Independent guide by India Customer Care · Not the Parivahan government website · We never ask for your licence number, vehicle number, Aadhaar or OTP. Official services: parivahan.gov.in
Check and Pay a Traffic Challan Online, or Contest It
To check a traffic challan, type echallan.parivahan.gov.in into your browser yourself and choose Check Challan Status. You can search by challan, vehicle or licence number. Pay through the portal, or on Virtual Courts if the challan has gone to court. If the challan is wrong, contest it instead of paying. Never pay through a link that arrived by SMS or WhatsApp.
- Check
- echallan.parivahan.gov.in
- Search by
- Challan, vehicle or licence number
- In court
- vcourts.gov.in
- Time to act
- 45 days (2026 rules)
- Scam help
- 1930 · cybercrime.gov.in
On this page
How do you check a challan online?
YouPortal or courtPayment or waiting
- Type echallan.parivahan.gov.in yourself; don't open the link in a message
- Choose Check Challan Status and search by challan, vehicle or licence number
- Read the offence, date, place, amount and any photo
- Is the challan correct?No: contest it
- Pay on the portal, or on Virtual Courts if the challan has gone to court
- Download the receipt and check the status shows paid
- Open a browser and type echallan.parivahan.gov.in. Check the address before you enter anything.
- Choose Check Challan Status. Enter the challan number, your vehicle number or your licence number, and the captcha.
- In Delhi, use Check Delhi Traffic Challan for a challan and Check Delhi Traffic Notice for a camera notice, or the Delhi Traffic Police notice page.
- Some states run their own portal: Maharashtra uses mahatrafficechallan.gov.in. Your challan SMS or paper usually names the system that issued it.
✔ You'll know it worked when the portal lists your challans with their status: pending, paid, or sent to court.
Open eChallan (official) echallan.parivahan.gov.in
Should you pay the challan or contest it?
Pay the challan
- Still with the police or transport department: pay from the challan details on echallan.parivahan.gov.in or your state portal.
- Sent to court: pay on vcourts.gov.in. Choose your state, search for the case, choose View, then pay the proposed fine with an OTP and Accept & Pay.
- Save the transaction ID and download the receipt. On Virtual Courts, a lost receipt can be printed again with View → Reprint.
Contest a wrong challan
- In court on Virtual Courts: open the case, choose I wish to contest the case, confirm with an OTP and submit. The case moves to a regular court, and the acknowledgement shows the court and date.
- Delhi: contested cases go to the Digital Traffic Court, with hearings by video link. Documents are filed on filing.ecourts.gov.in.
- States using the 2026 grievance system: you contest on the portal within 45 days, before an authority named by the state. If the grievance is rejected, you pay within 30 days or deposit 50% to go to court.
- Attach evidence: photos, your RC, proof of where you were, or proof that you had sold the vehicle.
Before you decide, check how the challan was issued. What to look for differs:
Camera challan or notice
A challan from a speed camera or traffic camera must come with a photo of the offence and the number plate, the device reading, and the date, time and place (Rule 167A, 2021). Check that the photo shows your vehicle. You may not have been the person driving, but the notice goes to the registered owner.
Challan by a police officer
An officer can issue the challan on paper or on a handheld device. Ask for the challan number before you leave, then check that the same challan appears on the portal with the right offence and amount.
How long do you have to pay or contest?
The challan rule (Rule 167) was rewritten by the Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026, in force from 21 January 2026. It sets these time limits. Check the dates shown on your own challan.
| Stage | Time limit (Rule 167) |
|---|---|
| Notice reaches you after the offence | 3 days electronically, 15 days on paper |
| Pay or contest | 45 days |
| No action in that time | Challan treated as accepted |
| Decision on your contest | 30 days |
| Grievance rejected | Pay within 30 days, or deposit 50% to go to court |
What happens if you don't pay a challan?
- RTO services can be blocked. A Ministry standard procedure (2018) already says that with a challan pending, services for that vehicle and licence, such as renewal or address change, are not allowed. Under the 2026 rules, licence and registration applications are not processed (except tax payments) and the vehicle is flagged Not to be Transacted until the challan is settled.
- The vehicle may be detained under the 2026 rules.
- Repeat offences count. The 2026 amendment adds five or more offences in a one-year period, counted from 1 January 2026, to the grounds on which the licensing authority can disqualify a driver. Offences from an earlier year do not carry over. This is a decision by the authority, not an automatic suspension.
