Traffic rules and fines in Chennai: How to pay e-challan online

Published on 21 Jun, 2021, 5:25 AM IST

Updated on 21 Feb, 2025, 6:00 AM IST

Team Ackodrive

8 min read

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Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, is the sixth most populated city in India. The massive population makes traffic management more crucial. Hence, the state government has set strict traffic rules in Chennai.

The Chennai Traffic Police Department is responsible for imposing traffic rules and collecting fines from violators. They use an e-challan system to ease the process of Chennai traffic police fine payment online.

In this article, you will learn how e-challans work and how you can pay them online.

Contents

How does the Traffic Police impose an e-challan in Chennai?

The Traffic Police in Chennai uses e-challan as the digital form of imposing traffic fines. The e-challan facility allows traffic offenders to pay a Chennai traffic police fine online from anywhere. At the same time, one can also choose an offline method to pay for an e-challan.

The latest Chennai traffic rules and regulations

The following is a list of Chennai traffic rules and penalties related to violations.

‘No entry’ violations

In order to maintain a smooth flow of traffic in Chennai, citizens must follow ‘no entry’ regulations. This is why the penalty around ‘no entry’ violations is pretty hefty. If a person is caught driving in ‘no entry’ zones, there is a penalty between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 5,000.

Drinking and driving/riding

Riding or driving in Chennai in an intoxicated condition can result in heavy punishment. The punishment for first-time offenders may include a fine of Rs. 10,000 along with the possibility of 6 months in prison.

If an offender is caught drunk driving/riding again, the punishment may involve a fine of Rs. 15,000 and/or 2 years of prison time.

Driving a vehicle without a valid licence

Every driver must possess a valid driving licence to legally drive in Chennai. Driving a vehicle without a valid licence is punishable by a fine of Rs. 5,000.

Mobile phone usage while driving

Talking on a mobile phone while driving/riding is considered a serious offence in Chennai. When caught, the offender must pay a penalty between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 2,000 every time.

Jumping a traffic signal

If a vehicle breaks a traffic signal in Chennai, a traffic officer can levy a fine between Rs. 300 and Rs. 600 on the vehicle’s owner.

Riding a two-wheeler without a helmet

You must avoid riding a two-wheeler motor vehicle without wearing a helmet in Chennai. As it is a crucial safety measure, riding without a helmet can cost you Rs. 1,000 in fine and 3 months of driving licence suspension.

Driving without seatbelts

Wearing a seatbelt is a standard safety measure everyone must follow while driving in Chennai. Neglecting this traffic rule may result in Rs. 1,000 in fine and/or community service.

Excessive vehicle pollution

Every vehicle must comply with the standard parameters of pollution emission. Any vehicle causing more pollution than the standard norm has to pay Rs. 1,000 in fine. The fine increases up to Rs. 2,000 if the offender commits the same offence again.

A traffic officer can ask the driver to produce the PUC Certificate or Pollution Under Control Certificate for the vehicle. The vehicle owner has to pay a fine if the PUC certificate is unavailable or invalid.

List of updated traffic fines by Chennai RTO (Tamil Nadu)

Below is a table including a list of Chennai traffic police violations and fines.

Traffic violation	First violation penalty	Repeat violation penalty
Drinking and riding/driving	Rs. 10,000 and/or 6 months in prison	Rs. 15,000 and/or 2 years in prison
Rash/negligent driving	Rs. 5,000	Rs. 5,000
Driving a vehicle without RC (Registration Certificate)	Rs. 5,000	Rs. 5,000
Not following the orders of a traffic authority	Rs. 2,000	Rs. 2,000
Driving or riding without a licence	Rs. 5,000	Rs. 5,000
Not having valid insurance for the vehicle	Rs. 2,000	Rs. 2,000
Unpaid road tax	Rs. 300	Rs. 600
Neglecting seatbelt rules	Rs. 1,000 and/or community service	Rs, 1,000 and/or communityservice
Entering ‘No entry’ zones	Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000	Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000
Overspeeding	Rs. 300	Rs. 300
Offence by juveniles	Rs. 25,000 and up to 3 years of prison time	Rs. 25,000 and up to 3 years of prison time
Violating pollution emission norms	Rs. 1,000	Rs. 2,000
An oversized vehicle on the road	Rs. 5,000	Rs. 5,000
Licence-associated violations	Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1 lakhs	Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1 lakhs
Causing noise pollution	Rs. 100	Rs. 100
Other regular traffic violations	Rs. 500	Rs. 500

Disclaimer: The table mentioned above does not showcase the exhaustive list of traffic violations and fines. The rules and penalties are subject to change as per the amendments in the state or central government laws. Hence, you are requested to refer to the official website Transport Commissionerate and State Transport Authority of Tamil Nadu.

