Caught Without License or RC? Here’s What the Law Says and What You Must Do
According to Section 39/192 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a DL or RC can attract a ₹5,000 fine for the first offence. If the violation is repeated, the penalty may double.
Thanks to digital platforms, vehicle owners no longer need to carry physical copies of essential documents such as driving license (DL), registration certificate (RC), insurance papers, and pollution certificate (PUC). Soft copies saved in DigiLocker are legally valid and accepted by traffic authorities across the country.
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What the Law Says
According to Section 39/192 of the Motor Vehicle Act, driving without a DL or RC can attract a ₹5,000 fine for the first offence. If the violation is repeated, the penalty may double.
15-Day Grace Period
As per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, traffic police are not allowed to issue a challan immediately if a driver is found without documents. Instead, the driver must be given a 15-day period to present valid documents. If the driver agrees to show the documents within this time frame, no fine should be imposed immediately.
Right to Challenge Challans
If a challan is issued despite this rule, the driver can challenge it in court. The court has the authority to cancel the challan if the driver presents all valid documents during the hearing.
Avoiding Penalties with DigiLocker
To avoid any hassle, vehicle owners are advised to upload their documents on DigiLocker or the mParivahan app. These documents are officially verified and accepted during checks.
This updated approach aims to reduce undue penalties and help responsible drivers who may have forgotten their physical documents.
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