Can you settle a challan at a Lok Adalat?
Many traffic police units accept pending challans at a National Lok Adalat. The remaining sitting in 2026 is on 12 December 2026. You usually register online first and get a token and time slot.
- In Delhi, only challans that can be settled (compounded) are taken, with limits per vehicle, and you book a slot on the Delhi Traffic Police Lok Adalat portal (instructions).
- There is no fixed discount: the bench decides the amount.
- Missed your slot? Register again for the next Lok Adalat.
See our Lok Adalat guide for the steps.
How do you spot a fake challan message?
Red flags
- A link in an SMS or WhatsApp message, especially a short link or a site that is not on parivahan.gov.in or your state's .gov.in site.
- A request to install an app (an APK file) to "clear" or "view" the challan.
- Pressure: "pay today or your licence will be cancelled".
- A request for your card PIN or an OTP from a caller.
- Report a suspicious message on Chakshu (Sanchar Saathi).
- Lost money? Call 1930 or report on cybercrime.gov.in at once, and call your bank.
- Installed the app? Turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi, uninstall it, change your banking passwords from another device and call your bank.
What can go wrong, and how do you fix it?
| Your situation | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Money debited, challan still pending | The payment was not confirmed | Use Check Pending Transaction, then Check Failed Transaction. Don't pay twice; ask your bank if it stays failed. |
| Paid on Virtual Courts, no receipt | The session ended | Open the case again and use View → Reprint. |
| Challan for a vehicle you sold | The transfer was never completed on VAHAN | Contest with the sale papers and transfer forms, and get the transfer recorded. |
| Photo shows a different vehicle | A cloned or misread number plate | Contest with your RC and photos of your vehicle; file a police complaint about the cloned plate. |
| Notice came months after the offence | A delay beyond the notice period | Contest and mention the delay. Keep the SMS or envelope date. |
| RTO service blocked: Not to be Transacted | An unpaid challan or unpaid toll fee | Pay or contest the challan, or pay the toll dues, then try again. |
| No challan SMS ever reaches you | An old mobile number on your RC | Update your mobile number on VAHAN and Sarathi. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a challan by vehicle number?
Type echallan.parivahan.gov.in, choose Check Challan Status and enter your vehicle number. Delhi has separate checks for challans and camera notices.
Is the challan link in my SMS real?
Don't use it. Type the official site yourself and check there. Fake links and apps are a common scam.
How long do I have to pay?
Under the 2026 rules, you have 45 days to pay or contest. Your challan or state portal shows the date that applies to you.
What if I don't pay?
Services for your vehicle and licence can be blocked, and the vehicle can be detained. Old challans may go to court.
Will five challans in a year suspend my licence?
Not automatically. The 2026 amendment lets the licensing authority disqualify a driver for five or more offences in a one-year period.
Can I contest a challan online?
Yes. On vcourts.gov.in, choose I wish to contest the case; it then goes to a regular or digital traffic court. States using the new grievance system also let you contest on the portal.
I paid but the challan still shows pending. What now?
Use Check Pending Transaction on the eChallan portal and wait for the bank to confirm. Don't pay twice.
When is the next National Lok Adalat?
12 December 2026. Register with your traffic police or legal services authority beforehand.
Is the licence in DigiLocker enough if I'm stopped?
Yes, if shown inside DigiLocker or mParivahan. A photo or scan is not accepted.
Sources
- eChallan – One Nation One Challan: menu items and fake-site warning (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Orissa High Court – Virtual Courts user manual: pay, contest, reprint (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Delhi District Courts – Digital Traffic Court (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Delhi Traffic Police – pending notices and Lok Adalat instructions (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Maharashtra Traffic – e-challan payment (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – electronic enforcement rules, Rule 167A (Aug 2021) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – documents in DigiLocker and mParivahan (Sep 2019) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – SOP on e-challans (17 Dec 2018): pending challans stop services (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- HP State Legal Services Authority – National Lok Adalat dates 2026 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Sanchar Saathi – Chakshu and National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026 – G.S.R. 48(E), 20 Jan 2026 (Gazette copy, Delhi Traffic Police): Rule 167 time limits, Not to be Transacted, detention, rule 21 (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – cyber crimes through fake sites (24 Jul 2024) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
Page history: 25 Oct 2026: first published. 25 Oct 2026: sources limited to government websites.