Also, read: Regional Transport Office (RTO)

How to pay an e-challan in Chennai?

In case you need to pay an e-challan Chennai, you can choose between online and offline methods.

Methods to pay e-challan offline in Chennai

There are three major ways to pay an e-challan in Chennai offline.

Method 1: Find an officer from Chennai Traffic Police who has an e-challan device handy. Provide your vehicle registration, DL or challan number for the officer to obtain your challan details on his device. Then, pay the fine in cash and request a receipt.

Method 2: You can directly visit the Headquarters of Chennai Police to pay the required traffic penalty in cash.

Method 3: You can even use the postal address of the Chennai Traffic Police Department to send the e-challan amount via a demand draft, pay order, or cheque.

Steps to pay e-challan online in Chennai

To pay Chennai Traffic Police fine online, you can use the official Tamil Nadu Police portal or the Parivahan portal.

Via Tamil Nadu Police portal

Step 1: Visit the Tamil Nadu Police portal and click on the drop-down menu called ‘Services’.

Step 2: In the drop-down menu, you can click on ‘Pay your challan’.

Step 3: You will be redirected to the official e-Challan Parivahan website.

Step 4: Fill in one of the following credentials: challan number, chassis number, or DL number.

Step 5: Enter the Captcha code as mentioned on the screen.

Step 6: Select ‘Get Detail’.

Step 7: Go through the challan details and make your payment.

Via e-Challan Parivahan portal

Step 1: Visit the e-Challan Parivahan portal.

Step 2: Click on ‘Check Challan Status’.

Step 3: When the new screen appears, fill in one of these details: DL number, vehicle number or challan number.

Step 4: Fill in the Captcha code mentioned on your screen.

Step 5: Click on ‘Get Detail’ to analyse challan-related information.

Step 6: Select the e-challan you want to close.

Step 7: Enter the required details to pay the amount mentioned on the e-challan.

How to check traffic e-challan status online in Chennai?

You can check traffic e-challan status online in Chennai using the following steps.

Step 1: Visit the e-Challan Parivahan portal.

Step 2: Click on ‘Check Challan Status’.

Step 3: Enter your challan number, vehicle number, or DL number.

Step 4: Fill in the Captcha code given on the screen.

Step 5: Click on ‘Get Detail’.

Step 6: Now, you can check the details of your e-challan.

Frequently asked questions

Let’s answer a few common questions related to traffic rules and violations in Chennai.

What documents one must carry while driving in Chennai?

Every driver must possess the following documents while driving in Chennai.

Valid Driving Licence (DL)

Valid Registration Certificate (RC)

Valid Insurance Certificate

Valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate

Valid Road Tax Certificate

For commercial vehicles, a Fitness Certificate is also necessary along with the above-mentioned documents. However, you don’t have to carry physical copies of the documents all the time. Instead, you can produce the online copy via DigiLocker whenever needed.

What happens if an e-challan is left unpaid in Chennai?

After receiving an e-challan, the offender must submit the required penalty within the next 60 days. If one fails to submit the challan fine on time, it may cause the following scenarios.

An officer may visit your home address from the Chennai Traffic Police department to collect the penalty amount.
If the officer is unable to collect the penalty at your residential address, a court date is scheduled for the case.
In case you fail to attend the court hearing, it will result in the suspension of your driving licence.

What is the penalty for driving without registering a vehicle in Chennai?

Driving a vehicle without registration in Chennai may result in a penalty of Rs. 5,000 when caught. Thus, you should register your new vehicle before getting behind the wheels. Also, re-register an old vehicle in case you are moving from another state to Chennai.

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