Riding without a helmet
Section 194D
₹1,000
3-month licence disqualification
What each traffic offence costs
Fines under the Motor Vehicles Act, with the section they come from, what a repeat offence costs, and where your licence is at stake — not just your wallet.
26
offences listed
₹200 – ₹25,000
range of fines
Central amounts under the Act. Pick your state above where we have its own notification.
26 offences
What people are usually stopped for
- More than one pillion riderSection 194C₹1,000
- Not wearing a seat beltSection 194B₹1,000
- Using a phone while drivingSection 184(c)₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
Licence may be suspended - Drink drivingSection 185₹10,000
Again · ₹15,000
Licence disqualification - Over-speedingSection 183₹2,000
- Jumping a red lightSection 184(a)₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
- Driving against the flow of trafficSection 184(e)₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
- Driving without a licenceSection 181₹5,000
- Driving without insuranceSection 196₹2,000
Again · ₹4,000
- No valid PUC certificateSection 190(2)₹10,000
- Driving without a permitSection 192A₹10,000
Everything else
- Child under 14 without a restraintSection 194B(2)₹1,000
seat belt or child seat
- Racing on a public roadSection 189₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
Licence disqualification - Dangerous drivingSection 184₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
Licence may be suspended - Driving while disqualifiedSection 182(1)₹10,000Licence already suspended
- Vehicle without registration or FCSection 192₹5,000
Again · ₹10,000
- No high-security number plateSection 192₹5,000
Again · ₹1,000
- Overloading a goods vehicleSection 194(1)₹20,000
plus a unit rate per extra tonne
- Carrying an over-dimension loadSection 194(1)A₹20,000
- Carrying excess passengersSection 194A₹200
Again · ₹400
- Vehicle in unsafe conditionSection 190(1)(a)₹1,500
- Needless or prohibited hornSection 194F(a)₹1,000
Again · ₹2,000
- Blocking an emergency vehicleSection 194E₹10,000
- Offence by a minorSection 199A₹25,000
guardian or owner held liable
Registration cancelled for 12 months - General offenceSection 177₹500
Again · ₹1,500
Questions people ask
How do I check if I have a pending challan?
On the Parivahan e-challan site or your state traffic police portal, using the registration number or the licence number. A camera challan is often the one people do not know about — nothing is handed to you at the roadside, and the notice can reach you weeks later or not at all.
How long do I have to pay a challan?
Most states move an unpaid challan to a virtual court after roughly 60 to 90 days, after which it stops being a payment and becomes a case. The window varies by state, so treat the date on the notice as the one that counts.
What happens if I never pay it?
The amount does not quietly disappear. Pending challans attach to the vehicle and the licence, and they surface when you renew an RC or licence, transfer ownership, take an NOC or get a fitness certificate. Left long enough the case goes to a magistrate under section 174, which can mean a summons.
Can a challan be reduced or waived?
National Lok Adalats are held a few times a year and settle pending traffic cases in one sitting, often at a reduced amount. How much comes off is the judge's call and depends on the offence, so treat any specific figure you are promised beforehand with suspicion.
Can a traffic officer take cash on the spot?
An officer can compound an offence on the spot, but you are entitled to a receipt or an e-challan slip for it. If money is being asked for and nothing is being issued in return, that is the part to question — a legitimate fine always leaves a record you can look up afterwards.
The challan is not mine. What do I do?
Contest it rather than pay it — paying is treated as accepting the offence. A wrongly-read plate and a challan against a vehicle already sold are the two common cases, and both are argued at the virtual court handling it or with the issuing traffic police.