A traffic challan names an offence and the MV Act, 1988 section behind it, and this page shows what that section says the penalty is, as amended by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. This reference site is privately run and separate from the government's Parivahan services; the amount you actually owe appears only on your own challan record at echallan.parivahan.gov.in or in the mParivahan app, and you pay it there.
The fine finder below lets you type an offence, such as helmet, seat belt or drunk driving, and see the section, the penalty for a first offence and the penalty for a repeat offence. Read the result as the national figure in the Act. Your state may apply a multiplier or a lower compounding amount, which is why your traffic e challan can show a different figure. State changes we confirm later appear in the status panel at the very top, not in these tables.
How to read the traffic challan fine finder
Each result in the tool has three parts. The section is the number printed on your challan, such as 194D for a helmet offence. The first offence column is the penalty the Act sets the first time. The repeat column applies to a second or later offence of the same kind. Where the Act gives a range, such as Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 for speeding in a car, the Act sets only the limits; your challan shows the figure actually applied. Where it says "or both", the Act allows jail, a fine or both.
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 is Act No. 32 of 2019, dated 9 August 2019, and the revised penalties took effect on 1 September 2019. The tables below are the same data the tool uses, so the page still works if the tool does not load.
Licence, registration and insurance offences
These sections cover paperwork and permission to drive: having a valid DL (driving licence), registration and insurance, and not handing your vehicle to someone who is not allowed to drive.
| Section | Offence | First offence | Second or repeat offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 177 | General penalty where no other penalty is provided (includes breaking the driving regulations) | Rs 500 | Rs 1,500 |
| 177A | Violating road regulations | Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 | Not separately stated |
| 179 | Disobeying orders, obstruction, refusing information | Rs 2,000 | Not separately stated |
| 180 | Allowing an unauthorised person to drive your vehicle | Rs 5,000 | Not separately stated |
| 181 | Driving without a licence, or underage (sections 3 or 4) | Up to three months jail, or Rs 5,000, or both | Not separately stated |
| 182(1) | Driving despite disqualification, licence offences | Up to three months jail, or Rs 10,000, or both | Not separately stated |
| 192(1) | Vehicle without registration | Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 | Up to one year jail, or Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, or both |
| 196 | Driving an uninsured vehicle | Up to three months jail, or Rs 2,000, or both | Up to three months jail, or Rs 4,000, or both |
Section 177 is the fallback for any breach that has no penalty of its own. The 2019 Act raised it from Rs 100 and Rs 300 to Rs 500 and Rs 1,500. Some legal databases still show the old figures; the amendment text is the one to follow. If you are about to start driving, get a learning licence first, because section 181 applies to anyone driving without a valid licence.
Driving behaviour: speeding, helmet, seat belt, phone and drunk driving
This group covers how you drive or ride: speed, protective gear, phone use and alcohol.
| Section | Offence | First offence | Second or repeat offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 183(1) | Speeding, light motor vehicle | Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 | Licence impounded under section 206(4) |
| 183(1) | Speeding, medium or heavy goods or passenger vehicle | Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 | Licence impounded under section 206(4) |
| 184 | Dangerous driving: red light jumping, ignoring a stop sign, handheld phone use, unlawful overtaking, driving against traffic | Six months to one year jail, or Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, or both | Within three years: up to two years jail, or Rs 10,000, or both |
| 185 | Drunk driving (over 30 mg alcohol per 100 ml blood) or driving under drugs | Up to six months jail, or Rs 10,000, or both | Up to two years jail, or Rs 15,000, or both |
| 186 | Driving when mentally or physically unfit | Rs 1,000 | Rs 2,000 |
| 189 | Racing and trials of speed | Up to three months jail, or Rs 5,000, or both | Up to one year jail, or Rs 10,000, or both |
| 194B(1) | No seat belt, or passengers without seat belts | Rs 1,000 | Not separately stated |
| 194B(2) | Child under 14 not secured by a seat belt or child restraint | Rs 1,000 | Not separately stated |
| 194C | Motorcycle safety breaches, such as more than one pillion | Rs 1,000 and three months licence disqualification | Not separately stated |
| 194D | Riding without a helmet (section 129) | Rs 1,000 and three months licence disqualification | Not separately stated |
| 194E | Not giving way to an ambulance, fire vehicle or other emergency vehicle | Up to six months jail, or Rs 10,000, or both | Not separately stated |
Section 185's limit is 30 mg per 100 ml of blood, detected by a breath analyser or another test, including a laboratory test. The 2019 amendment raised the maximum fine for drunk or drugged driving from Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. According to the consolidated text, it also removed the earlier three-year window for counting a repeat drunk-driving offence. Section 184 still uses a three-year window for repeat dangerous driving.
