How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in India (2026 Rules)
Written and checked byManju Shekhar· Motor Law & Compliance
Checking, paying and contesting a traffic challan online — the official e-Challan portal, state portals, the Rule 167 deadlines in force since January 2026, court challans, and what happens if you ignore one.
A traffic challan is a notice of a Motor Vehicles Act violation, issued by a police officer or generated from a camera. Most states use the national e-Challan system at echallan.parivahan.gov.in, where you can look up challans by vehicle, driving licence or challan number and pay online. Since 21 January 2026 the rules also set a fixed timetable: you have 45 days to pay or contest a challan, and one you ignore is treated as accepted and holds up licence and registration work on your vehicle.
Quick Facts
- ●The national e-Challan portal is echallan.parivahan.gov.in; a few states and cities also run their own portals.
- ●You can look up challans by vehicle registration number, driving licence number or challan number.
- ●Under Rule 167 (substituted 21 January 2026), an e-challan must reach you within 3 days by electronic means; a physical challan within 15 days.
- ●You have 45 days from issue to pay the challan or contest it on the portal with documentary evidence.
- ●A challan not contested in 45 days is treated as accepted, and must then be paid within the next 30 days.
- ●A contested challan is to be decided within 30 days; if it is quashed, it ceases to have effect.
- ●Left unpaid, licence and registration applications linked to the offender or vehicle are not processed, and the vehicle can be flagged "Not to be Transacted".
- ●Five or more offences in a year (from 1 January 2026) is a ground for disqualifying a driving licence under Rule 21(25).
Fees
Checking challans is free. On the official portals you pay the challan amount shown — check the total on the payment screen before you confirm.
Steps
7 steps
Timeline
Delivery of challan: 3 days (electronic) / 15 days (physical). Pay or contest: within 45 days of issue. Paying an accepted challan: within the next 30 days. Decision on a contested challan: within 30 days.
Step-by-Step Process
Open the e-Challan Portal
Go to echallan.parivahan.gov.in, or the portal of the state or city traffic police that issued the challan. Type the address yourself.
Choose How to Search
Search by vehicle registration number, driving licence number or challan number.
Enter the Number and Captcha
Type your vehicle number (e.g., DL01AB1234) or DL number, complete the captcha and fetch the details.
Review Each Challan
Check the violation, date, place, amount and any evidence photo, and confirm the vehicle is yours.
Contest Any Wrong Challan
If a challan is wrong, raise a dispute on the portal with documentary evidence within 45 days of issue instead of paying it.
Pay the Rest
Select the challans to pay and complete payment by UPI, card or net banking.
Save the Receipt
Download the payment receipt with the transaction ID and challan numbers, and check that the challan shows as paid.
What Is an e-Challan?
An e-Challan is a digital traffic violation notice generated electronically — either by a traffic officer using a handheld device or automatically by a camera such as a red-light, speed or ANPR camera. It is recorded against your vehicle registration and, where the driver is identified, your driving licence. A challan shows the violation, date, time, place, the fine and a unique challan number, and camera challans usually carry photo evidence.
Where to Check and Pay
Start with the national portal. If a challan does not appear there, check the portal run by the traffic police of the state or city where it was issued.
- ›National: echallan.parivahan.gov.in — look up by vehicle, DL or challan number and pay online.
- ›Delhi: traffic.delhipolice.gov.in — Delhi Traffic Police.
- ›Maharashtra: mahatrafficechallan.gov.in.
- ›Bengaluru: btp.karnataka.gov.in — Bengaluru Traffic Police.
- ›Challans sent to court: vcourts.gov.in — the Virtual Courts portal.
- ›mParivahan — MoRTH's official app, which also shows your digital RC and DL.
The 2026 Timetable Under Rule 167
The Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on 21 January 2026 as G.S.R. 48(E), replaced Rule 167 ("Procedure for issuance and payment of challan"). Every challan, physical or electronic, now runs on the same clock:
- ›Within 3 days: an e-challan is delivered by authorised electronic means (a physical challan within 15 days).
- ›Within 45 days of issue: accept and pay, or contest the challan on the portal with documentary evidence.
- ›No response in 45 days: the challan is treated as accepted.
- ›Next 30 days: an accepted challan must be paid, in physical or electronic form.
