In a significant step toward digital governance and improved efficiency in traffic enforcement, the Government of Rajasthan has officially authorised the use of electronic communication channels—SMS, WhatsApp, and email—for serving traffic e-challans.
The notification, issued by the Transport and Road Safety Department, comes into effect immediately and is expected to streamline challan delivery while ensuring transparency and convenience for vehicle owners.
⚖️ Legal Authority
The notification has been issued under the powers conferred by sub-rule (3) of Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. This empowers State Governments to prescribe modes of serving challans for traffic offences committed under the Motor Vehicles Act.
📱 Electronic Modes of Communication
With this amendment, the Rajasthan Government officially recognises the following as valid electronic means for issuing and serving challans:
- Short Messaging Services (SMS)
- WhatsApp messages
- E-mail communication
This initiative aims to make the challan process faster, eco-friendly, and paperless, reducing delays caused by manual delivery of physical challans.
🔔 Mandatory Update of Contact Details
To enable effective communication, all vehicle owners in Rajasthan are required to update their mobile numbers and email addresses on the Vahan Portal within one month from the date of publication of this notification.
🔗 Portal Link: https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in
Failure to update contact information may result in the challan being sent to the existing contact details on record, which will still be considered legally served.
📜 Deemed Service of e-Challan
After the one-month period, any challan sent via:
- SMS,
- WhatsApp, or
- Email
to the contact details registered in the Vahan database shall be deemed to have been validly served on the vehicle owner.
This clause ensures that electronic communication holds the same legal validity as physical delivery.
🚗 Impact and Benefits
The introduction of digital challan delivery offers several key advantages:
- Speed and efficiency in communicating traffic violations.
- Transparency in challan issuance and record management.
- Reduced paperwork and administrative overhead.
- Enhanced convenience for citizens who can now receive challans instantly and securely.
The move aligns with the Digital India initiative and Rajasthan’s broader vision of smart governance through technology-enabled services.
💬 Official Statement
The Department emphasised that vehicle owners’ cooperation is essential for smooth implementation. Citizens are advised to ensure their contact information is accurate and active on the Vahan Portal to receive timely notifications and avoid penalties for unacknowledged challans.
✅ Conclusion
The Rajasthan Government’s notification marks an important milestone in digitising traffic law enforcement. By formally recognising SMS, WhatsApp, and email as valid modes for serving e-challans, the State takes a forward-looking step toward efficient, transparent, and eco-friendly public service delivery.
Vehicle owners are urged to update their details promptly to stay compliant and connected in this new digital framework.