E challan: check, pay and understand traffic fines online
An e challan is an electronic traffic fine recorded on the national e-Challan system run by MoRTH and NIC. To check one, open echallan.parivahan.gov.in, search by vehicle number, challan number or DL number, and pay any pending challan online by UPI, card or net banking. Challans left unpaid for too long are sent to a virtual court.
Key takeaways
- Check challans only on echallan.parivahan.gov.in or your state police's official site.
- You can search by vehicle number, challan number or driving licence number.
- Unpaid challans move to a virtual court, where the payable amount is decided by the court.
- Central fines come from the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019; states may set different compounding amounts.
- OLTAS, MTR, VAT and PTEC challans are tax payments, not traffic fines.
On this page · 42 sections
What is e challan?
An e challan is a traffic fine created digitally, by a police officer’s handheld device or by a traffic camera, instead of on paper. It is saved on the national e-Challan system run by MoRTH and NIC, linked to the vehicle’s registration and, where known, the driver’s licence.
Who issues an e challan
Traffic police and transport department officers issue challans. In many cities, cameras detect red-light jumps and over-speeding and create a challan automatically against the vehicle number.
What the record holds
Each challan stores the offence, date, time, place, the officer or camera, the amount and its status. Photos or video are attached to many camera challans. Because the record is central, a challan issued in one state can be seen and paid from anywhere in India.
How is a traffic e challan different from a paper challan?
A traffic e challan is recorded in a central database the moment it is issued, so it can be checked and paid online anywhere in India. A paper challan is a receipt written by hand and usually paid at the spot or at a police office.
Benefits of the digital record
You get an SMS with the challan number, the evidence can be viewed online, and payment updates the record instantly, so there is no dispute later.
Where paper challans still appear
A few smaller towns and special drives still use paper slips. These are paid at the issuing office unless the slip says it can be paid online.
Challan check: how do you check a challan online?
A challan check takes about two minutes on the e-Challan portal. Choose how you want to search, enter the number and the captcha, and the page lists every challan with its status. Follow the steps below.
- Open the e-Challan portal. Go to echallan.parivahan.gov.in and choose the option to check challan status.
- Choose how to search. Select challan number, vehicle number or DL number.
- Enter details and captcha. For a vehicle search, add the chassis or engine digits it asks for.
- Review the list. Check the offence, date, place, amount and status of each challan.
- Pay or note it down. Choose pay now for pending challans, or note the court details.
Search options compared
| Search by | What you need | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Challan number | Number from the SMS or slip | You received a specific challan |
| Vehicle number | Registration plus chassis or engine digits | You want every challan on a vehicle |
| DL number | Licence number | You want challans issued to you as a driver |
Search challan from a phone
The portal works in a phone browser. You can also search challan records from the challan option inside the official mParivahan app.
How does an e challan check by vehicle number work?
An e challan check by vehicle number lists every challan recorded against that registration, no matter who was driving. To protect privacy, the portal asks for the last digits of the chassis or engine number, which only the owner usually has.
Where to find chassis and engine digits
Both numbers are printed on the RC and the insurance policy. The chassis number is also stamped on the vehicle frame.
Reading the results
Each row shows the challan number, date, offence and status. “Pending” means payable online; “court” means the case has moved to a court.
How can I check my e challan online with a challan number?
If you have the SMS or slip, the challan number is the quickest way to answer “how can I check my e challan online”. Enter it on the portal to see that single challan, its evidence and the amount due.
Where the challan number appears
It is in the SMS sent to the registered mobile number and printed on any paper slip. It usually begins with the state code.
When the number does not work
Check for typing errors and wait a few days for camera challans. If it still fails, search by vehicle number instead.
What do e challan details show?
The e challan details page shows everything recorded about the offence: the section of the law, the place and time, and often a photo. Reading it carefully helps you decide whether to pay or raise a grievance.
Offence and section
The offence description names the rule broken, such as over-speeding or no helmet, and the section of the Motor Vehicles Act it falls under.
Status and evidence
Status shows whether the challan is pending, paid or in court. Camera challans usually include an image showing the number plate.
How to check pending challans on vehicle?
To check pending challans on a vehicle, use the vehicle number search and look for the status “pending”. Pending challans can still be paid online; anything marked court must be settled through the court.
