and is entered the same way. If a check does not work for your NICOP, ask your operator.
Is a CNIC photocopy enough to get a SIM in my name?
Every SIM requires biometric verification against NADRA records, so a copy alone should not be enough. If a SIM appears on your CNIC that you never agreed to, disown it and complain to the operator, then PTA on 0800-55055.
For every official SIM check in one place, visit our SIM owner details hub.
Sources: NADRA (nadra.gov.pk), PTA SIM Information System (cnic.sims.pk), PTA public notices on SIM ownership and the per-CNIC limit, PTA enforcement figures reported August 2026, PECA 2016.