Act4
Enacted 1939

The Motor Vehicle Act, 1939

In force 209 sections Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Act 4 of 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.

  1. 2
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 5
  5. 6
  6. 7
  7. 8Grant of learner's licence
  8. 9
  9. 10
  10. 11
  11. 12
  12. 13Extent of effectiveness of licences to drive motor vehicles
  13. 14Currency of licences to drive motor vehicles
  14. 15
  15. 16
  16. 17
  17. 18Driving licences to drive motor vehicles, belonging to the Central Government
  18. 19
  19. 20Power of Court to disqualify
  20. 21Suspension of driving licence in certain cases
  21. 22Suspension or cancellation of driving licence on conviction
  22. 23Effect of disqualification order
  23. 24Endorsement
  24. 25Transfer of endorsement and issue of driving licence free from endorsement
  25. 26Maintenance of State Registers of Driving Licences
  26. 27Power of Central Government to make rules
  27. 28Power of State Government to make rules
  28. 29Necessity for conductor's licence
  29. 30Grant of conductor's licence
  30. 31Disqualifications for the grant of conductor's licence
  31. 32Revocation of a conductor's licence on grounds of disease or disability
  32. 33
  33. 34Power of licensing authority to disqualify
  34. 35Power of Court to disqualify
  35. 36Certain provisions of Chapter II to apply to conductor's licence
  36. 37Savings
  37. 38Power of State Government to make rules
  38. 39Necessity for registration
  39. 40Registration, where to be made
  40. 41Registration, how to be made
  41. 42Special provision for registration of motor vehicles of diplomatic officers, etc
  42. 43Temporary registration
  43. 44Production of vehicle at the time of registration
  44. 45Refusal of registration or renewal of the certificate of registration
  45. 46Effectiveness is India of registration
  46. 47Assignment of new registration mark on removal to another State
  47. 48No objection certificate
  48. 49Change of residence or place of business
  49. 50Transfer of ownership
  50. 51Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hirepurchase agreement, etc
  51. 53Suspension of registration
  52. 54Cancellation of registration suspended under section 53
  53. 55Cancellation of registration
  54. 56Certificate of fitness of transport vehicles
  55. 57Appeals
  56. 58Special provisions in regard to transport vehicles
  57. 59Power to fix the age limit of motor vehicle
  58. 60Registration of vehicles belonging to the Central Government
  59. 61Application of Chapter to trailers
  60. 62
  61. 63Maintenance of State Registers of Motor Vehicles
  62. 64Power of the Central Government to make rules
  63. 65Power of the State Government to make rules
  64. 66Necessity for permits
  65. 67Powers to State Government to control road transport
  66. 68Transport Authorities
  67. 69General provision as to applications for permits
  68. 70Application for stage carriage permit
  69. 71
  70. 72Grant of stage carriage permit
  71. 73
  72. 74Grant of contract carriage permit
  73. 75Scheme for renting of motorcabs
  74. 76Application for private service vehicle permit
  75. 77Application for goods carriage permit
  76. 78Consideration of application for goods carriage permit
  77. 79Grant of goods carriage permit
  78. 80Procedure in applying for and granting permits
  79. 81Duration and renewal of permits
  80. 82Transfer of permit
  81. 83Replacement of vehicles
  82. 84General conditions attaching to all permits
  83. 85General form of permits
  84. 86Cancellation and suspension of permits
  85. 87Temporary permits
  86. 88Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted
  87. 89Appeals
  88. 90Revision
  89. 91Restriction hours of work of drivers
  90. 92Voidance of contracts restrictive of liability
  91. 93Agent or canvasser to obtain licence
  92. 94Bar on jurisdiction of Civil Courts
  93. 95Power of State Government to make rules as to stage carriages and contract carriages
  94. 96Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter
  95. 97Definition
  96. 99
  97. 100Objection to the proposal
  98. 101Operation of additional services by a State transport undertaking in certain circumstances
  99. 102Cancellation or modification of scheme
  100. 103Issue of permits to State transport undertakings
  101. 104Restriction on grant of permits in respect of a notified area or notified route
  102. 105
  103. 107Power of State Government to make rules
  104. 108Certain powers of State Government exercisable by the Central Government
  105. 110Power of Central Government to make rules
  106. 112Limits of speed
  107. 113Limits of weight and limitations on use
  108. 114Power to have vehicle weighed
  109. 115Power to restrict the use of vehicles
  110. 116Power to erect traffic signs
  111. 117Parking places and halting stations
  112. 118Driving regulations
  113. 119Duty to obey traffic signs