Vehicle condition, permits, overloading and juvenile driving
Commercial operators and parents should know these sections, because the penalties are some of the largest in the Act.
| Section | Offence | First offence | Second or repeat offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190(1) | Driving an unsafe vehicle | Rs 1,500 | Not separately stated |
| 190(2) | Breaking road safety, noise or air pollution standards | Up to three months jail, or up to Rs 10,000, or both, plus three months licence disqualification | Up to six months jail, or up to Rs 10,000, or both |
| 192A(1) | Vehicle without a permit | Up to six months jail and Rs 10,000 | Six months to one year jail, or Rs 10,000, or both |
| 194(1) | Overloading beyond permissible weight | Rs 20,000 plus Rs 2,000 per tonne of excess, plus off-loading charges | Not separately stated |
| 194(1A) | Load beyond permissible dimensions | Rs 20,000 plus off-loading charges | Not separately stated |
| 194(2) | Refusing to stop for weighing, or removing load before weighing | Rs 40,000 | Not separately stated |
| 194A | Excess passengers in a transport vehicle | Rs 200 per excess passenger | Not separately stated |
| 199A | Offence by a juvenile | Guardian or owner: up to three years jail and Rs 25,000; registration cancelled for 12 months; the juvenile cannot get a learner's or driving licence until age 25 | Not separately stated |
Under section 199A the guardian or owner is treated as guilty unless they prove the offence happened without their knowledge or that they took due care. A court can impose a lesser penalty under section 192(1) for reasons it records.
Offences that can cost you your licence
Some traffic challan offences go beyond money and affect the licence itself.
- Helmet (194D) and motorcycle safety (194C): three months disqualification from holding a licence, along with the fine.
- Road safety, noise or pollution standards (190(2)): three months disqualification on a first offence.
- Repeat speeding (183): the licence is impounded under section 206(4) for a second or later offence.
- Juvenile driving (199A): the juvenile cannot get a learner's or driving licence until age 25.
- Five or more offences in a year (Rule 21(25)): Rule 21(25), added to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules in January 2026, empowers the licensing authority to disqualify anyone booked for five or more offences under the Act or rules inside one year. The count runs from 1 January 2026 and offences do not carry over into the next year.
Under the 2026 challan rules (as of October 2026), an ignored challan can also hold up DL applications, so check your record before DL renewal and keep an eye on pending applications through our DL status page.
Section 199B: have fines gone up every year?
Section 199B allows the Central Government to increase fines under the Act by up to 10% each year on 1 April, by notification. It is a power, not an automatic rise. We did not find any Central Government notification that has actually applied such an increase, so the amounts on this page are the 2019 Act figures. If a message or website claims that all traffic fines have been raised by a fixed percentage, check whether it cites a notification from MoRTH, the central road transport ministry, on the Gazette of India or morth.gov.in.
Section 210A state multipliers and 210B double penalty
Section 210A lets each State Government, by notification, set a multiplier of not less than one and not more than ten for every fine under the Act in that state. It can use different multipliers for different classes of vehicles. So the same offence can carry a higher fine in one state than in another, and still be lawful.
