Courts still don’t accept a digital token on your phone — only physical printouts, and most court complexes have no printing facility on-site. That used to be the single biggest reason people got turned away at Lok Adalat. It’s no longer the only major risk. Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 was substituted, adding a fixed dispute-resolution timeline and, for anyone who wants to go to court after a rejected dispute, a requirement to first deposit 50% of the challan amount. Lok Adalat still exists and still offers discounts, but treating it as an automatic first-resort fallback is riskier than it used to be.
There’s a genuine amount of uncertainty in exactly when this changed and exactly how many days the window runs, and it’s worth being upfront about that rather than stating a specific number with false confidence: one professional regulatory tracker cites the substituted rule as coming into force January 21, 2026, while general reporting on it — often framed around a “45-day” window — picked up more widely closer to mid-2026, and at least one detailed account of the actual rule text describes a 30-day dispute-resolution period rather than 45. Given how much is riding on getting this right for an individual challan, checking the exact current timeline on NextGen mParivahan or with your State Transport Department for your specific challan is genuinely worth doing rather than relying on any single number here.
National Lok Adalat is NALSA’s (National Legal Services Authority) nationwide single-day legal event where pending cases — most commonly traffic challans, but also cheque bounce, bank recovery, and other compoundable matters — get settled through mutual agreement rather than prolonged court proceedings, holding statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Reference: nalsa.gov.in/lok-adalats.
Rule 167 Challan Dispute Process — 45-Day Window Explained
Once a challan is issued, there’s a fixed window to either pay it or formally contest it on the NextGen mParivahan portal with supporting documents — not acting within that window means the challan gets treated as accepted by default. If a dispute is filed, the traffic authority has to resolve it within roughly 30 days. Should that dispute get rejected, the person then has a further window (commonly reported as 30 days) to either pay the fine or go to court — but going to court now requires depositing 50% of the challan amount first, on the state government’s designated portal. Only after that deposit can the matter actually be filed before a court.
This changes the sequence Lok Adalat used to operate within. Previously, people could largely ignore a challan for months, then show up at the next Lok Adalat date hoping for a negotiated discount before paying anything. That’s no longer clean — inaction within the initial window is now read as acceptance, not neutrality, and once a challan has moved into the rejected-dispute stage, the 50% deposit obligation applies regardless of which forum eventually handles it, Lok Adalat included. A challan still within its initial window, or one that hasn’t yet been disputed, remains the cleanest candidate for a straightforward Lok Adalat settlement under the older, more flexible approach.
| Challan’s Stage | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Recently issued, no action taken yet | Decide quickly — pay it, or contest it on NextGen mParivahan with evidence, rather than letting the window lapse by default |
| Contested, authority still reviewing | Wait for resolution; registering for the next Lok Adalat date remains an option in parallel if eligible |
| Contest rejected by the authority | The 50% deposit on the state portal is now required before any further court-level challenge, including through Lok Adalat |
| Already past the initial window, never contested | Treated as accepted — paying in full, or attending Lok Adalat for whatever discount is on offer that cycle, are the realistic remaining options |
A lot of people are still approaching a fresh challan the old way — set it aside, deal with it whenever the next Lok Adalat rolls around. That approach carries real risk now in a way it didn’t before, since the window for disputing on the merits starts from issuance, not from whenever someone gets around to it.
National Lok Adalat 2026 Schedule — Next Dates
Per NALSA’s confirmation (letter No. L/34/2018-NALSA, dated December 4, 2025), National Lok Adalats fall on the 2nd Saturday of March, May, September, and December.
| Lok Adalat | 2026 Date |
|---|---|
| 1st | March 14 (held) |
| 2nd | May 9 (held) |
| 3rd | September 12 (upcoming) |
| 4th | December 12 (upcoming) |
Some circulating sources list slightly different dates — “13th September” shows up in a few places instead of the 12th. The “2nd Saturday” rule itself is the reliable anchor; cross-checking against your State Legal Services Authority’s notification closer to the actual date is worth doing regardless of what any guide, this one included, states.
National Lok Adalat vs Permanent Lok Adalat
National Lok Adalat runs four times a year on fixed dates and covers all subject matters broadly, with no fixed monetary limit — an unresolved case simply returns to regular court. Permanent Lok Adalat operates year-round, specifically for public utility service disputes (transport, postal, telegraph, and similar), with jurisdiction capped at ₹10 lakh, and it can decide a matter itself if no settlement is reached, except for offences. The Rule 167 deposit requirement applies across both forums for challan-related matters — it isn’t something switching between them avoids.
