No Parking Fine 2026: Up to ₹1,500 Penalty & Rules
The short answer
A repeat offence costs a penalty of not less than ₹500, up to ₹1,500, for a second or subsequent contravention under Section 177 — unchanged in amount from before 15 August 2026, only the first-offence treatment changed. Neither Section 122/177 nor Section 201 prescribes any licence endorsement, impoundment or disqualification for this offence — only a monetary penalty applies, plus removal/storage charges under Section 201 if the vehicle is actually towed.
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What does the law say about no parking / obstructive parking?
Section 122 says no person in charge of a motor vehicle shall cause or allow it, or a trailer, to be abandoned or to remain at rest on any public place in a position, condition or circumstance likely to cause danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience to other users of the place. Section 122 itself carries no fine, so it is enforced through Section 177, the Act's general default penalty clause for any contravention that has no fine or penalty of its own. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act 2026 rewrote Section 177 with effect from 15 August 2026, merging it with the former Section 177A: a first contravention now draws only a recorded warning, with no monetary penalty at all; a second or subsequent contravention draws a penalty of not less than ₹500, up to ₹1,500. This replaces the pre-2026 position, under which Section 177 fined a first offence up to ₹500 outright. State traffic police schedules book no-parking and obstructive-parking challans under this 122/177 pairing — but Delhi Traffic Police's own published schedule, checked today, still lists a flat ₹500 for a first violation and ₹1,500 for a repeat one, and has not been updated to reflect the 15 August 2026 change to a warning-first structure; go by the amount actually shown on your challan or the official portal rather than either figure. The same 2019 Amendment separately inserted Section 201, 'Penalty for causing obstruction to free flow of traffic', which independently penalises keeping a vehicle on a public place so as to impede the free flow of traffic — a penalty up to ₹500 for as long as it stays in that position, untouched by the 2026 amendment — and it is this section that lets the removal (towing) charges be recovered from the owner when the vehicle is towed away.
"Whoever keeps a vehicle on any public place, in such a manner, so as to cause impediment to the free flow of traffic, shall be liable for penalty up to five hundred rupees, so long as it remains in that position" — Section 201(1), Motor Vehicles Act 1988 (inserted by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, s. 87, w.e.f. 1-9-2019)
How much is the fine?
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| First offence | a recorded warning only, with no monetary penalty, for a first contravention under the rewritten Section 177 — though Delhi's published schedule, not yet updated for this change, still shows a flat ₹500 |
| Repeat offence | a penalty of not less than ₹500, up to ₹1,500, for a second or subsequent contravention under Section 177 — unchanged in amount from before 15 August 2026, only the first-offence treatment changed |
| Licence impact | Neither Section 122/177 nor Section 201 prescribes any licence endorsement, impoundment or disqualification for this offence — only a monetary penalty applies, plus removal/storage charges under Section 201 if the vehicle is actually towed. |
| Payable online | Yes, on official e-challan portals |
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Frequently asked questions
Which section is a no-parking or obstructive-parking challan booked under?
Most state schedules, including Delhi's, book it under Section 122 read with Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988: Section 122 defines the offence (leaving a vehicle where it causes danger, obstruction or undue inconvenience) and Section 177 supplies the penalty. Since 15 August 2026, Section 177 gives a first contravention only a recorded warning and reserves the ₹500–1,500 penalty for a second or subsequent one. A separate 2019-inserted provision, Section 201, independently penalises a vehicle that impedes the free flow of traffic and is the section used when the vehicle is towed.
Can my vehicle be towed away for parking in a no-parking zone?
Yes. Section 201 lets an agency authorised by the Central or State Government remove a vehicle that is impeding the free flow of traffic, and the removal (towing) and storage charges are recovered from the vehicle's owner or person in charge separately from the parking penalty itself. Section 201 is untouched by the 2026 amendment.
Does the no-parking fine go up for a repeat offence?
Yes, and a first offence is now free of charge. Section 177, as rewritten with effect from 15 August 2026, gives a first contravention only a recorded warning — no monetary penalty — and reserves the fine for a second or subsequent offence: not less than ₹500, up to ₹1,500.
Why does Delhi's published schedule still show ₹500 for a first no-parking offence?
Because that schedule has not yet been updated for the 15 August 2026 change. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act 2026 rewrote Section 177 so a first contravention draws only a warning, but Delhi Traffic Police's Notice Branch schedule, checked today, still lists a flat ₹500 for a first violation and ₹1,500 for a repeat one. Until the state schedule catches up, the amount actually printed on your challan or shown on the official e-challan portal is what governs, not either figure quoted here.
Sources
- indiacode.gov.in — https://indiacode.gov.in/handle/123456789/523219
- indiacode.gov.in — https://indiacode.gov.in/handle/123456789/523280
- indiacode.gov.in — https://indiacode.gov.in/handle/123456789/523308
- traffic.delhipolice.gov.in — https://traffic.delhipolice.gov.in/en/traffic-violations-penalties
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