Before selling or buying a vehicle
Pending challans stay with the registration. Check them before an RC transfer, because some RTOs ask for challans to be cleared first. A buyer should ask for a printout of the clean search result, dated on the day of sale, and keep it with the sale papers.
After paying
Paid challans change to “disposed” or “paid” once the payment is confirmed. Keep the receipt until the status updates.
How to check bike challan online?
A bike challan is checked the same way as a car challan: by vehicle number, challan number or DL. Common two-wheeler challans are for riding without a helmet, triple riding and jumping signals. Use the vehicle search for a full bike fine check.
How to check 2 wheeler fine quickly
Enter the bike’s registration number, add the chassis or engine digits and submit. All challans against the bike appear in one list.
How to pay bike challan online
Select the pending challan, choose pay now and finish the payment by UPI or card. Download the receipt for your records.
How to check car fines online?
To check car fines online, run a vehicle number search for the car. If several family members drive it, the list shows every challan on the car, so you can match dates to whoever was driving.
Fines on company or rented cars
The challan goes against the registered owner. Drivers of company or rented cars should ask the owner to check and share the challan details.
Camera challans on highways
Expressway and city cameras issue many over-speeding challans. Check the photo and time on each before you pay.
Vahan challan: is it the same as an e challan?
A vahan challan is simply an e challan seen from the Vahan side: challans are linked to the vehicle record in Vahan, so RTO staff see them when you apply for services. To check vahan challan online, use the e-Challan portal. See our online challan guide.
Why Vahan shows challans
Linking challans to the vehicle record lets RTOs hold back services such as RC transfer until fines are cleared.
Where to pay
Payments are always made through e-Challan or the state police portal, never directly on Vahan.
Challan app: which traffic fine check app is official?
The official challan app route is the mParivahan app from MoRTH, which includes a challan check. Many private apps also offer a traffic fine check app, but they read the same government data and some charge fees or collect personal data.
Using mParivahan
Open the challan option, enter the vehicle number and follow the same checks as the website. Payments open the official gateway.
Private apps
Private apps are not government services. If you use one, never pay through it unless it sends you to the official payment page.
E challan payment: how to pay challan online?
E challan payment is done on the same portal where you check the challan. Select the pending challans, choose pay now and pay by UPI, debit card, credit card or net banking. This answers how to pay challan online for most states.
How to pay traffic challan online in steps
Search the challan, tick it, confirm the amount, choose a payment mode and complete the bank verification. The status changes to paid once the bank confirms.
How to pay vehicle challan online for many challans
You can select several challans at once. Check the total before paying, and download one receipt per challan.
How to pay e challan after due date?
If you pay an e challan after the due date, the challan may already have been sent to a virtual court. In that case it is no longer paid on the e-Challan portal; you pay the amount the court sets on the virtual courts portal.
Paying a virtual court challan
Open vcourts.gov.in, choose the traffic department of your state, search the case by challan or vehicle number and pay the amount shown.
Lok Adalat settlements
Some states hold Lok Adalats where pending traffic challans can be settled. Dates are announced by the state legal services authority.
How to cancel traffic challan if it is wrong?
You cannot delete a challan yourself, but you can ask for it to be reviewed. Learning how to cancel traffic challan records starts with the grievance option on the portal or a complaint to the issuing traffic police, backed by evidence.
Reasons a challan may be wrong
Common reasons are a misread number plate, a cloned plate, or a vehicle sold before the offence date. Keep sale papers or photos ready.
After the challan reaches court
Once a challan is in court, the court decides. You can appear and present your case on the date shown.
E challan SMS: how do you tell a real message from a fake?
A real e challan SMS gives the challan number and a link to the official portal. Fake messages copy the format but send you to a look-alike site to steal card details. Our e-challan SMS guide shows examples.
Signs of a fake SMS
The link does not end in .gov.in, the message threatens immediate arrest, or it asks you to download an app. Real challans can always be checked by typing the portal address yourself.
If you paid a fake link
Call 1930, the national cyber crime helpline, report at cybercrime.gov.in and inform your bank at once.
What is a notice challan?
A notice challan is a challan sent by post or SMS as a notice, usually for camera offences where no officer stopped you. It asks you to pay within a set time or appear before a court.
