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India / Driving licence and vehicles

Check and pay a traffic e-challan online

Check and pay a traffic challan on the official eChallan portal by challan, vehicle or driving licence number. Since January 2026 you have 45 days from the date of issue to pay or contest it, after which it is treated as accepted. Never pay through a link sent by SMS or WhatsApp.

Fee
Free to check; you pay only the challan amount shown on the portal
Time
45 days from issue to pay or contest; then 30 more days to pay
How
Online on the eChallan portal; court cases on Virtual Courts

Checked against official sources on . See the 11 sources.

Quick answer

  1. Type the address yourself: https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/
  2. Open Pay Online (or eChallan Services, then Check Pending Challan Status).
  3. Choose Challan Number, Vehicle Number or DL Number, enter it with the captcha, and click GET DETAIL.
  4. Check the offence, date, place and photo. If it is correct, pay online and download the receipt. If it is wrong, contest it within 45 days of the date of issue.

Checking is free. No login or app is needed. A message that asks you to install an APK or to pay on any other website is not from the government.

Who can apply

  • Anyone can check challans against a vehicle number, a driving licence number or a challan number.
  • A challan is issued in the name of the registered owner of the vehicle when the offence is captured by camera, or to the driver when issued on the spot.
  • Challans may be issued by a police officer in uniform or another officer authorised by the State Government, in physical or electronic form, or auto-generated by an electronic monitoring system.
  • If you sold the vehicle but the transfer was never recorded, challans keep coming in your name. Get the ownership transferred on Vahan.

Documents you need

To check or pay:

  • The vehicle registration number, or driving licence number, or challan number.
  • A mobile phone for the OTP, and UPI, card or net banking for payment.

To contest:

  • The challan number and vehicle or DL number.
  • Evidence: for example a photo showing the number plate in the picture is not yours, a toll or parking receipt showing the vehicle was elsewhere, proof of sale or theft report dated before the offence, a valid PUC or insurance certificate if that is what the challan alleges was missing.
  • A short written explanation. The online grievance form allows 500 characters.

Steps

Online: check and pay

  1. Go to https://echallan.parivahan.gov.in/ and click Pay Online. The page is titled Pay Challan.
  2. Select Challan Number, Vehicle Number or DL Number. Enter the value and the captcha, then click GET DETAIL.
  3. For most states the page tells you to use the NextGen eChallan Portal and links to it. The NextGen page has the same tiles: Check Pending Challan Status, Pay Challan, Download Challan Print, Download Payment Receipt, Check Pending Transaction, Raise Grievance, Check Grievance Status.
  4. Verify with the OTP sent to the mobile number registered with the vehicle or licence, where asked.
  5. Read each pending challan: offence, date and time, location, amount and any photo evidence.
  6. Click the pay option against the challan, choose the payment mode and complete payment.
  7. Save the receipt. You can get it again from Download Payment Receipt.

Delhi: the eChallan portal links separately to Delhi Traffic Police for Check Delhi Traffic Challan and Check Delhi Traffic Notice.

Online: contest a wrong challan

Rule 167(5) lets you contest the challan on the portal, with documentary evidence, within 45 days of the date of issue, before the authority specified by your State Government.

  1. On the eChallan Services page click Raise Grievance.
  2. Enter the Challan Number, Vehicle Number or DL Number and the captcha.
  3. Fill the Grievance Entry Form: name, vehicle or DL number, challan number, challan state, city and location, email and mobile, tick the offences you believe are incorrect, and describe the issue.
  4. Verify by OTP on the Vahan registered mobile number or by Aadhaar OTP, and submit. Note the grievance number.
  5. Track it under Check Grievance Status.

What the rule says happens next:

  • If the authority does not decide within 30 days after the 45 day period, or quashes the challan with written reasons, the challan ceases to have effect.
  • If the authority rejects your objection with written reasons, you can pay within 30 days of the order, or apply to a court after depositing 50 per cent of the challan amount in the manner your state specifies.
  • If you do neither within those 30 days, the challan is treated as accepted and must be paid within the next 15 days.

Online: challans sent to court (Virtual Courts)

Some challans are sent to a court instead of being settled on the eChallan portal. Many states use Virtual Courts, run by the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India.

