Lok adalat challan: settle an old traffic fine through the notice and token route

What is a lok adalat challan?

A lok adalat challan is a traffic challan that has gone to court and is then settled at a Lok Adalat, a people’s court run by the legal services authorities. Instead of waiting for a regular hearing, you appear on a fixed sitting day, the bench looks at the offence, and the case is closed by agreement.

How a challan reaches the Lok Adalat

Most challans are paid online soon after they are issued. Those left unpaid are sent to a virtual court or a regular traffic court. Only these court challans are listed for a Lok Adalat sitting, so a fresh challan that is still payable to the police usually does not qualify.

Who runs the sittings

Lok Adalats are organised under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. NALSA sets the national calendar, and each state legal services authority (SLSA) and district authority (DLSA) runs the sittings on the ground with the traffic police.

How does a traffic lok adalat work?

A traffic lok adalat is a special bench for road-offence cases on a National or state Lok Adalat day. You arrive with your slip, the bench reads the challan, asks if you admit the offence, and records a settlement amount. Pay it as directed and the case is closed for good.

Who sits on the bench

Each bench has a serving or retired judicial officer and a second member, often a lawyer. The process is informal: you can speak to the judge directly, and you do not need a lawyer.

What the bench can and cannot do

The bench can only record a settlement both sides accept. It does not hold a trial. If you dispute the challan, say so; the case then goes back to the regular court.

What is a lok adalat notice?

A lok adalat notice is the official announcement of a sitting, or the personal slip you download for your own challan. The public notice gives the date, the court complexes, the kinds of cases and the challan cut-off date. The personal slip names your challan, the venue and your time slot.

Public notice from the legal services authority

The SLSA or DLSA publishes the notice on its website weeks ahead. In Delhi, the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) issues it as a signed notification that also names the slip download link.

Personal notice or slip for your case

Some states send an SMS or let you download a slip for each challan. That slip is what most people mean by a lok adalat notice download. Print it, or keep a clear copy on your phone.

Lok adalat notice format: what does the slip show?

The lok adalat notice format varies by state, but a downloaded slip normally carries the details the bench needs to find your case quickly. Check each field against your own challan before you leave home. A wrong number or the wrong court complex can cost you the day.

Fields to check on the slip

If a field is wrong

Do not change it by hand. Contact the helpline or office named on the notice before the sitting day, and carry the original challan as proof.

What is a lok adalat token?

A lok adalat token is your booked place at a traffic sitting. Where demand is high, such as Delhi, a limited number of challans are listed, and you reserve one by downloading a slip or token for your challan from the official link. No token usually means no listing that day.

How the token quota works

For Delhi’s October 2026 sitting, DSLSA capped downloads at 50,000 challans a day until an overall limit of 2 lakh challans was reached. Once the limit is gone, the link stops issuing slips.

Why tokens run out so fast

Delhi has a very large backlog of court challans, and the link opens only a few days before the sitting. Keep your challan numbers ready and try soon after the stated opening time.

How do you settle a lok adalat traffic challan?

To settle a lok adalat traffic challan, you need the notice, an eligible challan and, where used, a token. The steps below follow the Delhi route, which is the most common pattern. Other states may skip the token and list your case when you apply at the district authority.

1. Watch for the notice. Check the state legal services authority and traffic police websites for the next sitting and cut-off date.
2. Check your challan. Search your challan by number or vehicle and confirm it is a compoundable court challan inside the cut-off.
3. Download the token. Use only the link named in the official notice to download your slip or token.
4. Attend the sitting. Go to the court complex and bench on the slip with the documents listed.
5. Pay and save the receipt. Pay the settled amount as directed and keep the receipt and award copy.

Checking the challan first

Search the challan on the e-Challan or virtual court portal. If it still shows as payable to the police, pay it there; it will not be on the Lok Adalat list.

After the sitting

Search the challan again after a few days. It should show as disposed. If it does not, take your receipt to the DLSA office.

Which lok adalat cases can be settled?

Lok adalat cases cover civil disputes and criminal cases that the law allows to be compounded. For traffic, that means most everyday offences that reached court: signal jumping, no helmet, no seat belt, wrong parking, over-speeding and similar. The notice lists the cut-off date and any exclusions.

Traffic cases that usually qualify

Delhi’s 2026 notice took up compoundable challans pending on the Virtual Court portal till 30.06.2026. Bihar’s notice for 12 September 2026 named helmet, seat belt, licence, speed and signal offences.

