Viral Claim that the Supreme Court of India has banned photo-based traffic challans (e-challans).A message circulating on social media claimed that the Supreme Court of India has banned photo-based traffic challans (e-challans) from January 1, 2026, and that a driver’s signature is now required for a challan to be valid in court.
In a recent Fact-Check Findings done by Law Trend’s
- The claim is false and misleading—there is no Supreme Court order banning photo-based challans or requiring driver signatures for validity.
- Photographic and digital evidence (like photos and videos from cameras) remains legal and admissible under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.
- In fact, the Supreme Court and courts have generally supported the use of technology (such as CCTV and automated enforcement) to improve traffic law enforcement and road safety.
- There is no legal requirement for a challan to bear the driver’s signature. Notices sent electronically to the registered owner are valid.
Conclusion:
The viral message claiming a ban on photo-based challans after January 1, 2026 is baseless. E-challans issued with photographic evidence continue to be legally valid, and people are advised not to share unverified posts on this topic.