Age limit in connection with driving of motor vehicles
Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 deals with age limit in connection with driving of motor vehicles. No person under the age of eighteen years shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place: Provided that [a motor cycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc] may be driven in a public place by a person after attaining the age of sixteen years. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1989.
(1) No person under the age of eighteen years shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place:
Provided that 1[a motor cycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc] may be driven in a public place by a person after attaining the age of sixteen years.
(2) Subject to the provisions of section 18, no person under the age of twenty years shall drive a transport vehicle in any public place.
(3) No learners licence or driving licence shall be issued to any person to drive a vehicle of the class to which he has made an application unless he is eligible to drive that class of vehicle under this section.
Section 4, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Referred to by 6
- s. 5 Responsibility of owners of motor vehicles for contravention of sections 3 and 4
- s. 8 Grant of learner's licence
- s. 180 Allowing unauthorised persons to drive vehicles
- s. 181 Driving vehicles in contravention of section 3 or section 4
- s. 199A Offences by juveniles
- s. 207 Power to detain vehicles used without certificate of registration permit, etc
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… It is the submission of Shri Jayant Bhushan and Shri Joy Basu, learned Senior Counsel that certain distinct provisions pertaining specifically to transport vehicles have unfortunately not been brought to the notice of the Court: 1. Section 4(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") provides that the minimum age of holding a driving licence for a motor vehicle is 18 years. Section 4(2) provides that no person under the age of 20 years shall drive a transport vehicle in a public place. 2. Section 7 provides that no …
Made under this section, and citing it
2 instruments state that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Another 1 instrument names this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 4
What does Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act deal with?
Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act is headed "Age limit in connection with driving of motor vehicles". No person under the age of eighteen years shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place: Provided that [a motor cycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc] may be driven in a public place by a person after attaining the age of sixteen years.
How do I find court cases under Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: MV Act 4, section 4 MV Act, section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 18 (Driving Licences to drive motor vehicles, belonging to the Central Government), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 6 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there are 2: most recently SO 1433(E) dated 31.03.2021 implementation of sections of MV act2019 (2021), then SO 3110(E) dated 28.08.2019 enforcement of sections of motor vehicle (2019).
When did Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act come into force?
Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act, cited as MV Act 4, came into force on 01 Jul 1989, having been enacted on 14 Oct 1988. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1948 words
- 88. Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted1560 words
- 51. Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc1199 words
- 150. Duty of insurers to satisfy judgments and awards against persons insured in respect of third party risks1102 words
- 96. Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter995 words
- 72. Grant of stage carriage permits868 words
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. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.