Other cases at the same sitting

National Lok Adalats also hear cheque bounce, bank recovery, electricity and water bills, motor accident claims and family disputes (Delhi excluded divorce). Traffic benches are only one part of the day.

Which challans will a traffic police lok adalat refuse?

A traffic police lok adalat will not take offences the law treats as serious or non-compoundable, challans issued after the cut-off date, or challans not yet sent to court. States can also exclude whole groups, such as commercial vehicles. When in doubt, read the exclusions list in the notice.

Offences usually excluded

Drunk driving, hit-and-run, accidents causing injury or death, and dangerous driving generally stay with the regular court. Bihar’s 2026 notice excluded serious offences and commercial vehicle violations.

Challans outside the cut-off

A challan issued after the cut-off date is not listed even if it is in court. Pay it on the virtual court portal or wait for the next sitting.

Does a traffic lok adalat reduce the fine?

A traffic lok adalat can settle a challan for an amount the bench and the authorities agree on, but there is no nationwide discount. A fact-check of the December 2025 National Lok Adalat found that any concession was state-specific. Treat viral “50% off” messages with care until the official notice confirms them.

State concessions that were announced

Bihar’s transport department proposed settling eligible e-challans issued up to 31 March 2026 at a concession of up to 50% at the 12 September 2026 sitting, with serious offences excluded. Other states decide their own terms.

What decides your amount

The bench looks at the offence, the amount on the challan and the state’s instructions. If you think the amount is unfair, you may decline; the case then returns to court.

When is the next lok adalat?

The next lok adalat date is set by NALSA and announced by each SLSA. National Lok Adalats are held several times a year, usually on a Saturday; Bihar called the 12 September 2026 sitting the third of 2026. Dates can shift locally, as Delhi showed, so check the SLSA site before planning.

Where to watch for the date

Look at the NALSA and SLSA websites, your district court website, the traffic police website and their social media pages. Newspapers usually report traffic arrangements a week or two before.

Why local dates change

Delhi moved its sitting because the High Court declared the original Saturdays court working days. Each change came with a fresh signed notification, which is the version to trust.

How did the October 2026 lok adalat notice work in Delhi?

Delhi’s 2026 lok adalat notice shows the full process. DSLSA first moved the National Lok Adalat from 12 September to 10 October, then to Sunday 25 October 2026. Challan slips opened on 19 October at 10 a.m., capped by day and in total.

The Delhi notice at a glance

Other Delhi challan routes

For fines that are not in court, or between sittings, see our guide to Delhi traffic challan checks and payment. Delhi’s old pending-notice system is covered in the pending notice guide.

Lok adalat kolkata: how are sittings organised?

A lok adalat kolkata sitting for traffic cases follows the same law as Delhi. The West Bengal legal services authority and the district authorities run National Lok Adalat days, and traffic cases from Kolkata courts are listed with help from the police. West Bengal Traffic Police has recorded traffic Lok Adalats since June 2012.

Kolkata city and the districts

Kolkata Traffic Police handles the city. Areas such as Howrah, Bidhannagar and Barrackpore fall under their own police commissionerates, and their cases go to their own court complexes.

How listing usually works

There is no verified Kolkata token link like Delhi’s. Cases are typically listed by the court or the police, and some owners receive a notice. If you have an old court case, ask the court or legal services office about listing.

Lok adalat kolkata date: where is it announced?

The lok adalat kolkata date follows the National Lok Adalat calendar, but the city notice comes from the West Bengal legal services authority, the city court and the Kolkata Police. We could not verify a 2026 Kolkata traffic sitting date, so confirm it from these sources rather than social media forwards.

Sources worth checking

Watch the Kolkata Police and Kolkata Traffic Police websites and their official social media pages, the City Civil Court and district court notice boards, and the main Bengali and English newspapers.

When to start looking

Notices usually appear a few weeks before a National Lok Adalat day. If a date is announced nationally, expect the Kolkata notice soon after.

Kolkata police lok adalat: what should you carry?

For a kolkata police lok adalat sitting, carry the notice or slip, the challan itself and the papers that prove you own or drove the vehicle. Benches move quickly; missing papers can mean your case is passed over. Take originals and one set of photocopies.