- ›If contested: the authority decides within 30 days. A quashed challan ceases to have effect.
- ›Still unpaid: applications relating to the licence of the offender or the registration of the vehicle named in the challan are not processed, and the vehicle can be marked "Not to be Transacted".
How to Contest a Wrong Challan
Wrong challans do happen — a misread number plate, a duplicate entry, or a vehicle you had already sold. Contest within the 45-day window rather than ignoring the challan, because an uncontested challan counts as accepted.
- ›Open the challan and its evidence first. Check the vehicle, registration, date, time and place.
- ›Raise the dispute on the portal and attach documentary evidence — for example a photo showing a different vehicle, or papers showing you were elsewhere.
- ›If the vehicle had been sold, attach proof of the transfer (Form 29 / Form 30 and the RTO acknowledgement) dated before the violation.
- ›The authority specified by the state has 30 days to decide. If the challan is quashed, it ceases to have effect.
- ›Do not pay a challan you intend to contest — paying accepts it.
Challans Sent to Court
Not every challan can be settled online. Some are sent to a court — for example where the offence cannot be compounded, or where the state's procedure refers it there. Many of these are handled through the Virtual Courts portal (vcourts.gov.in), where you can see the case and, where the court allows it, pay the fine or respond online. Follow the instructions in the court notice; the Rule 167 portal deadlines do not replace a court's own dates.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay
Ignoring a challan no longer lets it drift. Under the substituted Rule 167:
- ›An uncontested challan is treated as accepted after 45 days.
- ›Licence applications for the offender — such as a renewal — are not processed while the challan stays unpaid.
- ›Registration applications for the vehicle — such as ownership transfer or hypothecation removal — are not processed either.
- ›The vehicle can be flagged "Not to be Transacted" on the portal until dues are cleared.
- ›Accepted challans count towards the five-offences-a-year ground for licence disqualification under Rule 21(25).
Unpaid Tolls Are Not Challans
A toll recorded electronically but not paid — for example at a barrier-free MLFF plaza with too little FASTag balance — is recovered under the National Highways Fee Rules, not through an e-Challan. Under the Second Amendment Rules in force from 17 March 2026, an electronic notice is sent to the registered owner. Pay within 72 hours and only the normal toll is due; otherwise twice the toll is payable, and if it stays unpaid beyond 15 days with no representation pending, it is recorded in VAHAN. See the FASTag rules guide for details.
Paying Safely — Avoiding Fake Challan Messages
Fake e-challan messages that lead to lookalike payment sites or ask you to install an app are a common fraud.
- ›Type the portal address yourself — do not pay through a link in an SMS or WhatsApp message.
- ›Government payment sites end in .gov.in.
- ›Never install an app or APK sent to you to "view" or "pay" a challan.
- ›No official portal asks for your OTP or card CVV over a phone call.
- ›If in doubt, search your vehicle number on echallan.parivahan.gov.in — a genuine challan will be there.
Common Myths About e-Challans
A few misconceptions lead people to ignore challans or get scammed.
- ›Myth: "If I didn't get an SMS, there is no challan." — Fact: always check the portal by vehicle number.
- ›Myth: "If I ignore it, nothing happens." — Fact: since January 2026 an uncontested challan is treated as accepted after 45 days, and unpaid challans hold up licence and registration applications.
- ›Myth: "Once I sell the vehicle, new challans go to the buyer." — Fact: challans follow the registration record, so complete the ownership transfer promptly.
- ›Myth: "A payment link in a message is the quickest way to pay." — Fact: it is the most common route for fraud. Use the official portal.
Documents / Requirements
- ·Vehicle registration number, driving licence number or challan number.
- ·A UPI app, debit/credit card or net banking for payment.
- ·Documentary evidence, if you are contesting a challan.
Tips
- →Check your vehicle number on the portal every few months — do not rely on SMS alerts.
- →Contest a wrong challan within 45 days; after that it is treated as accepted.
- →Clear challans before renewing your licence, selling the vehicle or removing hypothecation.
- →Save every payment receipt.
- →After selling a vehicle, complete the ownership transfer promptly so later challans are not raised against you.
- →Never pay through a link in an SMS or WhatsApp message.