How to Fill RTI Application Form: Line-by-Line Format with Example

You have decided to file offline (or your State portal asks you to upload a typed application as a PDF). This page tells you what to write in each field. For the choice between online and offline, the master guide is at how to file an RTI.

Top-left of the page. Format:

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Designation, if known - e.g., Joint Secretary (RTI)]
[Office name]
[Full postal address with PIN code]

If the PIO's name is unknown, write “The Public Information Officer” without naming an officer. Section 5(2) requires the public authority to designate someone to receive the application.

Wrong addressing is a leading cause of delay. See how to locate the PIO.

One line, between the address block and the body. Format:

Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 - [topic in 5-8 words]

Examples:

• Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 - Pension delay, file no. ABC/123
• Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 - Tender for road work no. PWD/2025/45
• Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 - FIR copy, station Connaught Place, FIR no. 234/2025

The subject helps the dak clerk route the application to the correct PIO without delay.

Sir/Madam,

The single most important field. Number every item. Each item must be a request for a specific record for a specific period.

Format:

I, [Full Name], a citizen of India, request the following information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005:

1. A copy of [specific record], file no. [if known], dated [date].
2. A copy of the file noting on [subject], for the period [from] to [to].
3. A copy of the order / circular / office memorandum currently in force on [subject].
4. The names and designations of the officers who handled / signed [specific document].
5. Inspection of [register / file] under Section 2(j)(i) on a mutually convenient date.

• Asking for a document (“a copy of the file noting”).
• Asking for inspection (“inspection of the measurement book”).
• Asking for a list of names of officers who signed a specific document.
• Asking for register entries for a specific period.

• Asking “why” something happened.
• Asking for an opinion (“Is this fair?”).
• Asking for compiled data that does not already exist in compiled form.
• Asking the PIO to investigate (“Please find out who is responsible”).

Even if you mentioned dates inside the body, repeat the overall period:

Period of records sought: [start date] to [end date].

This protects you against the PIO answering only for one part of the period.

A line, mandatory in most State formats and harmless at the Centre:

I am a citizen of India.

You do not have to attach a passport, Aadhaar, or voter ID. The declaration is itself sufficient under Section 3.

State exactly what you have paid and how. Examples:

Fee: Rs 10 paid by Indian Postal Order no. 12AB123456 dated 9 May 2026, drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer of [public authority]. The IPO is enclosed.

If BPL:

Fee: I am a Below Poverty Line cardholder, BPL card no. [number] issued by [issuing authority]. I claim exemption from the application fee and from the cost of supplying information under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act. A photocopy of the BPL card is enclosed.

If the PIO is silent past 30 days and you are filing the first appeal, you can also claim free supply under Section 7(6). See when information must be supplied free of cost.

Bottom-left or bottom-right. Format:

Yours faithfully,



[Signature]
[Full Name]
[Postal address with PIN code]
[Phone]
[Email]

The address must be deliverable. A PO Box without a deliverable address has been rejected by some PIOs. Email is optional but useful - many PIOs now reply by email even on paper applications.

Sign in ink. Date in DD/MM/YYYY. Sign every page if the application runs to more than one sheet.

Date: 9 May 2026
Place: New Delhi

• Always Speed Post. Track ID is the only legal proof of receipt. Ordinary post and registered post are inadequate.
• Self-addressed envelope. Some States require it. Attach a Rs 10 stamped, self-addressed envelope so the PIO can reply.
• Photocopy of the application. Keep a signed copy with the IPO number and Speed Post tracking ID written on top.
• Attach proofs. BPL card copy, work order copy, anything you reference in the prayer.

• 3000-character limit. If your prayer is longer, attach a PDF and refer to it.
• PDF only. No Word documents, no images.
• Save the registration number. It is your only reference for tracking and for the first appeal.
• Note the PIO's name. The portal shows it after submission. Save a screenshot.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate,
Defence Colony,
New Delhi - 110024

Subject: Application under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 - Issue of OBC certificate, file no. SDM/OBC/2026/0345

Sir/Madam,

I, Anita Sharma, a citizen of India, request the following information under Section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005:

1. A copy of all the file notings on my application for an OBC (non-creamy layer) certificate, file no. SDM/OBC/2026/0345, from the date of receipt to the date of this application.
2. A copy of the certificate, if issued, or a copy of the rejection order, if rejected.
3. The names and designations of the officers who have processed the file from the date of receipt to date.
4. A copy of the office memorandum / circular currently in force prescribing the time limit for issue of an OBC certificate by an SDM in Delhi.

Period of records sought: 1 February 2026 to 9 May 2026.

I am a citizen of India.

Fee: Rs 10 paid by Indian Postal Order no. 14CD567890 dated 9 May 2026, drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer, Office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Defence Colony, New Delhi. The IPO is enclosed.

Please supply the information by Speed Post / email at the address below within the 30-day limit prescribed under Section 7(1).

Yours faithfully,



(Signature)
Anita Sharma
H. No. 45, Block C,
Defence Colony,
New Delhi - 110024
Phone: 98XXX-XXXXX
Email: [email protected]

Date: 9 May 2026
Place: New Delhi

Yes. The Act does not require typed text. Hand-written in legible English, Hindi, or the regional language is fully valid under Section 6(1).

The Central Government has not prescribed a mandatory format. Some States have. Where a State format exists, use it; where it does not, the 9-field format above is universally accepted.

Some PIOs return the application as defective. Re-send with the declaration; the 30-day clock restarts from the new date of receipt. Always include the declaration to avoid this.

Yes. Section 6(1) allows English, Hindi, or the official language of the area. The PIO must reply in the same language.

Yes. Number the annexures and refer to them in the prayer (“a copy of which is enclosed as Annexure 1”).

Some State Rules require one subject per application. Where this rule applies, split into separate applications, each with its own Rs 10 fee. Where the rule does not apply (Centre, most States), one application is fine.

Use the AI RTI Drafter. The tool produces a fully field-filled application from a plain-language description.

No. The Speed Post tracking record on indiapost.gov.in is the legal proof of receipt. A stamped acknowledgement is helpful but not required.

Yes. Address each to the relevant PIO and post in one envelope addressed to the public authority's dak section. Pay separate fees.

That is a “deemed refusal” under Section 7(2). The information becomes free of cost under Section 7(6) and you can file a first appeal on day 31. See first appeal under Section 19(1).

• Guide hub
• Guide for applicants
• How to file an RTI under Section 6
• Find the right PIO
• When the reply is free
• Penalty + compensation
• Sample RTIs by subject
• Template: first RTI
• First appeal
• RTI time limits

1. Right to Information Act, 2005 - Sections 6, 7.
2. rtionline.gov.in - Central RTI portal.
3. DoPT Master Circular on RTI.
4. indiapost.gov.in - Indian Postal Order details.

Last reviewed: 9 May 2026.

Many RTIs are filed because a government scheme or document is delayed. Before filing, check the status directly:

• PMAY beneficiary status
• NREGA / MGNREGA job card and payment status
• Ration card status
• PM-KISAN Rs 6,000 status
• e-Shram card status

If a status is stuck beyond the official timeline, use the AI RTI Drafter to file in minutes.