Section 210B says that an authority empowered to enforce the Act, which commits an offence under the Act itself, is liable to twice the penalty for that offence. In plain terms, an enforcement officer who rides without a helmet would be liable to double the normal penalty.
States also decide compounding amounts, the sum you can pay to settle a compoundable offence without going to court. That is one reason the amount on a Karnataka or Gujarat challan may not match the national table.
State examples: Gujarat (Ahmedabad) and Karnataka (Bangalore)
Soon after the 2019 Act came into force, some states set their own compounding amounts. These examples are from 2019 and may have changed since; your challan shows the current figure.
| State | Offence | Act amount | State amount announced in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gujarat | No helmet | Rs 1,000 | Rs 500 |
| Gujarat | Driving without licence | Rs 5,000 | Rs 2,000 (two-wheeler), Rs 3,000 (four-wheeler) |
| Karnataka | No helmet or seat belt | Rs 1,000 | Rs 500 |
| Karnataka | Allowing an unauthorised person to drive | Rs 5,000 | Rs 1,000 (two and three-wheelers), Rs 2,000 (LMV), Rs 5,000 (other vehicles) |
| Karnataka | Drunk driving | As in the Act | Left unchanged |
Karnataka had first notified the 2019 provisions on 3 September 2019, with fines up to 10 times higher for several offences, before reducing some of them. So a Bangalore traffic challan in Karnataka from that period, like an Ahmedabad traffic challan in Gujarat, can show these state figures. We have no verified compounding list for Maharashtra, so for a Mumbai or Maharashtra traffic challan, go by the amount on the challan and ask the local traffic police.
Checking and settling a traffic e challan
You can run a parivahan fine check at echallan.parivahan.gov.in or in the NextGen mParivahan app, where the challan record shows what you owe. Payment is also possible through the NextGen mParivahan app. Our e challan guide walks through the search, and paying, the virtual court and Lok Adalat are covered on the e challan payment page. Some states run their own systems: see Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. If a message demands a fine through a link, ignore the link; a fraud complaint can go to helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. The home page lists all our guides.
Questions people ask
How much is the helmet fine?
Section 194D: Rs 1,000, plus a three-month ban on holding a licence. Some states have set lower compounding amounts; Gujarat announced Rs 500 in 2019. Your challan shows the amount your state applies.
What is the fine for driving without a licence?
Under section 181, driving without a licence or while underage can mean up to three months in jail, a fine of Rs 5,000, or both. Gujarat announced lower amounts in 2019 for two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Check your challan for the figure that applies.
What is the fine for not wearing a seat belt?
Section 194B sets a fine of Rs 1,000 for driving without a seat belt or carrying passengers without one. The same Rs 1,000 applies for carrying a child under 14 who is not secured by a belt or child restraint.
Have traffic fines increased under section 199B?
Section 199B allows an increase of up to 10% a year, but only by Central Government notification. We found no notification applying such an increase, so the 2019 Act amounts still stand on this page.
Why is my challan amount different from the Act?
States can apply a multiplier between one and ten under section 210A, and may fix separate compounding amounts for compoundable offences. Where the Act gives a range, the exact figure also varies. The challan on the official portal shows what you owe.
Can a traffic challan lead to licence suspension?
Yes. Helmet and motorcycle safety offences carry three months disqualification, repeat speeding leads to impounding, and Rule 21(25) allows disqualification for five or more offences in one year counted from 1 January 2026.
Sources we checked
- Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 text bnblegal.com
- lawx.in: MV Act section 210A and 2019 commencement lawx.in
- Sections 210A and 210B aaptaxlaw.com
- The Wire: Gujarat reduces fines (2019) cms.thewire.in
- ETV Bharat: Karnataka revises penalties (2019) etvbharat.com
- Rule 21(25) in the 2026 CMVR amendment teamleaseregtech.com
- PRS: Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 prsindia.org
We read these sources for this guide. Rules can change after we check them, so confirm anything important on the official portal or at your local office.