Home / Motor Insurance / Articles / Traffic Rules / Challans for Improper Vehicle Lighting in India

Challans for Improper Vehicle Lighting in India

Saumya SrivastavaNov 18, 2025

You might think that your personal vehicle lighting is a mere accessory, but in reality, it plays a significant role in ensuring road safety. Particularly in low visibility conditions such as during night or fog, a vehicle with faulty lighting not only endangers the driver but also others on the road.

That is why traffic authorities in India issue a minimum ₹500 worth vehicle lighting challan for all kinds of lighting violations. Not only the drivers, but the contractors and authorities responsible for installing such illegal accessories are accountable for such offences.

Read on to know more about the headlight rules in India and the penalty for improper vehicle lighting, and how to perform a quick challan check to avoid paying unexpected fines.

Contents

What Is Improper Vehicle Lighting?
What is the Penalty for Getting a Vehicle Lighting Challan?
What are the Headlight Rules in India?
Why is the LED Light Modification Fine so High in India?
How Smart Enforcement Technologies Help in Detecting Lighting Violations?
The Bottom Line
Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Improper Vehicle Lighting?

When a particular vehicle lighting does not comply with legal standards proposed by the authority regarding intensity, colour, placement and usage, it is considered improper and attracts a vehicle lighting challan.

After a steady rise in road accidents caused by the unauthorised use of red-blue strobe lights and siren-like hooters, concerns escalated nationwide. In 2025, the Supreme Court of India directed traffic authorities to enforce Section 198A of the Motor Vehicles Act to curb the issue.

Failure to comply with infrastructural or design rules triggers a fine of up to ₹1 Lakh for the designated authority, contractor or consultant.
The following conditions are deemed improper:

Utilising high beam headlights unnecessarily in urban areas or around other vehicles.
Driving with non-functional headlights, tail lights or brake lights.
Using coloured or flashy lights.
Installation of extra LED lights or high-intensity beams

What is the Penalty for Getting a Vehicle Lighting Challan?

First-time offenders will pay a vehicle lighting challan of ₹500, and subsequent offenders will pay ₹ 1,500.
The alleged vehicle will be inspected by official authorities, and the extra or illegal lights will be removed.
Vehicles that do not comply with the RTO rules may not pass the registration.
Driving with a broken or defective tail light or indicators may lead to a fine of ₹2,000 in some states.

What are the Headlight Rules in India?

According to Section 106 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the headlight guidelines are as follows:

All vehicles must have two types of headlights: high beam and low beam.
Vehicles should not have excessively powerful bulbs.
The maximum wattage for headlights must be 70 watts.
A vehicle can have a maximum of 4 headlights, including fog and auxiliary lights.
Blue light usage is prohibited except for emergency vehicles.
High beams need to be switched off while approaching another car.
Modifying a vehicle’s original headlight designs is illegal.

Why is the LED Light Modification Fine so High in India?

The reason why traffic authorities emphasise proper vehicle lighting is that poor illumination and dazzling strobe lights in vehicles can cause accidents due to:

Misjudging the distance or speed of another car and pedestrians.
Invisible hazardous potholes or debris on the road.
Glare blindness caused by oncoming drivers

How Smart Enforcement Technologies Help in Detecting Lighting Violations?

The traffic authorities in several Indian cities have now utilised automated enforcement systems to detect all kinds of lighting violations, such as:

CCTV-based Intelligent Traffic Management Systems (ITMS) have made it convenient to capture vehicles with non-functioning or blinding headlights.
AI-powered cameras identify LED or strobe misuse leading to a vehicle lighting challan.
Integrated e-challan platforms, such as the eChallan Uttar Pradesh, send fines directly to vehicle owners, who then pay their up challan seamlessly via online payment portals such as UPI, netbanking, and so on.

The Bottom Line

When you ensure the lighting system of your vehicle is properly functioning, you can easily avoid a vehicle lighting challan. It is not wrong to accessorise your vehicle as long as the modifications are permissible by the law. Talk to an authorised dealer when you are considering any structural modifications for your vehicle.

Visit ACKO today to check your traffic challan or pay a traffic fine seamlessly, anytime, anywhere!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Vehicle Lighting Challan?

When a driver violates the traffic rules for using illegal or non-functional lights on their vehicle, they have to pay a fine against a vehicle lighting challan. Penalties for such violations vary from one state to another, and they depend on the intensity of the violation.

Does the fog light challan come immediately?

Yes, traffic police can immediately issue a fog-light challan for improper vehicle lighting. Under Rule 106 of the Motor Vehicles Act, vehicles must use proper high and low beams, high for dark roads and low when facing or following other vehicles.

Is using fog lights illegal in India?

No, using fog lights is not illegal in India if a driver uses them under regulated conditions, such as when visibility is poor or in low-light areas, or during heavy rain or dust storms. Drivers using fog lights in clear weather attract a vehicle lighting challan.

What is the tail light penalty in India?

Under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act (1988), the penalty for a non-functioning or broken taillight is ₹500 for the first offence and ₹1500 for subsequent offences.