Traffic fines in India

The fines and penalties in the Motor Vehicles Act for the most common traffic offences, with the section of the Act and a link to the rule that explains how to stay on the right side of it.

The point of the fines:
A fine is the smallest price you can pay. The offences with the heaviest penalties, such as drink-driving, speeding, jumping red lights and riding without a helmet, are the ones that kill the most people. Follow the rules so that you and everyone else get home safely, not just to avoid a challan.

Most traffic fines in India are set in Chapter XIII of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Sections 177 to 210D). The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 raised most fines sharply from 1 September 2019. Some offences can also bring prison or disqualification from holding a licence. For offences such as speeding, dangerous driving, drink-driving, racing, riding without a helmet and carrying extra pillions, the police can seize the licence on the spot and send it for suspension (Section 206).

The amounts below are those written in the Act. What you actually pay also depends on your State: States can compound many offences on the spot (Section 200) and set their own amounts for that. The Central Government can raise fines by up to 10% each year from 1 April (Section 199B), and officials who break the law themselves pay twice the penalty (Section 210B).

Licence, documents and insurance

Offence Section Penalty
Driving without a valid driving licence 181 Up to 3 months in prison, a ₹5,000 fine, or both Read the rule
Letting an unlicensed or under-age person drive your vehicle 180 Up to 3 months in prison, a ₹5,000 fine, or both Read the rule
Offence committed by a juvenile (under 18) 199A The guardian or owner: ₹25,000 and up to 3 years in prison; registration cancelled for 12 months; the juvenile cannot get a licence until 25 Read the rule
Driving while disqualified from holding a licence 182(1) Up to 3 months in prison, a ₹10,000 fine, or both Read the rule
Driving an uninsured vehicle 196 First offence: up to 3 months, ₹2,000, or both. Repeat: up to 3 months, ₹4,000, or both Read the rule
Using a vehicle that is not registered 192(1) First offence: ₹2,000 to ₹5,000. Repeat: up to 1 year in prison, ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, or both Read the rule
Breaking emission standards, including no valid PUC certificate 190(2) Up to 3 months in prison, up to ₹10,000, or both, and 3 months' disqualification from holding a licence Read the rule
Driving a vehicle with a dangerous defect 190(1) ₹1,500. If the defect causes a crash with injury or damage: up to 3 months, ₹5,000, or both Read the rule
Disobeying a lawful order, or refusing to give information, to an officer 179 Up to 1 month in prison, up to ₹2,000, or both Read the rule

Speed and dangerous driving

Offence Section Penalty
Speeding in a light motor vehicle (car, jeep, taxi) 183(1) ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. For a repeat offence the licence can also be impounded Read the rule
Speeding in a medium or heavy goods or passenger vehicle 183(1) ₹2,000 to ₹4,000. For a repeat offence the licence can also be impounded Read the rule
Dangerous driving: jumping a red light, ignoring a stop sign, using a hand-held phone, overtaking illegally, driving against the flow of traffic (wrong side) 184 First offence: 6 months to 1 year in prison, ₹1,000 to ₹5,000, or both. Repeat: up to 2 years, ₹10,000, or both Read the rule
Racing or speed trials on a public road 189 First offence: up to 3 months, ₹5,000, or both. Repeat: up to 1 year, ₹10,000, or both Read the rule
Not making way for an ambulance, fire engine or other emergency vehicle 194E Up to 6 months in prison, a ₹10,000 fine, or both Read the rule

Alcohol, drugs and fitness to drive

Offence Section Penalty
Drink-driving (over 30 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood) or driving under the influence of drugs 185 First offence: up to 6 months in prison, up to ₹10,000, or both. Repeat: up to 2 years, up to ₹15,000, or both Read the rule
Driving while knowingly unfit because of a disease or disability 186 First offence: up to ₹1,000. Repeat: up to ₹2,000 Read the rule

Helmets, seat belts and passengers

Offence Section Penalty
Riding without a helmet (rider or pillion) 194D ₹1,000 and 3 months' disqualification from holding a licence Read the rule
Carrying more than one pillion on a two-wheeler 194C ₹1,000 and 3 months' disqualification from holding a licence Read the rule
Not wearing a seat belt, or carrying passengers who are not wearing one 194B(1) ₹1,000 Read the rule
Carrying a child under 14 who is not secured by a seat belt or child seat 194B(2) ₹1,000 Read the rule
Carrying more passengers than permitted 194A ₹200 for each extra passenger Read the rule

Loads

Offence Section Penalty
Overloading beyond the permitted weight 194(1) ₹20,000 plus ₹2,000 for every extra tonne, and the excess must be unloaded Read the rule
A load sticking out sideways, forward, backward or above the permitted height 194(1A) ₹20,000 plus off-loading charges Read the rule

Horn, road rules and other offences

Offence Section Penalty
Needless or continuous horn, horn in a silence zone, or an exhaust cut-out 194F First offence: ₹1,000. Repeat: ₹2,000 Read the rule
Breaking the road regulations, for example riding on a footpath or cycle track, or not keeping left 177A ₹500 to ₹1,000 Read the rule
Any other offence under the Act for which no penalty is set 177 First offence: up to ₹500. Repeat: up to ₹1,500 –

Paying a challan safely

  • Most fines are now recorded on an e-challan. Check and pay it on the official transport e-challan website or your State traffic police's website or app, by typing in your vehicle or challan number yourself.
  • Never pay through a link sent by SMS or WhatsApp: fake challan messages are common.
  • At a police check, ask for the challan or a receipt, and never offer a bribe. If you think a challan is wrong, contest it through the official process. See Toll plazas, FASTag & police checks.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Amounts are taken from the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (as amended in 2019) and were checked on 11 November 2026. State compounding amounts and later notifications may differ; for a particular case, ask your State traffic police or a lawyer.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the fine for driving without a licence?
Up to 3 months in prison, a ₹5,000 fine, or both, under Section 181 of the Motor Vehicles Act. An owner who let an unlicensed person drive can face the same penalty under Section 180.
What is the fine for drink-driving?
For a first offence, up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to ₹10,000, or both. For a repeat offence, up to 2 years in prison, up to ₹15,000, or both (Section 185). The court can also suspend the licence.
What is the fine for driving a car without insurance?
Up to 3 months in prison, a ₹2,000 fine, or both for a first offence; up to 3 months, ₹4,000, or both for a repeat (Section 196). Third-party insurance is compulsory for every vehicle.
What is the penalty for driving on a footpath?
Regulation 39 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017 forbids driving or riding on footpaths and cycle tracks. Breaking the regulations carries a fine of ₹500 to ₹1,000 under Section 177A, and if pedestrians are put in danger it can be treated as dangerous driving under Section 184.
What is the fine for wrong-side driving?
Driving against the authorised flow of traffic counts as dangerous driving under Section 184: for a first offence, 6 months to 1 year in prison, ₹1,000 to ₹5,000, or both.
Why is my challan amount different from this page?
States can compound many offences on the spot (Section 200) and set their own amounts, and the Act lets the Central Government raise fines by up to 10% a year (Section 199B). The amount on your e-challan is the one you have to pay.