What to do with a notice
Check the challan number online, confirm the photo and details, then pay or raise a grievance before the deadline.
Court notices
If the notice names a court and a date, the matter is already before the court. Follow the court’s instructions.
What is the serial number of challan?
The serial number of a challan is the unique challan number printed on the slip or SMS. Some states also call it the challan identification number. It is the fastest way to look up one specific fine.
How to find challan number
Check the SMS on the registered mobile, the paper slip, or run a vehicle search: the results list each challan with its number.
Tax challans use different numbers
Bank and tax challans have their own identification numbers, which do not work on the traffic portal.
Blacklist challan: why is a vehicle blacklisted?
A blacklist challan status means the vehicle has been flagged in the system, often because of repeated unpaid challans or a serious case. A blacklisted vehicle may be blocked from RTO services until the issue is resolved.
Checking an e challan blacklist flag
Run a vehicle search on the e-Challan portal and check the vehicle record on Vahan. The RTO can confirm why a vehicle was flagged.
Removing the flag
Pay or settle all pending challans, keep receipts, and ask the RTO or traffic police to lift the flag once the records update.
What is the over speeding challan amount?
An over speeding challan under the central Act is ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 for light motor vehicles and ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 for medium passenger or goods vehicles. A second offence can also lead to the licence being impounded.
Speed cameras
Most over-speeding challans come from fixed or mobile cameras. The photo shows the recorded speed and the place.
State amounts
States notify their own compounding amounts within the Act’s limits, so check the amount shown on your challan.
DL challan: what is the fine with no licence?
The DL challan price for driving without a valid licence is up to ₹5,000 under section 181. Driving despite a disqualification is up to ₹10,000. See our without licence fine guide.
Licence not carried
Carrying a digital licence in DigiLocker or mParivahan is accepted, so a missing card alone should not mean a no-licence challan.
Expired licence
An expired licence counts as no licence once the renewal window has passed. Renew on time on Sarathi.
How to check drink and drive case online?
A drunk driving case is not a simple challan; it is decided by a court. To check a drink and drive case online, search the challan or vehicle number on the e-Challan portal and follow the court link shown, or search the case on the virtual courts portal.
The penalty
For a first offence the central Act sets up to ₹10,000 and/or up to 6 months in jail, and up to ₹15,000 and/or 2 years for a second offence.
Licence action
Courts and RTOs can also suspend the licence. Check your licence status on Sarathi after the case.
Traffic fines checking: which fines apply under the 2019 rules?
For traffic fines checking, the table below lists the main penalties in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. These are central limits; your state may notify different compounding amounts, and courts decide jail terms. Our traffic fines guide covers every offence.
| Offence | Section | Penalty under the Act |
|---|---|---|
| General offence | 177 | ₹500 first, ₹1,500 repeat |
| Driving without a licence | 181 | Up to ₹5,000 |
| Driving while disqualified | 182 | Up to ₹10,000 |
| Over-speeding, light vehicle | 183 | ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 |
| Dangerous driving | 184 | ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 and/or jail |
| Drunk driving, first offence | 185 | Up to ₹10,000 and/or jail |
| Uninsured vehicle, first offence | 196 | ₹2,000 and/or jail |
| Offence by a juvenile | 199A | ₹25,000 and jail for guardian or owner |
Annual increase
The Act allows fines to rise by up to 10% each year, so amounts on challans may be higher than the original figures.
Why your challan amount may differ
Compounding amounts are notified by each state. The amount printed on your challan is the one that applies to you.
Challan rules: who can issue a challan and how?
Under challan rules, only authorised police and transport officers, or approved cameras, can issue a challan. The officer must record the offence on a device or slip, and you are entitled to a copy or an SMS with the challan number.
Your rights at a stop
You can ask for the officer’s identity and a challan copy. You may show digital documents from DigiLocker or mParivahan.
How to fill challan forms at the spot
If a paper slip is used, check that the vehicle number, offence and amount are correct before signing. Your signature confirms receipt, not guilt.
What are the car hand signals for drivers?
