MVA Section 22: Suspension or cancellation of driving licence on conviction
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 · Chapter 2: LICENSING OF DRIVERS OF MOTOR VEHICLES
¶22. Suspension or cancellation of driving licence on conviction.—(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (3) of section 20 where a person, referred to in sub-section (1) of section 21 is convicted of an offence of causing, by such dangerous driving as is referred to in section 184 of any class or description of motor vehicle the death of, or grievous hurt to, one or more persons, the Court by which such person is convicted may cancel, or suspend for such period as it may think fit, the driving licence held by such person in so far as it relates to that class or description of motor vehicle.
(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 20, if a person, having been previously convicted of an offence punishable under section 185 is again convicted of an offence punishable under that section, the Court, making such subsequent conviction, shall, by order, cancel the driving licence held by such person.
(3) If a driving licence is cancelled or suspended under this section, the Court shall take the driving licence in its custody, endorse the cancellation or, as the case may be, suspension, thereon and send the driving licence so endorsed to the authority by which the licence was issued or last renewed and such authority shall, on receipt of the licence, keep the licence in its safe custody, and in the case of a suspended licence, return the licence to the holder thereof after the expiry of the period of suspension on an application made by him for such return:
Provided that no such licence shall be returned unless the holder thereof has, after the expiry of the period of suspension, undergone and passed, to the satisfaction of the licensing authority by which the licence was issued or last renewed, a fresh test of competence to drive referred to in sub-section (3) of section 9 and produced a medical certificate in the same form and in the same manner as is referred to in sub-section (3) of section 8.
(4) If a licence to drive a particular class or description of motor vehicles is cancelled or suspended under this section, the person holding such a licence shall be debarred from holding, or obtaining, any licence to drive such particular class or description of motor vehicles so long as the cancellation or suspension of the driving licence remains in force.
Study: explanations and related material
Official reference: India Code, Government of India — edition as on 15 August 2026 — source review: 2 October 2026.Recorded edition / snapshot date: 2026-08-15.Banaka reference transcription, not an official or certified edition. General central text: regional amendment blocks are not consolidated. This edition includes Jan Vishwas 2026 changes effective 15 August 2026. Amendment brackets are retained; footnotes and superscript reference numerals are excluded. Consult the complete government PDF for schedules, amendment notes and authoritative wording. State rules and notifications may differ. Hindi guides are original explanations, not a statutory translation.Read the original schedule and amendment notes
This text is for reference, not legal advice. Consult the official source for the authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 3. Necessity for driving licence
- 4. Age limit in connection with driving of motor vehicles
- 5. Responsibility of owners of motor vehicles for contravention of sections 3 and 4
- 6. Restrictions on the holding of driving licences
- 7. Restrictions on the granting of learner’s licences for certain vehicles
- 8. Grant of learner’s licence
- 9. Grant of driving licence
- 10. Form and contents of licences to drive
- 11. Additions to driving licence
- 12. Licensing and regulation of schools or establishments for imparting instruction in driving of motor vehicles
- 13. Extent of effectiveness of licences, to drive motor vehicles
- 14. Currency of licences to drive motor vehicles
- 15. Renewal of driving licences
- 16. Revocation of driving licence on grounds of disease or disability
- 17. Orders refusing or revoking driving licences and appeals therefrom
- 18. Driving Licences to drive motor vehicles, belonging to the Central Government
- 19. Power of licensing authority to disqualify from holding a driving licence or revoke such licence
- 20. Power of Court to disqualify
- 21. Suspension of driving licence in certain cases
- 23. Effect of disqualification order
- 24. Endorsement
- 25. Transfer of endorsement and issue of driving licence free from endorsement
- 25A. National Register of Driving Licences
- 26. Maintenance of State Registers of Driving Licences
- 27. Power of Central Government to make rules
- 28. Power of State Government to make rules