e-Challan Chennai – How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Chennai

Ujjwal Goel 0 Comments October 16, 2022
e-Challan Chennai - How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Chennai

Chennai, previously known as Madras, is the capital city of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The capital is the most populous city of Tamil Nadu and the city with the greatest vehicle congestion in the country. The urban traffic of Chennai is much higher than those of cities like Mumbai and Delhi. 

The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 was revised and implemented in 2019. The main motive of the central government is to reduce the numerous traffic violations in the country, including the metropolitan city of Chennai. The guilty will now be required to pay a hefty fine or traffic challan per their degree of violation.

Earlier, the offender had to physically pay the fines by going to the police station. But now, to reduce police-offender interaction, the government has introduced an e-challan in Chennai. In this article, we will focus on the e-challan in Chennai and its step-by-step procedure.

Table of Contents

What is E-challan?

A challan is an official form or document issued regarding an invoice. In simple terms, it is a payment format. When a challan is electronically generated, it is labeled as E-Challan.

Also Read: How To Transfer Ownership Of Vehicle In Chennai

What is a Traffic E-challan?

An e-challan is an electronic format of a challan issued by the local traffic police to the violators. This computer-generated fine allows the offender to pay their challan online through the officially-designated portals.

This process has been introduced to make the procedure of challan more convenient, transparent, and efficient. It has reduced any leniency offered to the offenders as well as possible scenarios of bribery.

Also Read: Learning Licence Kerala – Learning Licence Online & Offline Apply in Kerala

How does Traffic E-Challan work?

In Chennai, an e-challan imposed on violators is directly sent to the registered mobile number with the help of advanced surveillance cameras. Let’s learn how the process works-

  • Highly advanced CCTVs have been installed on roads, especially in areas with high vehicle congestion, to keep track of traffic movement.
  • When the offender breaks the rule, their vehicle is captured in the footage of these modern CCTVs with a clear image of their number plate. 
  • The footage is then carefully looked over by the designated officer of the area. They will then note the details of the vehicle that committed the offense. 
  • The officer will proceed to exercise their power and impose an e-challan on the violator. In Chennai, the e-challan is sent directly to the registered mobile number associated with the vehicle.
  • The SMS shall contain all the required details, including the date, time, offense, and amount to be paid. The offender shall pay the e-challan as soon as possible to avoid further action.

What Information does Traffic Challan contain?

An officially issues traffic challan consists of the following details-

  • Details of the offense committed
  • Description of the said vehicle and vehicle number
  • Data of the trial
  • Offenders’ details, i.e., their name and address
  • Details of the on-duty officer
  • Details of the documents confiscated by the said officer
  • The court’s details that must be visited

Traffic Rules and Regulations in Chennai:

Being the most populous and dense city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is bound to face countless road violations – some resulting in fatal accidents. Hence, an array of traffic rules and regulations has been put in place to reduce such unwelcome situations. 

A list of some of these rules to be followed strictly by the citizens is given below :

Traffic Rules to be followed by 4-wheeler drivers:

  • The driver shall be equipped with all their necessary documents
  • Seatbelts are mandatory for people occupying the front seats
  • Driving after consuming any form of intoxication is prohibited.
  • Use of mobile devices while driving is prohibited
  • Rash or negligent driving should be avoided

Traffic Rules to be followed by 2-wheeler drivers:

  • The rider should be equipped with all their necessary documents
  • Wearing a helmet is mandatory
  • Use of mobile devices is prohibited
  • Riding under the influence of any intoxication is strictly prohibited 
  • Over-boarding is not tolerated

How to Check Traffic Fine and Challan Status in Chennai? – Step-by-Step Procedure:

Let’s look over the steps on how to conveniently check your traffic fine and challan status online from anywhere in Chennai: 

1. Steps to check e-Challan Status in Chennai:

E-Challan Website

  • Step 3: Enter the required details, i.e., vehicle number, challan number, or driving license number

E-Challan Website

  • Step 4: Enter the Captcha on the Screen
  • Step 5: Click on Get detail
  • Step 6: A page with all the pending notices or challans should be displayed on your screen.

How to Pay Traffic Fines Online in Chennai? – Step-by-Step Procedure

How to Pay Traffic Fines Online in Chennai? – Step-by-Step Procedure

In Chennai, to make the process of challan payment less complicated, three ways of e-challan payment have been allowed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways:

  • Via Paytm
  • Via Parivahan website

How to Pay Traffic Challan Online via the Tamil Nadu Traffic Police Website?