  1. Go to https://vcourts.gov.in/ and select your state department (for example Delhi(Traffic Department) or Uttar Pradesh(Traffic Department)), then Proceed Now.
  2. Search by Mobile Number, CNR, Party Name or Challan/Vehicle No.
  3. Click View to see the case and the fine set by the court.
  4. Choose Pay Fine, or select "I wish to contest the case". Both need OTP verification. If the mobile number on the challan is wrong, use the engine and chassis number option.
  5. If you pay, you are taken to the ePay gateway and get a receipt. If you contest, the acknowledgement shows the physical court and the date on which you or your lawyer must appear.

In person

A challan can also be paid in physical form, as rule 167 allows. Pay only at the traffic police or transport office named on the challan and take an official receipt.

Fees

  • Checking a challan and raising a grievance are free.
  • You pay only the amount shown against the challan on the official portal. The amount depends on the offence and your state's rates.
  • To take a rejected objection to court you must first deposit 50 per cent of the challan amount.
  • Do not pay any "service fee" or "settlement fee" to a caller, an agent or an app.

How long it takes

StageTime limit under rule 167
Challan delivered to youWithin 3 days by electronic means, or 15 days by hand or post
Pay or contestWithin 45 days from the date of issue
If you do nothingDeemed accepted on expiry of 45 days; pay within the next 30 days
Authority decides a contested challanWithin 30 days after the 45 day period, failing which the challan ceases to have effect
After rejection of your objectionPay within 30 days, or go to court with a 50 per cent deposit
After those 30 days pass without actionDeemed accepted; pay within the next 15 days

What happens if you do not pay

  • A notice is sent electronically every day after the payment period ends.
  • Applications about your driving licence or the vehicle's registration are not processed until the challan is cleared, except applications about vehicle tax. The vehicle is flagged "Not to be Transacted" on the portal. This blocks things like transfer of ownership.
  • The vehicle may be detained, subject to court orders.
  • Five or more offences in a year, counted from 1 January 2026, is a ground on which the licensing authority can disqualify the licence holder. Offences from an earlier one year period are not carried into the next.

How to check status

  • Paid or not: Check Pending Challan Status, or Check Challan Status on the eChallan Services page.
  • Money deducted but challan still pending: Check Pending Transaction. The portal's notice board asks you to use this before paying again.
  • Grievance: Check Grievance Status.
  • Court challans: search again on Virtual Courts; the status changes to Paid, and Reprint gives the receipt after OTP.

Common problems

  • No challan found, but the police say there is one. Try the other search options (vehicle number and DL number), and check the state traffic police site linked from the portal, such as Delhi.
  • OTP goes to an old number. Update your mobile number in Vahan and Sarathi. The official update pages are linked from the Parivahan home page.
  • Challan for a vehicle that is not yours. Compare the photo and details with your vehicle and contest with proof.
  • Challan after you sold the vehicle. Contest with the sale papers and complete the transfer of ownership.
  • Paid twice. Keep both receipts and write to the helpdesk and the issuing traffic police.
  • Portal error. eChallan helpdesk: helpdesk-echallan[at]gov[dot]in, phone 0120-4925505, 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

How to recognise a fake challan message

The official portal carries this warning: beware of fraudulent websites and mobile apps impersonating eChallan services, and "We never request your password, OTP, payment details or sensitive personal information via calls, emails, or messages or links."

  • The genuine sites end in parivahan.gov.in (echallan.parivahan.gov.in) and, for court cases, vcourts.gov.in. The NextGen page linked from the official portal is on parivahan.nic.in. A look-alike address with extra words, hyphens or a different ending is not official.
  • Never install a file such as "RTO Challan.apk" or "mParivahan.apk" sent on WhatsApp or SMS. The portal's own notice says to use only the official website or app.
  • Do not tap the link in the message. Open the browser, type the official address yourself, and search by your vehicle number. If no challan shows there, the message was fake.
  • A genuine challan has a challan number that can be found on the portal. A message with only a payment link and a threat is a scam.
  • If you installed an APK or shared an OTP, call your bank at once to block transactions, and report it to the police as the portal advises.

FAQ

How do I check an e-challan by vehicle number?

