The Motor Vehicle Act, 1939
Preamble
THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, 1988 (59 OF 1988) (14 Oct. 1988) An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to motor vehicles. Be it enacted by parliament in the Thirty-ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows : - Statement of objects and Reasons. - The motor vehicles Act, 1939 ( 4 of 1939), consolidates and amends the law relating to motor vehicles. This has been amended several times to keep it up to date. The need was, however, felt that this Act should, now inter alia, take into account also changes in the road transport technology, pattern of passenger and freight movements, developments, of the road network in the country and particularly the improved techniques in the motor vehicles management.
Sections
Type to filter. 209 sections.
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Grant of learner's licence
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13Extent of effectiveness of licences to drive motor vehicles
- 14Currency of licences to drive motor vehicles
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18Driving licences to drive motor vehicles, belonging to the Central Government
- 19
- 20Power of Court to disqualify
- 21Suspension of driving licence in certain cases
- 22Suspension or cancellation of driving licence on conviction
- 23Effect of disqualification order
- 24Endorsement
- 25Transfer of endorsement and issue of driving licence free from endorsement
- 26Maintenance of State Registers of Driving Licences
- 27Power of Central Government to make rules
- 28Power of State Government to make rules
- 29Necessity for conductor's licence
- 30Grant of conductor's licence
- 31Disqualifications for the grant of conductor's licence
- 32Revocation of a conductor's licence on grounds of disease or disability
- 33
- 34Power of licensing authority to disqualify
- 35Power of Court to disqualify
- 36Certain provisions of Chapter II to apply to conductor's licence
- 37Savings
- 38Power of State Government to make rules
- 39Necessity for registration
- 40Registration, where to be made
- 41Registration, how to be made
- 42Special provision for registration of motor vehicles of diplomatic officers, etc
- 43Temporary registration
- 44Production of vehicle at the time of registration
- 45Refusal of registration or renewal of the certificate of registration
- 46Effectiveness is India of registration
- 47Assignment of new registration mark on removal to another State
- 48No objection certificate
- 49Change of residence or place of business
- 50Transfer of ownership
- 51Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hirepurchase agreement, etc
- 53Suspension of registration
- 54Cancellation of registration suspended under section 53
- 55Cancellation of registration
- 56Certificate of fitness of transport vehicles
- 57Appeals
- 58Special provisions in regard to transport vehicles
- 59Power to fix the age limit of motor vehicle
- 60Registration of vehicles belonging to the Central Government
- 61Application of Chapter to trailers
- 62
- 63Maintenance of State Registers of Motor Vehicles
- 64Power of the Central Government to make rules
- 65Power of the State Government to make rules
- 66Necessity for permits
- 67Powers to State Government to control road transport
- 68Transport Authorities
- 69General provision as to applications for permits
- 70Application for stage carriage permit
- 71
- 72Grant of stage carriage permit
- 73
- 74Grant of contract carriage permit
- 75Scheme for renting of motorcabs
- 76Application for private service vehicle permit
- 77Application for goods carriage permit
- 78Consideration of application for goods carriage permit
- 79Grant of goods carriage permit
- 80Procedure in applying for and granting permits
- 81Duration and renewal of permits
- 82Transfer of permit
- 83Replacement of vehicles
- 84General conditions attaching to all permits
- 85General form of permits
- 86Cancellation and suspension of permits
- 87Temporary permits
- 88Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted
- 89Appeals
- 90Revision
- 91Restriction hours of work of drivers
- 92Voidance of contracts restrictive of liability
- 93Agent or canvasser to obtain licence
- 94Bar on jurisdiction of Civil Courts
- 95Power of State Government to make rules as to stage carriages and contract carriages
- 96Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter
- 97Definition
- 99
- 100Objection to the proposal
- 101Operation of additional services by a State transport undertaking in certain circumstances
- 102Cancellation or modification of scheme
- 103Issue of permits to State transport undertakings
- 104Restriction on grant of permits in respect of a notified area or notified route
- 105
- 107Power of State Government to make rules
- 108Certain powers of State Government exercisable by the Central Government
- 110Power of Central Government to make rules
- 112Limits of speed
- 113Limits of weight and limitations on use
- 114Power to have vehicle weighed
- 115Power to restrict the use of vehicles
- 116Power to erect traffic signs
- 117Parking places and halting stations
- 118Driving regulations
- 119Duty to obey traffic signs
- 120Vehicles with left hand control
- 121Signals and signalling devices
