Nepal Traffic Fines & Penalties Directory: Violations, Fine Amounts & Demerit Points

Traffic enforcement in Nepal is carried out by the Nepal Police Traffic Directorate (Traffic Police) under the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act 2049 (1993 AD) and the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Rules 2054 (1997 AD). The Act sets out the offences and the maximum penalties, while the exact fine charged for day-to-day violations is fixed by traffic directives and periodically revised, which is why most fines are quoted as a range rather than a single figure.

Fines are issued at the roadside or through the e-Challan (digital chit) system, which links to the Traffic Violation Record System (TVRS). Since 2021 (and upgraded in 2024) drivers can be booked electronically and pay through the Nagarik App using a QR code, rather than only paying cash at a counter. A virtual or smart-card licence produced from the app is accepted during checks.

Because the 2049 Act is now more than three decades old, the government has drafted a replacement Vehicle and Transport Management Bill (widely referred to by its Bikram Sambat year, 2081) that proposes much heavier penalties, including sharply increased fines for drunk driving and criminal penalties for causing death by negligence. As of writing that bill is not yet law, so the figures in this directory reflect the Act 2049 framework and current Traffic Police practice. Always confirm the current amount on the ticket itself.

The table below summarises the most commonly enforced violations and the fine ranges reported by legal-service providers and Traffic Police notices under the Act 2049 framework. These are indicative: the precise amount depends on the vehicle class, whether it is a repeat offence, and the traffic directive in force at the time. Commercial (public) vehicles frequently face higher fines than private vehicles for the same offence.

Where a violation is serious or repeated, the Traffic Police can go beyond a cash fine, seizing the licence, impounding the vehicle, requiring the driver to attend road-safety or anti-alcohol classes, or forwarding the case for prosecution. Fine amounts should be treated as a starting point rather than a fixed price list.

Riding a two-wheeler without a helmet is one of the most heavily enforced offences in the Kathmandu Valley and on highways. The requirement applies to both the rider and, in Kathmandu, the pillion passenger; the indicative fine is around NPR 500-1,000 depending on the current directive. Enforcement drives after festival periods and at fixed checkpoints make this the fine most drivers encounter.

For four-wheelers, not wearing a seatbelt carries a comparable fine of roughly NPR 500-1,000. Both offences are treated as safety violations rather than paperwork lapses, which is why they can also add demerit points to the licence in addition to the cash fine. Because the amounts are set by directive, they are periodically revised upward, so the figure printed on the e-Challan is authoritative.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics is prohibited by Section 94 of the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act 2049. Nepal operates a strict, effectively zero-tolerance policy: since the 2019 revision the permissible breath-alcohol reading is reported as zero for all drivers, including private motorcycle and car drivers, not just commercial operators. The Traffic Police enforce this through the well-known 'Ma Pa Se' (madira pieko sawari, 'drinking-and-driving') breathalyser checkpoints run nightly in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and on major highways.

A first offence typically attracts a fine from around NPR 1,000 together with on-the-spot seizure of the licence; the driver usually recovers the licence only after attending a Traffic Police anti-alcohol counselling class. Commercial drivers and repeat offenders face substantially higher penalties, reported in the range of NPR 5,000-15,000, longer licence suspension of six months to a year, and, for repeat cases, the risk of licence cancellation or imprisonment of up to one year under the Act. A driver who disputes the breathalyser result can request a blood or urine test at the nearest hospital.

The Traffic Police publish monthly counts of drivers booked under the drunk-driving provision, and these figures spike during festival seasons. The draft 2081 bill proposes raising the drunk-driving penalty many times over, so this is an area where the law is expected to tighten further.

Alongside cash fines, Nepal has moved toward a demerit-point (penalty-point) system attached to the driving licence, designed to target habitual offenders rather than one-off violators. Under the framework reported by the Traffic Police and legal advisers, each qualifying violation adds a number of demerit points to the driver's record, and the points remain on the record for one year from the date of the violation before lapsing.

Different violations carry different weightings, commonly cited in the range of 2 to 5 points each, with serious offences such as drunk driving, dangerous over-speeding, mobile-phone use and disobeying traffic police carrying more points than minor lapses. The widely reported suspension trigger is the accumulation of 20 points within a single year, at which stage the licence can be suspended; continued offending after suspension can lead to longer suspension or permanent cancellation of the licence.

Drivers should treat the specific point values and the 20-point threshold as an operational framework rather than fixed statutory figures: the demerit system has been rolled out administratively alongside the smart licence and the TVRS database rather than being spelled out in the old 2049 Act, and the exact schedule can be adjusted. The reliable takeaway is that points accumulate, expire after a year, and a running total that crosses the threshold puts the licence at risk.

Driving without a valid licence is treated seriously, with an indicative fine of NPR 1,500-5,000 and the risk of the vehicle being held until a licensed driver takes charge; driving an unregistered vehicle or with an expired route permit carries its own penalties under the Act. Learners must carry a valid learner permit and be accompanied as required.

Unauthorised vehicle modification, such as fitting non-standard exhausts, illegal window tint (black film), high-intensity or coloured lights, or structural alterations that change the approved specification, can attract fines in the region of NPR 5,000-10,000, and the vehicle may be ordered to restore its original condition. The Traffic Police periodically run dedicated campaigns, for example against black-tinted glass, citing the Act 2049 and its rules. Any modification generally requires prior approval from the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), and most cosmetic or performance alterations are effectively not permitted.

Illegal or obstructive parking, parking in a no-parking zone, or blocking traffic typically carries a fine of around NPR 1,000, and the vehicle can be towed or clamped in the core city area. Parking rules are enforced most strictly inside the Kathmandu Valley ring road and in designated no-parking corridors.

Most fines can now be settled digitally. When a driver is booked, the violation is entered into the e-Challan / Traffic Violation Record System, and the fine can be paid through the Nagarik App by scanning a QR code, or at a Traffic Police counter. Paying promptly avoids the fine being attached to the licence record when the driver next renews or transacts with the transport office.

If you believe a fine was issued in error, you can raise it with the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office (control number 103) or the relevant divisional traffic office rather than simply refusing to pay, since an unpaid, recorded violation can block licence and vehicle services later. Keep the e-Challan reference or receipt as proof of payment.

Because fine amounts, the demerit-point schedule and the underlying law are all subject to revision, and because a new transport act is under discussion, drivers should verify current figures against the amount shown on their own ticket and the Nepal Police Traffic Directorate's official notices before relying on any published list, including this one.