Open echallan.parivahan.gov.in, click Pay Online, select Vehicle Number, enter the number and captcha and click GET DETAIL. Pending challans against that vehicle are listed.

How many days do I have to pay an e-challan?

45 days from the date of issue to either pay or contest. If you do neither, the challan is deemed accepted and must be paid within the next 30 days.

How can I dispute a wrong e-challan?

Use Raise Grievance on the eChallan portal within 45 days, with documentary evidence. If the authority rejects it, you can pay within 30 days or go to court after depositing half the amount.

What happens if I do not pay a challan?

Daily reminders, then your licence and registration applications are held and the vehicle is flagged "Not to be Transacted" until payment. The vehicle can also be detained, and the matter can go to court.

What is a virtual court challan?

It is a challan that has been sent to a court and is handled online at vcourts.gov.in. You can pay the fine there or ask to contest, in which case a physical court and date are assigned.

Is the e-challan SMS I received real?

Check it yourself on the official portal by vehicle number. A real challan appears there. Any message asking you to download an APK or pay on another site is fake.

Can my driving licence be suspended for too many challans?

The rules now list five or more offences within one year, counted from 1 January 2026, as a ground for the licensing authority to disqualify a licence holder. It is a ground on which the authority may act, after hearing the licence holder; the rule does not itself cancel the licence on the fifth challan.

Can I pay a challan of another state?

Yes. The portal is national ("One Nation One Challan") and searches by vehicle, licence or challan number regardless of where you live.

Do I need the mParivahan app to pay?

No. The website is enough. If you want the app, install NextGen mParivahan only from the official app store listing, never from a file sent to you.

Sources

Every fee, time limit, form and address above was read on these official pages on 13 October 2026.

  1. eChallan (MoRTH), home page Supports Official portal and its name; fraud notice that the portal never asks for password, OTP or payment details by call, email, message or link; helpdesk email and phone with timings; One Nation One Challan
  2. eChallan, Pay Online (Get Challan Details) Supports Search by Challan Number, Vehicle Number or DL Number with captcha; note directing listed states to the NextGen eChallan portal; links to Delhi Traffic Police challan and notice pages; Check Pending Transaction
  3. eChallan, eChallan Services Supports The list of citizen services (Check Pending Challan Status, Pay Challan, Download Challan Print, Download Payment Receipt, Check Pending Transaction, Raise Grievance, Check Grievance Status)
  4. NextGen eChallan portal, eChallan Services Supports The same service tiles on the NextGen portal; the notice board advice to use Check Pending Transaction when money is deducted; the Grievance Entry Form fields and OTP verification by Vahan registered mobile or Aadhaar
  5. eChallan, Contact Us Supports helpdesk-echallan[at]gov[dot]in, 0120-4925505 (6:00 AM to 10:00 PM); mParivahan helpdesk email
  6. Gazette of India, G.S.R. 48(E) dated 20 January 2026, Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026 Supports The whole of rule 167 as substituted (delivery in 3 days electronically or 15 days physically; 45 days to pay or contest; deemed acceptance; 30 days to pay; authority to decide in 30 days; 50 per cent deposit before going to court; daily notices; licence and registration applications not processed and vehicle flagged Not to be Transacted; detention of vehicle); rule 21 clause on five or more offences in a year; challan in the name of the registered owner under rule 167A
  7. MoRTH, draft G.S.R. 643(E) dated 17 July 2026 Supports Draft only, proposing warnings recorded like challans and state adjudicating authorities under a new rule 167B
  8. Virtual Courts (e-Committee, Supreme Court of India), home page Supports Departments (states) covered; search by mobile number, CNR, party name, challan or vehicle number
  9. Virtual Courts, Help Supports Pay Fine or Request to Contest with OTP; payment through ePay with receipt; contesting assigns a physical court and date; engine and chassis number option when the mobile number is wrong; Reprint of receipt
  10. Parivahan Sewa, home page Supports Official links to eChallan, to the mobile number update pages of Vahan and Sarathi, and to the mParivahan app listing on Google Play
  11. Sarathi Parivahan, state selection page Supports Official warning to use vehicle, licence and eChallan services only through the Parivahan website or the NextGen mParivahan app; link to update mobile number

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