What traffic police can ask for: documents, DigiLocker and your rights

A traffic officer in uniform can signal you to stop, ask for your driving licence, issue a challan and, for listed offences, seize your licence. You are not required to produce paper copies if your documents are valid on DigiLocker or mParivahan. The officer cannot snatch your keys, force you to clear old challans at the roadside, or take money without a challan. A plain-clothes person demanding documents or cash is not covered by the duty to produce them under s.130(1).

The documents officers can ask for

The basic set is the driving licence, the certificate of registration (RC), a valid insurance certificate and, where the rules require it, a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. Taxis, buses and goods vehicles also need a fitness certificate and a permit. Section 130 draws a line you should know. The licence is produced to a police officer in uniform. Insurance, fitness and permit are produced to the registering authority or an authorised officer of the Motor Vehicles Department.

The Act also lets some documents be produced later in the manner prescribed, but do not plan around that. It is far simpler to carry valid copies.

DigiLocker and mParivahan: what counts

In November 2018 the Central Motor Vehicles Rules were amended so that documents can be produced in electronic form, and MoRTH advised states to accept documents shown through DigiLocker or mParivahan like the originals. An amendment from 1 October 2020 says that where documents are validated electronically, enforcement officers shall not demand them in physical form.

• Valid: licence and RC linked to DigiLocker or shown in the mParivahan app, and insurance or PUC where they appear on these platforms.
• Not a safe substitute: a gallery photo or a scanned PDF. An officer may refuse it.
• Before you ride: link your licence and RC at home. Weak network at a checkpoint is a bad time to start.

If a person demands a physical copy even though your electronic record shows as valid, stay polite, show the record again and note the officer’s name badge, place and time. You can raise it later in a written complaint.

What an officer can lawfully do at a stop

• Ask you to stop and show documents (ss.130 and 132).
• Issue a challan on a device or on paper. For compoundable offences, the state fixes the amount under s.200, so the sum can differ between states.
• Test for alcohol where drunk driving is suspected (s.203), with a laboratory test to follow if needed (s.204).
• Seize a document believed to be false (s.206).
• Seize your licence and forward it for disqualification where the offence is one of those in s.206(4): overspeeding (s.183), dangerous driving (s.184), drunk driving (s.185), racing (s.189), unsafe vehicle or pollution breach (s.190), two-wheeler safety rules such as triple riding (s.194C), no helmet (s.194D) and not giving way to emergency vehicles (s.194E).
• Detain a vehicle in the limited cases in s.207, for example driving without a licence or registration. See our guide on getting a seized vehicle back.

When the licence is seized, you receive a temporary acknowledgement. Unlike the usual receipt, it does not authorise you to drive until the licence is returned. Keep it safe and follow up with the licensing authority. More on the disqualification process is in our guide on licence suspension, cancellation and appeal.

What an officer cannot do

• Force you to pay pending challans on the spot. In January 2026 a single judge of the Telangana High Court held that police cannot stop motorists and compel payment of pending challans, cannot snatch or confiscate keys, and cannot restrain a motorist to force payment. Fines must be recovered through the legal process before a competent court. This is a Telangana ruling, so treat it as binding there and persuasive elsewhere.
• Collect cash without a challan. A lawful payment leaves a challan or e-challan record.
• Demand papers while out of uniform. If someone in plain clothes asks for papers or money, ask for identification and call 112 if in doubt.
• Put themselves above the Act. Section 210B makes an enforcing authority that commits an offence liable to double the penalty.

A calm routine at a checkpoint

1. Pull over safely and switch on hazard lights.
2. Note the officer’s name badge, location and time.
3. Show documents physically or on DigiLocker or mParivahan.
4. Ask which offence and which section is alleged. A challan should rest on a specific provision.
5. If you agree, pay on the device or online and save the e-challan number. If you disagree, take the challan, do not argue, and contest later (see our guide on paying or contesting a challan online).
6. Never offer money. Never drive off while being stopped.

Example: Priya, a delivery rider in Hyderabad, is stopped at night without her wallet. She opens mParivahan and shows her licence and the RC. The officer checks them on his device and lets her go. Her friend Kiran shows a gallery photo of his licence, which the officer does not accept, and a challan follows. The difference was the official electronic record.

If you face harassment or a bribe demand

Note the name, badge number, place and time. Pay nothing without a challan. Write afterwards to the Superintendent of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) with any photographs or video. A demand for a bribe by a public servant is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and many states run anti-corruption helplines. Keep the complaint factual and short. If you cannot afford a lawyer for a follow-up, see our guide on free legal aid through NALSA.

Want the full set of checklists and model letters in one place? See Traffic Challans and Road Law: Your Rights under the Motor Vehicles Act, ₹199, or browse all certificate courses.

Frequently asked questions

Can a traffic police officer take my vehicle keys?

Not to force payment of pending challans. The Telangana High Court said in January 2026 that snatching keys or restraining a motorist to compel payment is not permitted. Vehicle detention is allowed only in the cases listed in s.207.

Is a DigiLocker copy of my licence valid?

Yes. Documents shown through DigiLocker or mParivahan are to be accepted as valid, and officers are not to demand physical copies where electronic validation is available. A phone photo is not the same thing.

Can a constable in plain clothes check my papers?

The duty in s.130(1) is to produce your licence to a police officer in uniform. If a plain-clothes person demands papers or money, ask for identification and call 112 if you are unsure.

The officer seized my licence. Can I still drive?

No. The temporary acknowledgement under s.206(4) says it does not authorise you to drive. Driving while disqualified is a separate offence under s.182.

Where do I complain about a bribe demand?

In writing to the Superintendent of Police or the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), with evidence, and to your state anti-corruption helpline where one exists.

Quick quiz

Sources

• Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, ss.130, 132, 200, 202 to 204, 206, 207 and 210B
• Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, rule 167 (as amended in January 2026) and the provisions on documents in electronic form (2018 and 2020 amendments)
• Telangana High Court, order of 20 January 2026 on coercive recovery of pending challans
• Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 7 November 2026.