Car hand signals are arm movements a driver uses when indicators fail or to confirm a move. They are part of the road regulations and the learner test. The signals below are made with the right arm out of the driver’s window.
| Intention | Hand signal |
|---|---|
| Turning right | Right arm stretched straight out, palm forward |
| Turning left | Right arm rotated anticlockwise in a circle |
| Slowing down | Right arm out, palm down, moved up and down |
| Stopping | Right forearm raised vertically, palm forward |
| Letting a vehicle overtake | Right arm swung backwards and forwards |
When to use hand signals
Use them when your indicators or brake lights fail, or when sun glare makes indicators hard to see.
Practise for the learner test
Hand signals often appear in learner licence questions. See our traffic signs guide for related signs.
Telangana traffic challan: where do you check it?
A Telangana traffic challan is usually issued by the Telangana police e-challan system, which runs its own website and app alongside the national portal. Check challans there with the vehicle number. Hyderabad challans are covered in our Hyderabad challan guide.
Hyderabad and city cameras
Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda police all post camera challans to the same state system.
Paying in Telangana
Pay on the state police site or app. Keep the receipt; the status updates after the bank confirms.
E challan MP: how do you check an MP challan?
An e challan MP search covers challans issued in Madhya Pradesh. Enter the vehicle number on the national portal and select Madhya Pradesh if asked. An MP challan issued by a city camera shows the location in the details.
Bhopal and Indore challans
Large cities in Madhya Pradesh use camera-based challans. Search by vehicle number to see all of them together.
Paying an MP challan
Pay online through the portal. Challans already sent to court are settled through the virtual court.
E challan Chandigarh: how do you check it?
An e challan Chandigarh search works on the national portal because the Chandigarh traffic police issue challans into the same system. Use the vehicle or challan number to see camera and officer challans.
Camera challans in Chandigarh
Chandigarh uses cameras at many junctions. Check the photo and the junction name in the challan details.
Court challans
Chandigarh sends unpaid challans to the virtual court. Pay those on vcourts.gov.in.
E challan Uttarakhand: how do you check it?
An e challan Uttarakhand check is done on the national e-Challan portal by vehicle number or challan number. Challans issued in Dehradun, Haridwar and on hill routes appear in the same list.
Hill route checks
Checkpoints on tourist routes often issue challans for overloading and documents. Keep digital documents ready.
Paying an Uttarakhand challan
Pay online on the portal. If the challan is in court, use the virtual court for Uttarakhand.
Kerala vehicle fine check online: how does it work?
For a Kerala vehicle fine check online, search the vehicle number on the national e-Challan portal. Kerala’s Motor Vehicles Department and police issue challans into this system, including AI-camera challans. Our Kerala e-challan guide goes deeper.
AI camera challans in Kerala
Kerala’s road cameras detect helmet, seat belt and phone-use violations. Each challan carries a photo.
Paying in Kerala
Pay online with the challan number. Keep the receipt in case the status takes time to update.
Haryana challan: how do you check challan online in Haryana?
To check challan online in Haryana, search by vehicle number on the e-Challan portal. Haryana challan records include challans from Gurugram and Faridabad cameras. The challan status Haryana page shows whether each one is pending or in court. See our e-challan Haryana guide.
Gurugram and Faridabad
Both cities issue many camera challans for signals and speed. Check the place and time before paying.
Court challans in Haryana
Unpaid challans go to the virtual court for Haryana, where you pay the amount the court sets.
E challan Ludhiana: how do you check it?
An e challan Ludhiana search covers challans issued by the Ludhiana Commissionerate traffic police. Use the vehicle number on the e-Challan portal. The challan status Ludhiana shows pending and court cases together.
Punjab-wide search
Ludhiana challans are part of Punjab’s records, so one vehicle search shows challans from Ludhiana, Amritsar and other cities.
Paying a Ludhiana challan
Pay pending challans online. For court cases, use the Punjab virtual court.
Challan Assam: how do Assam traffic police fines work?
A challan Assam check is done by vehicle or challan number on the e-Challan portal. Assam traffic police issue challans in Guwahati and other districts. A challan Assam record shows the district and the officer.
Guwahati challans
Guwahati uses cameras and handheld devices. Both appear in the same search.
Paying in Assam
Pay online, or follow the court link if the challan has moved to court. Vehicles registered in other north-eastern states that are fined in Assam also show the challan under the Assam records, so search by vehicle number rather than by your home state.
CG traffic challan: how do you check a Chhattisgarh fine?
