Check the Database on You
There is one searchable SIM database in Pakistan and it holds one person: you. 668 and cnic.sims.pk are its front doors, and both need your own CNIC from your own phone.
PTA does not publish a public database of SIM owners. Websites claiming to offer "SIM database check" by number are not official and may collect your CNIC or payment details.
The two front doors
| Method | What to Send | Result | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS 668 | 13-digit CNIC, no dashes | SIM count per company | PTA says charges may apply |
| cnic.sims.pk | CNIC plus captcha | Same count, online | Free, no listed fee |
| SMS 667 | MNP from your SIM | Name and CNIC on that SIM | Rs 2 plus tax (Jazz) |
| SMS 76367 | N, space, 11 digits | Network name only | Rs 2 plus tax |
All four methods require your own CNIC or your own SIM. None works for someone else's number.
The Exact 668 Flow, Step by Step
- Open Messages, not the dialler 668 is an SMS short code. Dialling it does nothing.
- Type your CNIC as bare digits The card, issued by NADRA, prints it as 12345-1234567-1. For the check, remove the dashes, spaces and words.
- Send to 668 once PTA's notice of 31 December 2025 says charges may apply, so never resend in a loop.
- Read the reply A count per company: Jazz, Zong, Telenor, Ufone, SCO. Numbers, not names.
If no reply arrives, open the sent message and look for a missing digit or a stray word, confirm the SIM has balance, and try once more. If it still fails, stop sending and use the website instead.
The Online Door: cnic.sims.pk
cnic.sims.pk is the official portal, run by PTA. Four moves: open the site, choose the CNIC tab (the second tab, Foreign ID, is for foreign nationals), type your own 13 digits without dashes, then complete the reCAPTCHA and press Submit. It lists no fee and answers with the same count per company the SMS gives.
SIM Database Check: What Databases Actually Exist
Two sets of records sit behind every SIM in Pakistan. Each operator holds the registration file it created at the counter: the CNIC, the number, the activation data, the biometric result. PTA runs the system those files feed. A legal SIM database check by a citizen resolves to one thing: the count of your own CNIC, company by company.
The records are private by construction. Registration has required biometric verification against NADRA since 2015, and since December 2022 SIMs are issued through MBVS, which randomly reads two fingers. Public queries were never part of the design, and unauthorised access to another person's data is an offence under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016. Our page on how PTA registers a SIM covers how the register is built.
Turn the Check Into a Sixty-Second Audit
A count is only useful against a list. Before judging any number, write down every line registered to you:
- Phones and second SIM slots
- Routers, MiFis, tablets and trackers: a data SIM counts exactly like a phone SIM
- Old SIMs in a drawer
- Family lines that run on your CNIC
Then read the reply one company at a time. A company over your list is a mismatch, not yet proof of fraud: recent registrations can lag, so re-check later. If the excess stays, run the disowning route at that company's franchise, set out in our guide to blocking unauthorised SIMs, and see how to check how many SIMs are on your CNIC for the full counting walkthrough.
What the check does not show
PTA's official check and cnic.sims.pk do not show:
- The name or CNIC of a SIM owner (except via SMS 667 for your own SIM)
- The phone number associated with a SIM count
- A list of all SIMs in Pakistan
- Real-time location or "live tracking" of any SIM
These limits exist because SIM registration data is protected under PECA 2016 and PTA regulations.
Warning signs on a site that claims more
Avoid any site or APK that shows these signs:
- Promises "SIM owner details by number" or "check any SIM"
- Asks for your CNIC, contact list or payment
- Shows screenshots with names and phone numbers (invented)
- Claims to have a "live SIM tracker" or "fresh SIM database"
Report such sites to NCCIA on 1799 or PTA on 0800-55055.
The anatomy is worth knowing by heart. The page asks for a number or a CNIC, then prints a name and address as though it had queried an official register. There is no register behind the form: the result is invented or copied from old leaked material, and the real product is what the site harvests from you, your typed details, your contact list when you "sign in", sometimes a payment for a "full report". More on spotting them is in our SIM scams and fraud guide.
FAQ
Can I do a SIM database check by number?
No public route searches SIM records by number. The number-based official check, 76367, returns only the network a number is on. The full records sit with the operators and PTA, and the only citizen query allowed is your own CNIC count via 668 or cnic.sims.pk.
Is there an official SIM database website?
One: cnic.sims.pk, run by PTA. It asks for your own CNIC plus a reCAPTCHA, lists no fee, and returns a count per company. Any other "database" site that wants a mobile number, an app install or payment is a clone built to harvest, not to check.
Does the 668 reply show the phone numbers on my CNIC?
No. The reply is a tally: how many SIMs each company has registered against your CNIC. It never lists numbers, names or addresses, and PTA publishes no sample reply, so screenshots that appear to show lists are fabricated.
Who can see the whole SIM database?
The operators for their own files, PTA for the system, and the NCCIA when investigating offences under PECA 2016. Citizens get the count on their own CNIC and nothing wider, which is the design, not a gap.
What should I do if my count includes a SIM I never bought?
Go to that company's franchise with your original CNIC and fingerprints and request disowning. Voluntary disowning costs up to Rs 200 and is free in fraud cases. If the count stays high, complain to PTA on 0800-55055.
Conclusion: One Door, and It Is Yours
A SIM database check in Pakistan means one lawful act: querying the count registered against your own CNIC. SMS 668 and cnic.sims.pk are the two doors, both need your 13 digits without dashes, and both stop at a count per company. Nothing on the official system can show you another person's record, and anything that claims otherwise is a data-harvesting front.
So run your check now: text your CNIC, digits only, to 668 or enter it on cnic.sims.pk, then audit the numbers against your own list of SIMs and data devices. If one company will not reconcile, start the franchise disowning route the same week.