Delhi’s proposed 45-day challan rule, explained

Delhi is currently reviewing a set of proposals aimed at tightening how pending e-challans are handled. None of this is law yet — these are proposals under review — but it’s worth understanding what’s on the table, since it directly affects how much time you’d have to act on a challan if the changes go through.

45-day window: motorists would have 45 days from when an e-challan is issued to either pay it or file a formal, online contest.

Automatic acceptance: a challan left untouched for those 45 days would be treated as accepted, with payment then due within a further 30 days.

50% deposit to contest in court: if a grievance is reviewed and rejected, pursuing it further in court could require depositing half the challan amount upfront.

Serious-offender threshold: racking up five or more traffic violations in a year remains a trigger, under existing central rules, for potential licence suspension or disqualification.

Vehicle-services block: pending, ignored fines could block online RC or other vehicle-related transactions.

If these proposals take effect, the safest habit is simple: don’t let a challan sit untouched. Settling early — whether at the full amount or at a discount through Lok Adalat — means you’re never caught out by a 45-day clock you didn’t know was running, and you avoid the upfront deposit risk of a court contest altogether.

We’ll keep this page updated as these proposals move (or don’t) toward becoming rules.