RTI Fee Calculator (2026)

RTI Application Fee by State (2026)

₹10 is the fee under rule 3 of the central RTI Rules 2012, and under the rules of the states named in the table below, which we read on 20 September 2026. It is not universal: Gujarat is ₹20, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana run a slab that charges nothing at village level and ₹5 at mandal level. For every other state the calculator carries ₹10 as the commonly reported figure without our having read that state's rules in this pass: treat it as a figure to confirm with the public authority, not as one we have sourced. Applicants below the poverty line are exempt from the application fee under the proviso to section 7(5), on the proof their state prescribes.

How to Pay Your RTI Fee, and the Court-Fee-Stamp Trap

The fee is small, but how you pay it gets RTIs rejected more often than people expect. The modes most rules prescribe, though not every rule prescribes all of them:

• Indian Postal Order (IPO): prescribed by the central rules and by most state rules we read, though not by the Maharashtra RTI Rules 2026, and the Tamil Nadu Information Commission says applications with postal orders were returned. Buy it at any post office, in favour of the PIO/Accounts Officer (in West Bengal, of ‘(name of the link bank) a/c, Government of West Bengal, RTIACT’; ask the PIO office for the bank).
• Demand Draft / Banker's cheque: prescribed by the central rules and by every state rule we read, payable to whoever your state rule names: the Accounts Officer for central offices, the PIO in Karnataka and Uttarakhand, the RTIACT link-bank account in West Bengal.
• Cash: paid in person against a receipt where the state rule lists it; the West Bengal rules do not.

Modes that are NOT universal:

• Court-fee stamp: valid only in states whose own rules provide for it (Maharashtra ₹10; Andhra Pradesh since 2007, a rule Telangana carried over; Tamil Nadu since 2007; West Bengal under its 2006 Rules as amended in 2008). The Uttar Pradesh RTI Rules 2015 do not list it, nor do the Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka rules, and it is not among the modes prescribed by rule 6 of the central RTI Rules 2012. Affixing one where it isn't accepted can get your RTI returned.
• Online (net-banking / card / UPI): only where the state runs an RTI portal; the calculator shows which.

Rule of thumb: if you're not sure, ask the public authority which mode it takes. An Indian Postal Order is prescribed by the central rules and by most state rules we read, but not by all of them: the Maharashtra RTI Rules 2026 do not list it, and the Tamil Nadu Information Commission says applications with postal orders were returned.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the RTI application fee?

₹10 under the central RTI Rules 2012, and ₹10 under the rules of most states we read, including Maharashtra under its RTI Rules 2026. Gujarat is ₹20. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana charge nothing at village level, ₹5 at mandal level and ₹10 above that. Applicants below the poverty line are exempt from the application fee on the proof their state prescribes.

How do I pay the RTI fee?

Rule 6 of the central RTI Rules 2012 prescribes cash against a receipt, demand draft, banker's cheque, an Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer, or electronic means. Each state prescribes its own modes and they differ, so check your state above.

Can I pay the RTI fee with a court-fee stamp?

Only where the state's own rules provide for it. Maharashtra does, at ₹10 affixed to the form; Andhra Pradesh has since 2007, a rule Telangana carried over; Tamil Nadu has since 2007; and West Bengal does under its 2006 Rules as amended in 2008. The Uttar Pradesh RTI Rules 2015 do not list it, nor do the Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka rules, and it is not among the modes prescribed by rule 6 of the central RTI Rules 2012. Using one where the rules do not provide for it can get your application returned, so check your own state's rule first.

Do BPL applicants pay an RTI fee?

The proviso to section 7(5) of the RTI Act provides that no fee under sections 6(1), 7(1) or 7(5) shall be charged from a person below the poverty line, and the state and central rules carry that through: the central rule 5 asks for a copy of the certificate issued by the appropriate Government, Gujarat asks for a certified copy of the card or a certificate, and in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana a White Card holder is treated as below the poverty line and is exempt. Attach whatever proof your own state prescribes.

Related: RTI fees in India (full guide) · RTI application format · State-wise RTI guides · all free RTI tools