An e challan CG search covers challans issued in Chhattisgarh. Older links refer to e challan cg nic in; today you can search the national e-Challan portal with the vehicle number. CG traffic challan records from Raipur cameras also appear there.
E challan payment CG
For e challan payment CG, select the pending challan and pay online. Keep the receipt.
E challan Chhattisgarh court cases
Challans not paid in time move to the virtual court for Chhattisgarh.
Echallan Bharuch and Surat: how do you check Gujarat challans?
An echallan Bharuch check covers challans issued in Bharuch district, Gujarat. Gujarat cities run camera networks, and challans can be checked by vehicle number. For how to check challan on vehicle in Surat, see our Surat e-challan guide.
E challan Bharuch payment
Pay online with the challan number. Some Gujarat cities also accept payment at traffic police offices.
Ahmedabad and Surat
Both cities have their own detailed guides. Start with our Ahmedabad e-challan guide.
E challan Nagpur and Pune: how do you check Maharashtra challans?
An e challan Nagpur search works on the national portal, as Maharashtra police issue challans into the same system. For how to check challan on vehicle in Pune, use the same vehicle search.
Maharashtra camera challans
Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur use cameras at signals. Each challan shows the junction.
Paying in Maharashtra
Pay online on the portal; court challans go through the Maharashtra virtual court.
Is a sand challan a traffic e challan?
No. A sand challan is a mining transit pass or royalty receipt that lets a truck carry sand legally. It is issued by the state mining department, not the traffic police. Transporters need it at checkpoints, but it is not paid on the e-Challan portal.
Where sand challans are issued
Each state’s mining department runs its own online system for sand and mineral passes. Bihar’s is covered in our Bihar mining department guide.
Traffic challans for sand trucks
A sand truck can still get a traffic e challan, for example for overloading. That one is checked on the traffic portal.
What is an e khanij challan?
An e khanij challan comes from a state mining department’s online system for mineral permits and royalty payments. “Khanij” means mineral. It has nothing to do with traffic fines.
Who uses e khanij
Quarry operators and transporters use it to pay royalty and generate transit passes for minerals.
Where to get help
Contact the district mining office of your state. The traffic e-Challan portal cannot show these records.
What is an MTR challan?
An MTR challan is a Maharashtra government payment challan, generated through the state’s GRAS system. Challan MTR Form No 6 is the common format used to pay stamp duty and similar government dues. It is not a traffic fine.
When you need MTR Form 6
It is used for payments to Maharashtra government departments, such as stamp duty on documents.
Where to make it
Use Maharashtra’s government receipt (GRAS) portal. The traffic portal cannot create or show MTR challans.
What is OLTAS challan correction?
OLTAS challan correction means fixing mistakes in an income tax payment challan recorded in the Income Tax Department’s Online Tax Accounting System. It has no link to traffic fines.
Who corrects OLTAS challans
Corrections are made through the bank that accepted the payment, within the time it allows, or by the assessing officer after that.
Why people search it here
The word “challan” is used for many government payments. Traffic fines only appear on the e-Challan portal.
Is a VAT e challan related to traffic fines?
No. A VAT e challan is a payment slip for state value added tax on goods such as fuel and liquor, paid to the state commercial tax department. It is a tax challan, not a traffic fine.
| Challan you searched | What it really is | Where it is handled |
|---|---|---|
| OLTAS challan | Income tax payment | Income Tax Department / bank |
| MTR Form 6 | Maharashtra government receipt | Maharashtra GRAS portal |
| VAT e challan | State VAT payment | State commercial tax department |
| PTEC challan | Profession tax payment | State profession tax department |
| Sand / e-Khanij | Mineral transit pass | State mining department |
| Traffic e challan | Traffic fine | echallan.parivahan.gov.in |
Who pays VAT challans
Businesses registered under state VAT, mainly for goods outside GST, pay through the state’s tax portal.
Getting the right portal
Search your state’s commercial tax department website for the VAT payment page.
How do you download a PTEC challan?
To download a PTEC challan, use the profession tax portal of your state. PTEC is the Profession Tax Enrolment Certificate, used for paying profession tax. It is not linked to vehicles or traffic.
Who needs PTEC
Professionals, traders and businesses registered for profession tax in states that levy it.
