Driving without a valid PUC certificate: fine amount and rules

The fine for driving without a valid puc certificate is First offence: imprisonment up to 3 months, or a fine which may extend to ₹10,000, or both — and disqualification from holding a licence for three months. There is no statutory minimum, but Delhi's notified schedule compounds it at the ₹10,000 ceiling for a first offence (Section 190(2)); a repeat offence costs Second or subsequent offence: imprisonment up to 6 months, or a fine which may extend to ₹10,000, or both (the mandatory disqualification is written only into the first-offence limb). Section 190(2) itself disqualifies the person from holding a licence for three months on the first offence. Section 206(4) separately obliges the officer to seize the driving licence of a driver believed to have committed a Section 190 offence and forward it to the licensing authority for disqualification or revocation proceedings under Section 19.

Last verified: 12 Aug 2026

What the law says

Section 190(2) punishes any person who drives, or causes or allows to be driven, a motor vehicle in a public place that violates the standards prescribed in relation to road safety, control of noise and air pollution. A Pollution Under Control certificate is the document that evidences compliance with the emission standards, which is why an expired or missing PUC is booked under this sub-section. The 2019 amendment replaced the old flat ₹1,000 first-offence fine with imprisonment up to three months or a fine up to ₹10,000 or both, and added a mandatory three-month licence disqualification for the first offence.

Fine amounts

	Amount
First offence	First offence: imprisonment up to 3 months, or a fine which may extend to ₹10,000, or both — and disqualification from holding a licence for three months. There is no statutory minimum, but Delhi's notified schedule compounds it at the ₹10,000 ceiling
Repeat offence	Second or subsequent offence: imprisonment up to 6 months, or a fine which may extend to ₹10,000, or both (the mandatory disqualification is written only into the first-offence limb)
Licence impact	Section 190(2) itself disqualifies the person from holding a licence for three months on the first offence. Section 206(4) separately obliges the officer to seize the driving licence of a driver believed to have committed a Section 190 offence and forward it to the licensing authority for disqualification or revocation proceedings under Section 19.
Payable online	Yes, on official e-challan portals

States with different notified amounts

State	Amount
Delhi	₹10,000 for the first and any subsequent offence (115 CMVR / 190(2) MVA) — Delhi compounds at the statutory ceiling
Gujarat	₹500, rising to ₹1,000 on repeat, where no PUC certificate has been obtained (s.177); a measured breach of emission standards under s.190(2) is ₹1,000 for two/three-wheelers and LMVs and ₹3,000 for other vehicles.
Karnataka	₹1,500 for 2W/3W and ₹3,000 for LMV, heavy and other vehicles for breaching prescribed air-pollution standards under s.190(2); the central Act sets ₹10,000.
Maharashtra	₹1,000 for a two/three-wheeler and ₹2,000 for other vehicles, each with a 3-month licence disqualification, rising to ₹3,000 and ₹5,000 on repeat (190(2)) — far below the ₹10,000 central ceiling. Failing to produce a PUC certificate is a lighter ₹500 / ₹1,500
Rajasthan	₹500 for a two/three-wheeler or e-rickshaw, ₹1,000 for other non-transport vehicles, ₹1,500 for LMV transport and ₹2,000 for medium/heavy transport; doubled on a repeat offence (₹1,000 / ₹2,000 / ₹3,000 / ₹4,000).
West Bengal	₹2,000 first offence, ₹5,000 second, ₹10,000 third and subsequent - each also carrying a 3-month licence disqualification. Some official charts still show the ₹10,000 statutory figure - the e-challan states the payable amount.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the PUC challan actually charged at?

The statute sets a ceiling, not a fixed sum: a fine 'which may extend to ten thousand rupees'. States fix the compounding amount within that. Delhi's published schedule lists 'W/O PUCC — 115 CMVR / 190(2) MVA' at ₹10,000 for both the first and any subsequent offence, i.e. at the statutory maximum.

Can my licence really be suspended for an expired PUC?

Yes. The first-offence limb of Section 190(2) says the offender 'shall be disqualified for holding licence for a period of three months', and Section 206(4) requires the officer to seize the licence for a Section 190 offence and send it to the licensing authority for disqualification or revocation proceedings under Section 19.

Which rule is a PUC challan actually issued under?

Section 190(2) is the penal provision, but the emission standards themselves sit in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. Delhi's published schedule books the offence as '115 CMVR / 190(2) M.V.A', pairing Rule 115 of those rules with the Motor Vehicles Act penalty, so a PUC challan normally cites both the rule and the section.

Sources

www.indiacode.nic.in — https://www.indiacode.nic.in/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_30_42_00009_198859_1517807326286&sectionId=28466&sectionno=190&orderno=210
www.indiacode.nic.in — https://www.indiacode.nic.in/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_30_42_00009_198859_1517807326286&sectionId=28483&sectionno=206&orderno=237
www.indiacode.nic.in — https://www.indiacode.nic.in/show-data?actid=AC_CEN_30_42_00009_198859_1517807326286&sectionId=28477&sectionno=200&orderno=231
traffic.delhipolice.gov.in — https://traffic.delhipolice.gov.in/traffic-offences

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