Tamil Nadu Traffic Police Website

  • Step 2: Find and click on the “Citizen Services (Paid)” tab
  • Step 3: Select “E-payment for traffic challan”
  • Step 4: You should be redirected to the MoRTH webpage by the Government of India

E-Challan Website

  • Step 5: Enter the required details, i.e., the Challan Number, Vehicle Number with the last 5 digits of the engine or Chassis Number or DL Number
  • Step 6: Enter the Captcha
  • Step 7: Click on “Get Details”
  • Step 8: The details should be displayed on your screen
  • Step 9: Proceed to make the payment

You should receive a message to confirm your payment

How to Pay Traffic Challan Online via Paytm?

You can now pay your challan easily via Paytm website or the Paytm mobile app

1. Steps to pay via the Paytm Mobile app:

  • Step 1: Open the application and select MORE on the homepage

PayTM App

  • Step 2: Look for “City Services”/”Other Services” and click on “challan”.
  • Step 3: Select the traffic authority of Chennai.

PayTM App

  • Step 4: Enter the e-challan number, vehicle number, and driving license number. The registration certificate number etc.
  • Step 5: Proceed and enter the amount of fine 
  • Step 6: Select your payment mode, i.e., debit/credit card, net banking, PayTM UPI, and complete your payment.

Steps to pay via the Paytm website:

  • Step 1: Select the “Sign-In’’ option
  • Step 2: Open your Paytm mobile to log in to your website account. 
  • Step 3: Click on the scan option and proceed to scan the QR code displayed on the Paytm webpage.
  • Step 4: Choose the option payment for consumers. 
  • Step 5: Go to “Payments.”
  • Step 6: Find the Traffic Challan option and click on it.

PayTM Website

  • Step 7: Click on “Chennai Traffic Police Bill payment”.

PayTM Website

  • Step 5: Enter Captcha and click on “Get Details”.
  • Step 6: Choose to make the payment for one or multiple cases
  • Step 7: Select payment mode, enter the details and complete the payment.

How to Pay Traffic Challan Online via Parivahan Website?

Parivahan website can be used for checking as well as paying traffic challan. The process is as follows:

Parivahan Website

  • Step 3 – Enter the required details, i.e., Challan number, Vehicle number with the last 5 digits of Chassis or Engine, driving license number, etc.

Parivahan Website

  • Step 5 – Enter Captcha and click on “Get Details”
  • Step 6 – Choose to make the payment for one or multiple cases
  • Step 7 – Select payment mode, enter the details, and complete the payment.

You should get a confirmation message once the payment is successful.

Chennai Traffic Police Challan List:

The Ministry of Highways and Road Transport amended the following traffic challan list in Chennai in 2019 in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988. This is the list of some of the newly updated violations: 

Offense/Violation Penalty
Driving without a valid license 2-3 Wheelers – Rs. 1,000; Light Motor Vehicle(LMV) – Rs. 2,000; Others – Rs. 5,000
Driving a vehicle that has not been registered 2-3 Wheelers – Rs. 2,000; LMV – Rs. 3,000; Others – Rs. 5,000
Driving a vehicle without Insurance 2-3 Wheelers – Rs. 1,000; LMV – Rs. 2,000; Others – Rs. 4,000
Driving without wearing a helmet Rs. 500
Not allowing emergency vehicles to overtake Rs. 1,000
Overloading Rs. 5,000. In addition to this, Rs. 2,000 per ton that exceeds the limit

Revised Traffic Fine and Penalties in Chennai from Sept 2019:

Following is the list of revised traffic fines and penalties in Chennai levied from September 2019:  

Violation/Offence  Revised Penalty Amount
Violation of Stop Line, even by a marginal extent, while the traffic signal is red. Rs. 500
Riding/driving without a Pollution Certificate Rs. 2000
Crossing the toll plaza without FAS Tag 2 x the toll fees 
Violation of Air Pollution Standards by a vehicle releasing excessive smoke Rs. 2000
Red signal jumping Rs. 1000
Penalty for not wearing rear seat bet by co-passenger Rs. 1000
Riding a 2 Wheeler while wearing sandal, chappal or flip flops Rs. 1000
Red light jumping plus dangerous driving Rs. 5000
Violation of orders given by on-duty traffic police officer Rs. 2000
Double fine which is levied in case of overspeeding along with dangerous driving Rs. 7000
Drunken driving Rs. 10000 + Court challan. In addition to this, your vehicle might also be detained
Using a mobile phone while driving by the driver Rs. 5000
Driving without the Color Coded Sticker or High-Security Number Plate Fine amount can reach up to Rs. 10,000
Taking a selfie while driving a car Rs. 2000
Using a private car for commercial purposes/ offering lift to unknown person Rs. 2000
Minor caught driving any vehicle Fine of Rs. 25,000. In addition to this, the car owner will be sentenced to 3 year imprisonment
Front Bumper guard/ Bull Bar Rs. 1000
Riding/driving without a valid Driving Licence For 2-3 wheelers: Rs. 1000

