Chapter XIII — Offences, Penalties And Procedure
Section 186 — Driving when mentally or phycically unfit to drive
Written and checked byManju Shekhar· Motor Law & Compliance· Updated 10 October 2026
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988)
Text of the section
Driving when mentally or phycically unfit to drive.—Whoever drives a motor vehicle in any public place when he is to his knowledge suffering from any disease or disability calculated to cause his driving of the vehicle to be a source of danger to the public, shall be punishable for the first offence with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees and for a second or subsequent offence with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.
Reproduced from the India Code text of the Act. Bracketed superscript numerals are the official footnote markers for earlier amendments.
Amended by the Jan Vishwas Act, 2026 — in force from 15 August 2026
(Y) In section 186,— (i) for the words “punishable for the first offence with fine”, the words “liable for the first contravention with penalty” shall be substituted; (ii) for the words “subsequent offence with fine”, the words “subsequent contravention with penalty” shall be substituted.
Amending instruction from the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (No. 8 of 2026), Schedule entry 51, quoted verbatim. It took effect for the Motor Vehicles Act on 15 August 2026 under S.O. 4100(E), 24 July 2026. Where it conflicts with the text above, this later change prevails.
Before you rely on this. The base text above is the Act as consolidated by the India Code, which predates the 2019 amendment; 2019 and 2026 changes are shown separately rather than merged in. Later amendments may also apply. For anything official, read the current text on the e-Gazette or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways site.
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