Karnataka RTI Online Portal Help: Department Not Listed, Payment, First Appeal and Offline Filing

Before you start, keep these ready

• A mobile number and email (for updates and the acknowledgement)
• Your full postal address
• The Karnataka department / public authority you want information from
• Your RTI questions, written in plain text (the portal FAQ limits the request field to 3000 characters and about 150 words - keep it short and attach a PDF for more detail)
• An Internet Banking facility to pay the fee online (the portal accepts payment through Internet Banking)
• Any supporting document as a small PDF, if needed
• A copy of your BPL certificate, if you are claiming the fee exemption

How filing works

1. Open rtionline.karnataka.gov.in and use the "Submit Request" option - you can file directly; the Login is only for officers.
2. Read the portal guidelines, then select the concerned Karnataka department / public authority.
3. Enter your applicant details and postal address.
4. Write your RTI request in plain text. The portal FAQ says the request field is limited to 3000 characters and should not exceed 150 words; if you need more detail, keep the portal text short and attach a supporting PDF.
5. Attach a supporting document as a PDF only if needed (attach your BPL certificate if claiming the fee waiver). Do not upload Aadhaar, PAN, passport or other personal identity documents.
6. Pay the Rs. 10 fee through Internet Banking (BPL applicants are exempt).
7. Submit and save the registration / acknowledgement number - you need it to track the RTI and to file a First Appeal online.

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

• Look for the parent Karnataka department - the office may sit under a larger department or public authority.
• If it is a Central Government office, use the Central RTI portal (rtionline.gov.in) - see our Central portal help.
• If it is another State's public authority, use that State's RTI route.
• If a Karnataka office is genuinely not on the portal, file by post to the concerned PIO - see our guide to filing RTI offline.
• On Section 6(3) transfer: if you pick the wrong listed Karnataka department, the application may be transferred under Section 6(3). But if the correct public authority is not implemented on the Karnataka RTI Online portal, the portal says it cannot be transferred online to that authority - file manually / by post instead. 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

Filing a First Appeal

If you filed your RTI through the Karnataka portal, you can file the First Appeal online here using your registration number (the portal FAQ says there is no fee for a First Appeal). If your RTI was filed physically by post, file the appeal physically unless the public authority has lodged it on the portal. For a Second Appeal or complaint, use the Karnataka Information Commission route - not this RTI application / First Appeal flow.

When to use a State portal or file offline instead

• The office is a Central Government body or another State's authority - use the Central portal (rtionline.gov.in) or that State's route instead.
• A Karnataka office is not available on the portal - file by post to its PIO.
• You do not have Internet Banking - file by post/offline and use the fee mode prescribed by the concerned Karnataka public authority.
• The portal is repeatedly failing, or you want a Speed Post trail as documentary proof.

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

Frequently Asked Questions