Where to download
Log in to the state’s profession tax or GST portal and download the payment challan from the payments section.
What is score e challan?
Searches for score e challan and score e filing usually refer to systems outside transport, such as SEBI’s SCORES complaint portal for investors. They are not traffic challan services.
If you meant a traffic fine
Use the e-Challan portal and search by vehicle number. That shows every traffic challan on your vehicle.
If you meant SCORES
Use SEBI’s official SCORES website for investor complaints. We do not cover those services.
All e-Challan & traffic rules guides
Guides
- Traffic signs
- Traffic fines
- Motor vehicle act
- Traffic light
- Road safety rules
- Traffic signal images
- Highest challan in india
- Without licence fine
- Drink and drive
- Challan meaning
- Lok adalat challan
- Traffic signs for kids
- Traffic light meaning
- Informatory signs
- Traffic light sign
- Khajane 2 challan
- Drink drive limit
- Pd challan
- Rta challan
- Traffic police station
- Session court
- Fcs challan
- Traffic status today
- Traffic rules photos
- Warning sign
- Road safety quiz
- Pending notice
- Court challan online payment
- New traffic rules
- Yellow traffic light meaning
- Railway signs
- Challan payment is pending from bank
- Esic e payment challan
- Safety signs and symbols
- No parking fine
- E challan app
State guides
- AP e challan
- TG challan
- Delhi traffic challan
- Bangalore traffic fines
- E challan ahmedabad
- E challan haryana
- E challan surat
- Mumbai traffic
- E challan HP
- E challan kerala
- E challan odisha
- E challan jharkhand
- Rajasthan police challan
- UP online vehicle challan
- WB traffic fine
- E challan karnataka
- E challan punjab
- Surat police
- Pune traffic
- No parking fine in mumbai
- Kolkata traffic case
- MP transport challan
- E challan MP online
- TN challan check
- Pollution challan in delhi
- Bihar pds challan
- Triple riding fine in telangana
- Challan chandigarh
- Bengaluru traffic advisory
Official links
e-Challan: check and payechallan.parivahan.gov.in ↗Virtual Courts (court challans)vcourts.gov.in ↗Parivahan Sewaparivahan.gov.in ↗Report cyber fraudcybercrime.gov.in ↗E challan questions
How can I check my traffic fines without the challan number?
Search by vehicle number on the e-Challan portal and add the chassis or engine digits it asks for. You can also search by your driving licence number.
How to know vehicle fine for a second-hand vehicle before buying?
Ask the seller for the registration number and check it on the e-Challan portal. Pending challans stay with the vehicle, so settle them before the RC transfer.
How to check any cases on vehicle that went to court?
Challans sent to court show as court or virtual court on the portal. Open the virtual courts portal for your state to see the case and pay the amount the court sets.
Is there a fee to check an e challan?
No. Checking challans is free on the official portal. Only the fine itself is paid.
Can I pay someone else's challan?
Yes. Anyone with the challan or vehicle number can pay online. The receipt is issued against the challan, not the payer.
Why does my challan not show online yet?
Camera and device challans usually appear within a few days, but upload times vary by state. Search again after a week before you contact the traffic police.
Does an unpaid e challan affect the RC or licence?
Pending challans can block RTO services such as RC transfer, and some states put the vehicle on a blacklist until they are cleared.
What happens if I ignore a challan notice?
The case goes to court. You may get a court notice, and repeated non-payment can lead to further action under state rules. Paying early is simpler.
Can a wrong challan be cancelled?
Use the grievance option shown with the challan, or contact the issuing traffic police with photos or proof. If it is already in court, the court decides.
Are e challan SMS links safe to open?
Only if the link opens echallan.parivahan.gov.in or your state police site ending in .gov.in. Do not pay through links that use other domains.
Is the drunk driving fine the same everywhere?
The central Act sets up to ₹10,000 and/or jail for a first offence. It is decided by a court, so the actual amount can differ by case.
How to see challan online on my phone?
Open the e-Challan portal in your phone browser, or use the challan option in the official mParivahan app.
Parivahan Sewa (parivahansewa-in.com) is an independent information website and is not affiliated with MoRTH, Parivahan or any state transport department. Confirm fees and rules on the official portal before you pay or apply.