  114. 120Vehicles with left hand control
  115. 121Signals and signalling devices
  116. 122
  117. 123Riding on running board, etc
  118. 124Prohibition against travelling without pass or ticket
  119. 125Obstruction of driver
  120. 126Stationary Vehicles
  121. 127Removal of motor vehicles abandoned or left unattended on a public place
  122. 128Safety measures for drivers and pillion riders
  123. 129Wearing of protective headgear
  124. 130Duty to produce licence and certificate of registration
  125. 131Duty of the driver take certain precautions at unguarded railway level crossings
  126. 132Duty of driver to stop in certain cases
  127. 133
  128. 134Duty of driver in case of accident and injury to a person
  129. 135Schemes to be framed for the investigation of accident cases and wayside amenities, etc
  130. 136Inspection of vehicle involved in accident
  131. 137Power of Central Government to make rules
  132. 138Power of State Government to make rules
  133. 139Power of Central Government to make rules
  134. 140Liability to pay compensation in certain cases on the principle of no fault
  135. 141Provisions as to other right to claim compensation for death or permanent disablement
  136. 142Permanent disablement
  137. 143Applicability of Chapter to certain claims under Act 8 of 1923
  138. 144Overriding effect
  139. 146Necessity for insurance against third party risk
  140. 147Requirement of policies and limits of liability
  141. 148Validity of polices of insurance issued in reciprocating countries
  142. 149
  143. 150Rights of third parties against insurers on insolvency of the insured
  144. 151Duty to give information as to insurance
  145. 152Settlement between insurers and insured persons
  146. 153Saving in respect of section 150,151 and 152
  147. 154
  148. 155Effect of death on certain causes of action
  149. 156Effect of certificate of insurance
  150. 157Trasnfer of certificate of insurance
  151. 158Production of certain certificates, licence and permit in certain cases
  152. 159Production of certificate of insurance on application for authority to use vehicle
  153. 160Duty to furnish particulars of vehicle involved in accident
  154. 161Special provisions as to compensation in case of hit and run motor accident
  155. 162Refund in certain cases of compensation paid under section 161
  156. 163Sceme for payment of compensation in case of hit and run motor accidents
  157. 164Power of Central Government to make rules
  158. 165Claims Tribunals
  159. 166Application for compensation
  160. 167Option regarding claims for compensation in certain cases
  161. 168Award of the Claims Tribunal
  162. 169Procedure and powers of Claims Tribunals
  163. 170Impleading insurer in certain cases
  164. 171Award of interest where any claim is allowed
  165. 172Award of compensatory costs in certain cases
  166. 173Appeals
  167. 174Recovery of money from insurer as arrear of land revenue
  168. 175Bar on jurisdiction of Civil Courts
  169. 176Power of State Government to make rules
  170. 177General provision for punishment of offences
  171. 178
  172. 179Disobedience of orders, obstruction and refusal of information
  173. 180Allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles
  174. 181Driving vehicles in contravention of section 3 or section 4
  175. 182Offences relating to licences
  176. 183Driving at excessive speed, etc
  177. 184
  178. 185Driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs
  179. 186
  180. 187Punishment for offeence relating to accident
  181. 188Punishment for abetment of certain offences
  182. 189Racing and trials of speed
  183. 190Using vehicle in unsafe condition
  184. 191Sale of vehicle in or alteration of vehicle to condition contravening this Act
  185. 193Punishment of agents and canvassers without proper authority
  186. 194Driving vehicle exceeding permissible weight
  187. 195Imposition of minimum fine under certain circumstances
  188. 196
  189. 197Taking vehicle without authority
  190. 198Unauthorised interference with vehicle
  191. 199Offences by companies
  192. 200Composition of certain offences
  193. 201Penalty for causing obstruction to free flow of traffic
  194. 202Power to arrest without warrant
  195. 203Breath tests
  196. 204Laboratory test
  197. 205
  198. 206Power of police officer to impound document
  199. 207Power to detain vehicles used without certificate of registration permit, etc
  200. 208Summary disposal of cases
  201. 209
  202. 210Courts to send intimation about conviction
  203. 211Power to levy fee
  204. 212Publication, commencement and laying of rules and notifications
  205. 213Appointment of motor vehicles officers
  206. 214Effect of appeal and revision on orders passed by original authority
  207. 215Road Safety Councils and Committees
  208. 216Power to remove difficulties
  209. 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.