Traffic Challans Eligible for Lok Adalat Settlement
Overspeeding, signal jumping, no helmet or seatbelt, wrong parking, and driving without valid insurance are generally eligible for Lok Adalat settlement. Drunk driving, hit-and-run, accident cases involving injury or death, FIR-linked matters, non-compoundable offences, and divorce matters are not — these need regular court proceedings.
Discount or waiver percentages on settled challans vary significantly by state, anywhere from 50% up to as high as 100% in some cases — confirming the current rate with the State Legal Services Authority closer to the event date matters, since it genuinely changes cycle to cycle. Worth remembering: if a challan has already passed through a rejected dispute and into the 50% pre-deposit stage, that deposit obligation carries into the Lok Adalat process too — any discount applies on top of the deposit already made, not instead of it.
Lok Adalat Token Registration — How to Apply
The exact process varies noticeably by state — some, like Delhi, run a centralized online portal; others rely on the national NALSA calendar without a dedicated state-level booking system, meaning direct contact with the local Legal Services Authority or Traffic Police office becomes the practical route.
Where an online option exists, it typically works through nalsa.gov.in, the State Traffic Police site, or the State/District Legal Services Authority portal — searching for “National Lok Adalat Token Registration” or “Challan Settlement/Waiver,” entering the vehicle registration number (some states also want the last 5 digits of the chassis or engine number), and reviewing pending challans linked to that vehicle before selecting which ones to settle. Checking the issuance date against the current dispute window is worth doing at this stage too, before assuming Lok Adalat is automatically the best option for a given challan. The token and appointment confirmation download or print from there, usually with an SMS or email confirmation as backup.
Documents Required at Lok Adalat — Physical Printouts Only
This remains the most commonly overlooked requirement: courts want physical printouts, not digital copies on a phone. Token or appointment letter, challan copy, original RC, original driving licence, valid PUC certificate, insurance policy, and government ID all need to be physical or printed. If a challan has already gone through a rejected dispute, a printed receipt proving the 50% deposit is required too. Most court complexes have no on-site printing facility, so preparing everything in advance genuinely matters here.
What Happens at Lok Adalat on Settlement Day
Arriving at the designated district court complex with all physical documents, cases get heard in token number sequence. A panel — typically a judge, lawyer, and social worker — facilitates a compromise between the individual and the relevant authority, such as traffic police. If agreement is reached, an award gets passed that’s final and binding, with no appeal possible; paying the settled amount and collecting the official closure receipt wraps things up. If no agreement is reached, the case returns to the regular court process, where the 50% pre-deposit rule applies if pursuing it further.
FAQ
When’s the next National Lok Adalat in 2026? September 12, followed by December 12 — both the 2nd Saturday of their respective months, per NALSA’s official schedule confirmation.
Do I have to deposit 50% before going to Lok Adalat now? Only if the challan has already been disputed and that dispute was rejected. In that specific situation, the 50% deposit on the state portal is required before any further court-level relief, Lok Adalat included. If the challan hasn’t yet been disputed or rejected, this doesn’t apply yet.
How many days do I actually have to respond to a challan before it’s treated as accepted? This is exactly the kind of figure worth confirming directly for your specific challan and state — reporting on this varies (commonly cited as somewhere in the 30-45 day range depending on the source and stage), and getting it wrong could mean losing the chance to dispute on the merits. NextGen mParivahan or your State Transport Department can confirm the current, exact figure.
How do I register for a Lok Adalat token? Through nalsa.gov.in, the State Traffic Police website, or the State/District Legal Services Authority portal — the exact process varies by state, and not every state has a dedicated online booking system.
Can I just show my token on my phone instead of printing it? No — physical printouts are required for the token, challan, and all supporting documents. Digital copies on a phone aren’t accepted at court.
What discount can I expect? It varies by state, from around 50% up to potentially 100% in some cases — worth confirming the current rate closer to the event date. This discount applies to the challan amount itself; it doesn’t refund or reduce a 50% deposit already made under the newer dispute process.
Is a Lok Adalat decision final? Yes — once settlement is reached, the award is final and binding, with no appeal possible.
My state doesn’t have an online token portal — what do I do? Not every state runs one; the local District Legal Services Authority or Traffic Police office directly handles offline registration in that case.
My challan involves an accident with injury — can I settle it here? No, that doesn’t qualify for standard Lok Adalat settlement and needs regular court proceedings instead.
For related traffic and challan resources, the UP Lok Adalat Token Registration guide and eChallan Parivahan guide cover adjacent parts of this process