Papers for owners and drivers

Payment on the day

Ask at the counter how the settled amount is paid before you queue. Keep enough balance or cash for the amount on the challan, and collect a receipt.

Next lok adalat date in Kolkata: what is known?

As of 30 October 2026 we have no verified next lok adalat date in Kolkata. National Lok Adalat days are usually held a few times a year, and Kolkata courts normally take part. Check official notices for the next date rather than relying on guesses.

If you need to act now

You do not have to wait. Pending Kolkata challans can be paid online on the Kolkata Traffic Police website or the national e-Challan portal, or at Kolkata Traffic Police headquarters and traffic guard offices.

Avoiding missed dates

Follow the official pages and set a reminder to check in the first week of each quarter. Many owners miss sittings simply because they saw the news too late.

Kolkata lok adalat or online payment: which is better?

Choose a Kolkata lok adalat sitting when an old challan is in court and you hope for a settlement. Choose online payment when the challan is new, still payable to the police, or when you simply want it closed without a trip. Online payment is faster; the sitting may cost less.

When the sitting makes sense

Several old court challans, a vehicle sale or RC transfer held up by pending cases, or an announced state concession are good reasons to wait for a sitting.

When paying online is simpler

A single recent challan, travel costs or lost work hours that outweigh any saving, or a sitting several months away all point to paying now.

What documents do you need for a lok adalat challan?

For any lok adalat challan sitting you need proof of the case and proof of identity. The basic set is the notice or token, the challan number, the RC, the driving licence and a photo ID. A person attending for the owner also needs an authority letter.

Digital copies

DigiLocker or mParivahan copies of the RC and licence help, but courts may still want a printout of the slip. Carry paper to be safe.

For company or commercial vehicles

A company vehicle needs an authorisation on letterhead for the person attending. Check first whether commercial vehicles are excluded in your state.

Is a lok adalat challan settlement final?

Yes. A Lok Adalat award binds both sides, is treated as a decree of a civil court and cannot be appealed. Once you agree to the amount and pay it, the case ends. If you want to contest the challan, do not settle; ask for the case to go back to court.

What the award means for your record

The challan should show as disposed once the court updates the record. Keep the receipt or award copy in case a portal still shows it as pending.

Court fee and costs

No court fee is charged at a Lok Adalat. In a case where court fee was already paid, the fee is refunded if the dispute is settled.

What happens if you miss the traffic lok adalat?

If you miss a traffic lok adalat, the challan stays pending in court. Nothing extra is added for missing the sitting, but the case remains open, and pending challans can hold up RTO work such as ownership transfer. You can pay on the virtual court portal or wait for the next sitting.

Paying through the virtual court

Open vcourts.gov.in, choose the traffic department for your state, find the challan and pay the amount shown. The case closes once payment is recorded.

Unpaid challans over time

Courts can issue summons for very old unpaid challans. For how pending fines are handled, see our guide to traffic fines.

How to spot a fake lok adalat notice?

A fake lok adalat notice usually arrives as an SMS or WhatsApp message with a short link, asks for payment to “book” a token, or promises a fixed discount. Genuine notices come from the legal services authority or traffic police, and tokens are downloaded from the link in the signed notification.

Warning signs

A domain that does not end in .gov.in or the authority’s own site, pressure to pay within hours, requests for OTPs or card PINs, and agents offering “guaranteed” slots are all red flags.

What to do if you were cheated

Report the fraud at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930, and tell your bank at once. Keep screenshots of the message and the payment.

Lok adalat challan vs virtual court vs online payment

A lok adalat challan settlement, the virtual court and online payment all close a fine, but they suit different cases. Use the table to pick the right route for each challan you have. Many people use two: online for new challans, Lok Adalat for old court ones.

The three routes compared

Choosing between them

Check the challan status first. “Pending with police” means pay online; “sent to court” means virtual court or the next sitting. For the wider challan process, see our e-challan guide.

Can someone else attend the traffic police lok adalat for you?

Usually yes. A family member or employee can attend a traffic police lok adalat for the owner with an authority letter, the owner’s ID copy and the case papers. A lawyer can also appear. Check the notice, because some benches ask the driver named in the challan to appear in person.

What the representative should carry

The slip or token, the challan, the RC, a signed authority letter, a copy of the owner’s ID and the representative’s own photo ID.

If the driver was not the owner

If someone else was driving, the bench may ask who drove. Be honest; giving false details is a separate offence.