‘Challan’, is a Hindi term which means traffic fine and is typically pronounced as, "Chuh-lahn”. It is generated or imposed on you or the vehicle owner, whoever is liable for the violation as per the incidence. A vehicle challan is a charge on your vehicle’s account which can be due to various violations ranging from driving without a valid driving license below 16 years of age to speed violations and many more reasons.
Challan is a fine imposed by the traffic system (speed sensors) or offline by the traffic police authority for violation of traffic rules. It is an important instrument in traffic violation prevention, the powers to impose fines are vested by various acts such as Motor Vehicle Driving Regulation 2017, Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, and The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019. Further one of the necessary rules as per these acts is to have a valid car insurance policy and not having one can easily lead to a challan.
Receiving a challan notification can be due to a traffic police officer imposing a fine on your vehicle or traffic system infrastructure sensors, identifying your vehicle violation under certain circumstances.
The following are the common reasons for receiving a challan:
Traffic signal Violations - Jumping red signal, Wrong U-turn etc.
Driving-related violations - Overspeeding, Drunk driving, Driving on the wrong side etc.
Parking and lane violation - Wrong parking, Lane indiscipline, Not giving way to emergency vehicles etc.
Two-wheeler violation - Riding without a helmet, Triple riding on a bike etc.
Paying traffic challan in India is simplified by the system of E-challan, the following are the steps to pay traffic challan online in India:
Step 1: Go to the E-challan Parivahan website.
Step 2: Create an account or log in.
Step 3: Select the payment method to pay the challan.
Step 4: Make the payment
Paying challan offline in India can be a challenging process, depending on the location of the local RTO office or traffic police station near your locality.
The following are the steps to pay traffic challan offline:
Step 1: Go to the regional or local traffic police office or ask a traffic police regarding the whereabouts.
Step 2: Mention your violation, along with the vehicle plate number.
Step 3: Make the payment, according to the payment mode available there.
Step 4: Collect the hard copy of the receipt.
The following is the table of common traffic challans and penalties in India for 2025:
| Traffic Violation | Penalty amount (in rupees) |
|---|---|
| Over-Speeding | ₹1,000 for LMVs; ₹2,000 for MPVs |
| Use of Mobile Phones While Driving | ₹500 for first offense; ₹1,000 for subsequent offenses |
| Drunken Driving / Consumption of Alcohol & Drugs | ₹10,000 and/or imprisonment up to 6 months (first offence); ₹15,000 and/or imprisonment up to 2 years (subsequent offence) |
| Driving on the Wrong Side / Lane Indiscipline | ₹500 for first offense; ₹1,000 for subsequent offenses |
| Jumping Red Signal | ₹1,000 |
| Not Wearing Seat Belt | ₹1,000 |
| Riding Without Helmet | ₹1,000 + disqualification of license for 3 months |
| Vehicular Condition (Unsafe Vehicle Use) | ₹1,000 for first offense; ₹2,000 for subsequent offenses |
A common action, if there are unpaid dues for vehicle challan, results in the vehicle being added to the blacklist by the RTO (Regional Transport Office) and it can be impounded by the traffic police authorities and not released until the challan is paid.
There are several consequences of unpaid vehicle challans few of them are as below:
Increased penalties
Legal Proceedings
Vehicle Impoundment
License Suspension
Challans can be avoided by simply being aware of the rules, following and understanding traffic signs along with awareness of civic sense. The following are the leads to be taken care of:
Follow speed limits.
Avoid using mobile phones while driving.
Maintain lane discipline.
Wear a helmet while driving.
Avoid assuming that you won’t get caught.
Carry valid documents while driving.
Check vehicle safety and condition.
Challan can be our mistakes, but we should take care to avoid making them a habit. Everyone might have faced a time when they would have received a challan for the first time and some might have received many.
We should remember that ‘Prevention is better than cure’, and similarly, ‘Following traffic rules and etiquette is better than challans’. Our safety along with pedestrians and vehicles nearby must be practised while driving any vehicle because it is better to reach our destination alive rather than late.
You can go to the challan detail website by the government and check the required details
The different types of challan in India are as follows: E-challan, on-the-spot challan, court challan, postal challan, towing challan, parking challan, etc.
You can cancel a challan, if it is a disputed one and submit the complaint on the E-challan website for redressal or contact the traffic police authority for redressal.
The main purpose of a challan is to make citizens aware of the traffic violation and develop a preventative measure for traffic violations.
The vehicle can be added to the blacklist and the traffic police authorities can seize your vehicle.
Yes, you can pay multiple traffic challans in a single transaction in offline mode, while in online mode you have to make the payment as per the system.