For Four Wheelers and light motor vehicles (LMV): Rs. 2000

For other types of vehicles except the two above-mentioned types: Rs. 5000

Riding/driving a vehicle that is not registered For 2-3 wheelers: Rs. 2000

For Four Wheelers and Light Motor Vehicles(LMV): Rs. 3000

For other types of vehicles except the two types mentioned-above: Rs. 5000

Overloading of any Vehicle (except two-wheelers) Rs. 5000 plus  Rs. 2000 per extra tonne
Breaking the fixed speed limit For 2-3 wheelers, 4-wheelers and light motor vehicles: Rs. 1000

For other types of vehicles except those mentioned above: Rs. 2000

Driving/riding an uninsured vehicle For only 2 wheelers, the new penalty amount is Rs. 1000

For vehicles other than two wheelers, the fine remains the same i.e, Rs. 2000.

Not wearing seatbelts while driving ₹500
Uncooperative towards enforcing traffic authorities ₹1000
Not allowing emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police cars, etc. to pass ₹1000
Two-wheeler vehicle overloading ₹500
Riding without wearing helmets ₹500
Rash Driving  For 2-3 wheelers: Rs. 1500

For 4-wheelers and light motor vehicles: Rs. 3000

For other types of vehicles except the above-mentioned ones: Rs. 5000

In case of second time and subsequent offenses: Rs. 10,000

Other Offences

  • Driving on the opposite side on One Way
  • A vehicle having a Fancy/Defective Number Plate
  • Driving without switching on the headlight after sunset
  • Driving at night using High Beam
  • Standing on White Lane/ Crossing the zebra line while the traffic signal is red
  • Parking a vehicle in such a way as causes inconvenience to others.
Rs 500 for each of the offenses.

Conclusion

The introduction of e-challan has allowed citizens to enjoy many benefits, including being able to pay traffic fines from the comfort of your home. Although, this should now distract us from our responsibility as citizens of maintaining the decorum when travelling via roads. One should always adhere to the traffic rules and regulations and take care of themselves as well as others on the way.

How to Pay E-Challan in Other Cities:

How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Pune
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Kolkata
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Gurgaon
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Delhi
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Surat
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Mumbai
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Jaipur
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Lucknow
How to Pay Traffic Challan Online in Chennai

FAQs

A: An e-challan can be issued for any activity that is against traffic rules and regulations. The amount may be hefty depending upon the degree of violation. Offenses include - drunk driving, overspeeding, not carrying the necessary documents, etc.

A: The Chennai traffic police have the authority over the collection and power to impose traffic fines.

A: If the e-challan is not paid within the stipulated time:
1. A constable visits the registered address as a warning
2. If the challan is still not paid, the offender is summoned to court to justify themselves in front of a judge
3. Upon still not paying, the offender’s license is suspended

A: You can check your e-challan status in Chennai by logging in to the https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/ website

A: Yes, and upon breaking this rule, a challan of Rs. 1,000/- is issued, and the offender’s license is suspended for 3 months in Chennai

A: No individual is an exception to the rule of avoiding using mobile phones while driving. One should park the vehicle on the side and attend to the call.

A: Some serious violations that can enforce penalties are
1. Driving without a registered license
2. Driving under the influence of intoxication
3. Juvenile driving,
4. Driving without a helmet or seatbelt

A: Yes, you can register your active mobile number to receive e-challan notifications. In Chennai, the e-challan notifications are primarily provided via SMS on the registered mobile number.

A: Yes, the online payment method via the official websites is completely safe. However, one should beware of fraudulent websites and scammers on the web.

A: Yes, according to the newly revised and implemented Motor Vehicle Act of 1988, driving without renewing comprehensive car insurance imposes a penalty of 2,000rs and 3 months of imprisonment on the offender. Upon repeating, it is a penalty of 4,000rs with 3 additional months of imprisonment.

A: Driving without a seatbelt is one of the serious offenses and imposes a challan of Rs. 1,000/- on the offender

A: When you break a traffic rule, the activity is caught on CCTV and is noted down by the local officers, who then impose an e-challan on you.

A: There are approximately 38 types of traffic challan that can be issued upon any violation of traffic laws.