Traffic challan amounts in Tamil Nadu: the official fine list
Tamil Nadu publishes a detailed official fine list under the MV Act 2019 — from ₹500 general violations to ₹25,000 overloading fines. The full table, with the 60-day payment window.
Tamil Nadu's state government published a detailed official fine list under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, and the state applies the national schedule with several specific, graduated amounts.
The national fine schedule (MV Amendment Act 2019)
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (in force from 1 September 2019) raised fines roughly five to ten times over the old rates. Most states — including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, UP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — enforce this central schedule, with some states adjusting particular amounts and others treating offences like drunk driving as court challans (where the final fine is set by a magistrate, not a fixed amount).
The commonly enforced ranges for the main offences:
| Offence | Section | First offence | Repeat offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving without a licence | 181 | ₹5,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Driving despite disqualification | 182 | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Overspeeding (light vehicle) | 183(1)(i) | ₹1,000–2,000 | ₹2,000–4,000 |
| Overspeeding (medium/heavy vehicle) | 183(1)(ii) | ₹2,000–4,000 | ₹2,000–4,000 |
| Dangerous / rash driving | 184 | up to ₹5,000 | ₹10,000 + jail (up to 1 yr) |
| Mobile phone while driving | 184B | ₹1,000 (₹5,000 in some states) | ₹5,000–10,000 |
| Drunk driving | 185 | ₹10,000 + jail (up to 6 months) | ₹15,000 + jail (up to 2 yrs) |
| Racing / speed trials | 189 | ₹5,000 | ₹10,000 + jail (up to 1 yr) |
| No PUC (pollution) certificate | 190 | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 + jail (up to 6 months) |
| Driving without registration | 192 | ₹2,000–5,000 | ₹5,000–10,000 |
| Triple riding | 194C | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000 |
| No seat belt / child restraint | 194B | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000 |
| No helmet (rider & pillion) | 194D | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000–2,000 |
| Not giving way to emergency vehicle | 194E | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 |
| No insurance | 196 | ₹2,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Signal jumping / disobeying sign | 119, 177A | ₹1,000–5,000 | ₹5,000–10,000 |
| Wrong side / one-way violation | 184 | ₹500–1,500 | ₹1,000–5,000 |
| Juvenile driving | 199 | ₹25,000 + guardian liable | — |
| Overloading goods vehicle | 194(1) | ₹20,000 + ₹2,000/tonne | higher + permit issues |
⚠️ Important. Under Section 200 of the MV Act states fix their own compounding amounts, and offences marked "court challan" (dangerous driving, drunk driving, red-light jumping in Delhi) end in a magistrate deciding the fine. Amounts above are the standard enforced ranges — always check the official e-challan portal before paying.
TN's official fine list (key rows)
| Offence | Section | First | Repeat |
|---|---|---|---|
| General MV Act violations | 177 | ₹500 | ₹1,500 |
| Not producing licence/RC/permit/insurance | 177 | ₹500 | ₹1,500 |
| Allowing an unlicensed person to drive | 180 | ₹5,000 | — |
| Driving without a valid licence | 181 | ₹5,000 | — |
| Driving despite disqualification | 182 | ₹10,000 | — |
| Overspeeding — light vehicle | 183(1)(i) | ₹1,000 | — |
| Overspeeding — medium/heavy vehicle | 183(1)(ii) | ₹2,000 | — |
| Mobile phone while driving | 184 | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Rash/negligent driving | 184 | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Drunk driving | 185 | ₹10,000 | — |
| Racing on public roads | 189 | ₹5,000 | ₹10,000 |
| No registration | 192(1) | ₹2,500 | ₹5,000 |
| No permit (transport vehicle) | 192A | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Overloaded goods | 194(1) | ₹20,000 + ₹2,000/tonne | — |
| Not removing excess load | 194(2) | ₹40,000 | — |
| No seat belt / child restraint | 194B | ₹1,000 | — |
| No helmet — rider | 194C | ₹1,000 | — |
| No helmet — pillion | 194D | ₹1,000 | ₹4,000 |
| Not giving way to emergency vehicle | 194E | ₹10,000 | — |
| No insurance | 196 | ₹2,000 | — |
| Unauthorised vehicle modification | 182A(4) | ₹5,000 per alteration | — |
TN specifics
- Pillion-helmet escalation is a standout: ₹1,000 first, ₹4,000 on repeat.
- Overloading is aggressively penalised — ₹20,000 plus ₹2,000 per tonne of excess load, and ₹40,000 if you fail to remove it on the spot.
- 60-day payment window applies to every e-challan.
- Courts regularly hold Lok Adalats where pending challans can be settled at reduced rates.
Check & pay
- echallan.parivahan.gov.in by vehicle number, DL or challan number — the official list matches what appears on the portal.
The table above is TN's official published schedule; court-determined fines and compounding variations still apply for specific challans.
Source: www.tataaig.com