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Karnataka RTI Online Portal Help: Department Not Listed, Payment, First Appeal 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 an RTI online at rtionline.karnataka.gov.in for the Karnataka State Government departments and public authorities listed on it. Do not use it for Central Government offices or other States (those are returned without refund). If your department is not listed, check whether it sits under a parent Karnataka department; if it is not on the portal, file by post to the concerned PIO. Below are the inputs to keep ready, the common portal errors and their fixes, and when to file offline instead.

Go to rtionline.karnataka.gov.in > Fee: RTI application fee Rs. 10 (BPL applicants are exempt with a valid BPL certificate). Additional copy charges are Rs. 2 per A4 page, as per the portal FAQ. Confirm current charges on the portal.
CoversThe Karnataka State Government departments and public authorities listed on the portal. The portal allows online RTI applications, and First Appeals for RTIs filed through it, for those listed public authorities.
Does NOT coverCentral Government offices and public authorities of other States are NOT covered. The portal warns: do not file RTIs or first appeals here for Central Government or other State Government public authorities - if filed, the application is returned without refund of the fee.

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)
  • A card, net banking or UPI to pay the fee online
  • Any supporting document as a small PDF, if needed
  • If claiming the fee exemption: your BPL card number (the portal checks the BPL card number by OTP and asks for an income certificate)
Good to know: You can file directly using "Submit Request" - the Login on the portal is for officers, not applicants. The Karnataka portal takes the RTI fee online by card, net banking or UPI (portal user manual). It also says you should not upload Aadhaar, PAN, passport or other personal identity documents on the RTI Online portal.

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 (if claiming the fee waiver, upload the income certificate the portal asks for after the BPL card check). Do not upload Aadhaar, PAN, passport or other personal identity documents.
  6. Pay the Rs. 10 fee online by card, net banking or UPI (applicants below the poverty line are exempt: the portal checks the BPL card number by OTP and asks for an income certificate).
  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

Department / public authority not listed

Look for the parent Karnataka department first - the office may sit under a larger public authority. If it is a Central Government office, use the Central portal; if it is another State, use that State's route. If a Karnataka office is genuinely not listed, file by post to its PIO.

Payment option not working

The Karnataka portal takes the RTI fee by card, net banking or UPI. If one method fails, try another before retrying. If you cannot pay online, file by post with an Indian Postal Order, demand draft, banker cheque or pay order in favour of the State Public Information Officer, or a Treasury remittance, or pay in cash at the office against a receipt (rule 4(4) of the Karnataka RTI Rules, 2005).

Payment failed, or amount debited but not confirmed

Do not pay again immediately. Save the bank reference number and check the portal status/history. If the amount was debited but the request is not confirmed, keep the reference and contact the portal helpline before paying again.

Your RTI is longer than the portal limit

The portal FAQ says the request field is limited to 3000 characters and should not exceed 150 words. Keep the portal text short and attach the full application as a PDF in the supporting-document field.

Portal rejects special characters in your RTI text

Avoid bullets, emojis, smart/curly quotes and copied formatting. Paste your draft into Notepad first to strip the formatting, then use simple punctuation before pasting it into the box.

Supporting document upload failed

Use a small PDF and remove spaces/special characters from the file name. Upload only what is relevant to your RTI - the portal says not to upload Aadhaar, PAN, passport or other personal identity documents (if claiming the exemption, upload only the income certificate the portal asks for).

No acknowledgement / registration number generated

Do not assume the RTI was filed. Check the status/history and your email. If no registration number appears, try again or file by post and keep the postal receipt as proof.

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 cannot pay online - file by post with an Indian Postal Order, demand draft, banker cheque, pay order or a Treasury remittance (rule 4(4)); cash is paid in person at the office.
  • 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.

Postal RTI packet checklist

  • Signed RTI application addressed to the PIO
  • Correct fee instrument (as prescribed by the authority) or BPL proof
  • Supporting document, if needed
  • Envelope addressed to the PIO / public authority
  • Your return address
  • A photo or photocopy of the full packet before dispatch
  • The Speed Post or registered post receipt

Cannot pay online, or department not listed? FileMyRTI can file it for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTI fee in Karnataka?

The RTI application fee is Rs. 10 under rule 4(1) of the Karnataka RTI Rules, 2005, payable online by card, net banking or UPI (BPL applicants are exempt with a valid BPL certificate). Additional A4 copy charges are Rs. 2 per page as per the portal FAQ; confirm current charges on the portal.

Can I file Central Government RTI on the Karnataka portal?

No. The Karnataka portal is only for the Karnataka State Government departments and public authorities listed on it. For Central Government RTIs, use rtionline.gov.in - filing the wrong jurisdiction here means the application is returned without refund.

How do I pay if I cannot pay online?

The portal takes the fee by card, net banking or UPI. If you cannot pay online, file by post with an Indian Postal Order, demand draft, banker cheque or pay order in favour of the State Public Information Officer, or a Treasury remittance, or pay in cash at the office against a receipt (rule 4(4) of the Karnataka RTI Rules, 2005).

Can I file a First Appeal online in Karnataka?

Yes. The Karnataka portal lets you file a First Appeal online for RTIs filed through the portal. For a Second Appeal or complaint, approach the Karnataka Information Commission.

Can FileMyRTI file a Karnataka RTI for me?

Yes. FileMyRTI can draft the RTI, identify the correct Karnataka public authority or PIO, and file it through the correct online or postal route.

Karnataka RTI Online helpline: 080-22585858 (10:00 AM to 5:30 PM) - Support email: rtionline@karnataka.gov.in

Stuck on the portal? FileMyRTI can file it for youThe portal does not support my authority / I need postal filing - we draft it, identify the correct PIO, and file via the right online or postal route, from Rs. 399. The official DIY route usually charges only the fee prescribed by that authority; check the amount shown above or on the portal.

I only need help finding the correct PIO >

Need live help filing on this portal? Book a 30-minute assisted filing session (Rs. 499) >

Last verified: June 2026 against the official rtionline.karnataka.gov.in portal; the fee, payment methods and portal scope rechecked on 20 October 2026 against the Karnataka RTI Rules, 2005 and the portal user manual. See also: the full Karnataka RTI guide, the national RTI online guide, the Fee Calculator, and more portal help guides.

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