- 122
- 123Riding on running board, etc
- 124Prohibition against travelling without pass or ticket
- 125Obstruction of driver
- 126Stationary Vehicles
- 127Removal of motor vehicles abandoned or left unattended on a public place
- 128Safety measures for drivers and pillion riders
- 129Wearing of protective headgear
- 130Duty to produce licence and certificate of registration
- 131Duty of the driver take certain precautions at unguarded railway level crossings
- 132Duty of driver to stop in certain cases
- 133
- 134Duty of driver in case of accident and injury to a person
- 135Schemes to be framed for the investigation of accident cases and wayside amenities, etc
- 136Inspection of vehicle involved in accident
- 137Power of Central Government to make rules
- 138Power of State Government to make rules
- 139Power of Central Government to make rules
- 140Liability to pay compensation in certain cases on the principle of no fault
- 141Provisions as to other right to claim compensation for death or permanent disablement
- 142Permanent disablement
- 143Applicability of Chapter to certain claims under Act 8 of 1923
- 144Overriding effect
- 146Necessity for insurance against third party risk
- 147Requirement of policies and limits of liability
- 148Validity of polices of insurance issued in reciprocating countries
- 149
- 150Rights of third parties against insurers on insolvency of the insured
- 151Duty to give information as to insurance
- 152Settlement between insurers and insured persons
- 153Saving in respect of section 150,151 and 152
- 154
- 155Effect of death on certain causes of action
- 156Effect of certificate of insurance
- 157Trasnfer of certificate of insurance
- 158Production of certain certificates, licence and permit in certain cases
- 159Production of certificate of insurance on application for authority to use vehicle
- 160Duty to furnish particulars of vehicle involved in accident
- 161Special provisions as to compensation in case of hit and run motor accident
- 162Refund in certain cases of compensation paid under section 161
- 163Sceme for payment of compensation in case of hit and run motor accidents
- 164Power of Central Government to make rules
- 165Claims Tribunals
- 166Application for compensation
- 167Option regarding claims for compensation in certain cases
- 168Award of the Claims Tribunal
- 169Procedure and powers of Claims Tribunals
- 170Impleading insurer in certain cases
- 171Award of interest where any claim is allowed
- 172Award of compensatory costs in certain cases
- 173Appeals
- 174Recovery of money from insurer as arrear of land revenue
- 175Bar on jurisdiction of Civil Courts
- 176Power of State Government to make rules
- 177General provision for punishment of offences
- 178
- 179Disobedience of orders, obstruction and refusal of information
- 180Allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles
- 181Driving vehicles in contravention of section 3 or section 4
- 182Offences relating to licences
- 183Driving at excessive speed, etc
- 184
- 185Driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs
- 186
- 187Punishment for offeence relating to accident
- 188Punishment for abetment of certain offences
- 189Racing and trials of speed
- 190Using vehicle in unsafe condition
- 191Sale of vehicle in or alteration of vehicle to condition contravening this Act
- 193Punishment of agents and canvassers without proper authority
- 194Driving vehicle exceeding permissible weight
- 195Imposition of minimum fine under certain circumstances
- 196
- 197Taking vehicle without authority
- 198Unauthorised interference with vehicle
- 199Offences by companies
- 200Composition of certain offences
- 201Penalty for causing obstruction to free flow of traffic
- 202Power to arrest without warrant
- 203Breath tests
- 204Laboratory test
- 205
- 206Power of police officer to impound document
- 207Power to detain vehicles used without certificate of registration permit, etc
- 208Summary disposal of cases
- 209
- 210Courts to send intimation about conviction
- 211Power to levy fee
- 212Publication, commencement and laying of rules and notifications
- 213Appointment of motor vehicles officers
- 214Effect of appeal and revision on orders passed by original authority
- 215Road Safety Councils and Committees
- 216Power to remove difficulties
- 217Repeal and savings
Rules made under this Act
1 set of Rules. India Code publishes Rules as a record and a document rather than as text, so these are indexed here and not reproduced. All Rules.
- Andaman and Nicobar Motor Vehicles Amendment Rules 20192019
Provenance. Read from the Government's own scanned gazette with Azure Document Intelligence, then split into sections by their numbering. India Code publishes no text for this Act. The scan itself is mirrored into our own storage and served at /scan/d3d0b0c4-54e9-4582-85d0-c5498b9939b4.pdf, so the reading here can be checked against the page it came from without depending on India Code's own copy staying where it is (it was at https://indiacode.gov.in/server/api/core/bitstreams/33b6b7a1-269f-403d-ad53-3a276c309bd8/content).
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Every one of the 209 sections of this Act has its own page. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.