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Central RTI Online Portal Help: Department Not Listed, OTP, Payment Failed and Offline Filing

Note: FileMyRTI is not a government website. This guide helps citizens use the official RTI portal correctly. If the portal does not support your department or filing route, FileMyRTI can help you file through the correct online or postal method.

Quick answer

You can file on rtionline.gov.in only if your office is a Central Government public authority. If your department is not listed, first check whether it belongs under a listed Central Ministry; if it is a State or local office, this portal is the wrong route - file by post, or let FileMyRTI reach the correct authority. Below are the inputs to keep ready, the common portal errors and their fixes, and when to file offline instead.

Go to rtionline.gov.in > Fee: Rs. 10 (free for BPL applicants with valid proof)

CoversCentral (Union) Government public authorities only - central ministries, central departments and central PSUs. Examples include EPFO, the Passport offices and Income Tax, and other central public authorities listed on the portal.

Does NOT coverState Government departments, district and local offices, municipalities, panchayats and State police are NOT on this portal. An RTI for a State public authority filed here can be returned without a refund of the fee.

Before you start, keep these ready

A mobile number / email (recommended - for SMS alerts and to view status later)
Your full postal address
The name of the department / public authority you want information from
Your RTI questions, written out in plain text
A payment method (debit/credit card, net banking, UPI or RuPay, as supported)
Any supporting document as a small PDF (do not upload Aadhaar/PAN - the only ID to attach is a BPL certificate if you claim the fee waiver)

Good to know: No account or login is needed. You file directly through the "Submit Request" tab. An OTP is only used later if you want to view your application status - not to file.

How filing works

Open the portal and use the "Submit Request" tab - no account or login is needed, you can file directly.
Read and accept the guidelines, then select the concerned Central Ministry / Department / public authority.
Enter your applicant details (name, address, and a mobile number / email for SMS alerts and to view status later).
Write your RTI request - the portal allows up to 3000 characters; if it is longer, attach the rest as a PDF under "Supporting Document".
Pay the Rs. 10 fee by internet banking, debit/credit card, UPI or RuPay (where available). BPL applicants pay no fee - attach the BPL certificate.
Submit, and save the unique registration number - you need it to track the RTI and to file an appeal.

If your department is not listed (the most common problem)

Look for the parent ministry/department - the office you want may sit under a larger one that is listed.
If it is a State department or local body (municipality, panchayat, police) - it is not on the Central portal. Many States run their own RTI portal; check our State RTI guides for the right one.
If no portal covers it, file by post to that office's PIO - see our guide to filing RTI offline.
Use Section 6(3) (transfer) only after a reasonable effort to find the right office - it is not a substitute for addressing the correct authority. See Section 6(3) explained.
Not sure which office or PIO? Use FindMyPIO, or let FileMyRTI identify it and file for you.

Common portal errors and how to fix them

OTP not received while viewing status

Wait a few minutes and check both your SMS and email. The official FAQ notes that delays can happen due to NIC or email-provider traffic, and that the OTP does not expire until it is used - so try again later before assuming the application is lost. Remember the OTP is only for VIEWING status, not for filing.

Payment debited but registration number not generated

Do not pay again immediately. The portal generates the registration number after payment reconciliation, which can take up to 24-48 working hours. Use the Payment Reconciliation option on the portal, or email the RTI Online help desk (helprtionline-dopt@nic.in) with your transaction details if it is still not generated.

Portal rejects special characters in your RTI text

The official portal allows letters, numbers, and limited special characters such as comma, period, hyphen, underscore, brackets, slash, @, colon, &, ?, backslash and %. Avoid bullets, emojis, smart/curly quotes and copied formatting - if your draft has them, paste it into Notepad first to strip the formatting before pasting into the box.

Your RTI is longer than 3000 characters

Keep the main text box short and upload the full RTI as a PDF under "Supporting Document". Avoid spaces in the PDF file name.

Supporting document upload failed

Use a PDF, keep the file small, and remove spaces from the file name. Do not upload Aadhaar, PAN or other personal ID documents - the only ID you should attach is a BPL certificate if you are claiming the fee exemption.

Your department / public authority is not listed

Do not pick a random department just to proceed. Search for the parent Central Ministry the office sits under. If it is actually a State or local authority, it is not on this portal - use the relevant State RTI portal or file offline by post.

Filing a First Appeal

Online First Appeal is generally available only for RTIs filed online through this portal, using the original registration number and your email ID. If your RTI was filed physically, file the appeal physically too - unless the public authority has lodged that manual RTI into the portal and shared the registration number.

When to use a State portal or file offline instead

The office is a State department or a local body (municipality, panchayat, or State police) - these are not on the Central portal. Many States run their own RTI portal, so check the relevant State RTI guide first; file by post only if no portal covers that office.
The portal keeps failing - payment not going through, or it is repeatedly down - and the workarounds above do not help.
You want a Speed Post trail as documentary proof of filing.

For the postal route, see how to file an RTI offline (by post), including how to attach the fee.

Stuck on the portal? FileMyRTI can file it for youWe draft it, identify the correct PIO, and file via the right online or postal route - from Rs. 399

I only need help finding the correct PIO >

Last verified: June 2026 against the official rtionline.gov.in FAQ and Guidelines. See also: the national RTI online guide, the Fee Calculator, and more portal help guides.