A driving licence (DL)  is an important vehicle-related document issued by the RTOs in India. It is mandatory for every person above 18 years of age to have a DL in order to drive a vehicle in India. You can apply for your driving licence at your local RTOs. For example, if you live in AP, you can check RTO offices list Andhra Pradesh (AP) online and then submit your application at your nearest RTO. 

According to Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is essential for a vehicle owner to carry a valid driving licence while driving on public roads. If you are caught driving without a DL, it will be considered as a violation of traffic laws and a challan will be issued. Hence, it is important to abide by the traffic rules to avoid any penalty or punishment. 

Driving without a driving licence is a serious offense in the country. Lately, the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 has been amended and the traffic violations can attract hefty fines now. Your vehicle can also be seized by the traffic police. The challan rates for driving without a DL can vary from one state to another. The table below mentions the fines for some of the states for this violation:

In case a challan has been issued against your name, you must submit the fines as soon as possible to avoid any legal action. The challan issued for not carrying a licence can either be submitted online or offline. For online submission of challan, a person needs to visit the official transport website of their state. For instance, e challan AP can be submitted from the transport website of Andhra Pradesh. Here are the complete details on the online submission of challans:

• Visit your State’s Transport Department website
• Click on the Challan or Traffic Violation Payment button
• Enter your Challan Number or Vehicle Number
• Check the details about the challans, if any
• Opt for an appropriate mode of payment
• Pay the fine online 
• Print the receipt for future reference 

If you want to submit your challan offline, then you are required to visit your local traffic police station. You can ask them about the details of your challan. Once you have checked the details, you can submit the fine amount to them. The receipt provided by the concerned person should be kept safely for future reference.

To avoid paying for the fines, a person should act responsibly and should carry both DL and RC while driving a vehicle on roads. There may be a situation where you forgot to carry the vehicle documents. Hence, it is a good idea to keep the soft copies of these documents in the DigiLocker or the mParivahan app. Remember, you should not carry an expired licence as this is also a violation of traffic rules. In case your driving licence has expired, you must submit an application for its renewal at the RTO.