Police Clearance Certificate Status Check 2026

Quick answer. Most PCCs are issued through the Passport Seva portal at passportindia.gov.in. Open Track Application Status, choose PCC, and enter your File Number and date of birth. Some states also issue a PCC through their own state police e-services portal.

If you are short on time: jump to How to check PCC status and track your File Number now.

• What a PCC is and why you need it
• How to check PCC status
• Details you may need
• Status meanings
• If your PCC is delayed
• Safety warnings
• Frequently asked questions
• Related guides
• Official sources

A Police Clearance Certificate (पुलिस क्लीयरेंस) confirms you have no adverse record in India. The Ministry of External Affairs states the exact scope: a PCC is issued to Indian passport holders who have applied for residential status, employment or a long term visa, or for immigration. A PCC is not issued to people going abroad on a tourist visa, so check what your destination actually demands before you apply.

The same page sets two special cases. A foreign national who needs a police clearance for India must get it from the District Police or the FRRO at their place of residence, not from Passport Seva. And an applicant living abroad applies at the Indian Mission in that country. The Mission forwards the application to the Passport Issuing Authority in India and issues the certificate only after the status report comes back.

There are two common routes. The first is the Passport Seva route, where you apply online and the certificate is issued by a Passport Seva Kendra. The second is the state police route, where some states issue a PCC through their own e-services portal.

In both routes, police verification is a key step. Your local police confirm your address and check for any record. The PCC is granted only after a clear report reaches the issuing office.

Go to passportindia.gov.in. If you applied through your state police instead, open that state's police e-services portal.

On the Passport Seva home page, click the Track Application Status link. This is the same tracker used for passports.

Select PCC as the application or service type. This tells the system you are tracking a Police Clearance Certificate, not a passport.

Type your File Number exactly as printed on your acknowledgement letter. Then enter your date of birth in the format shown on the page.

Click the track button to see the latest stage of your application. Note the wording and date so you can refer to it later if there is a delay.

Police verification is the most common cause of delay. If your status sits at the verification stage for weeks, first follow up with your local police station. Ask whether the report has been sent to the issuing office.

Before an RTI, call the Passport Seva national call centre on 1800-258-1800 and note the complaint or reference number it gives you. If there is still no movement, you can file an RTI to ask the public authority for the status of your verification and the reason for the delay. This is a citizen right under the RTI Act. See police verification pending for a job and passport police verification delayed for the exact escalation steps.

You can draft a clear, valid RTI in minutes using the RTI Drafter. For the full method, read The RTI Playbook.

Use only the official portal and your state police website. Type the address yourself rather than clicking links from unknown messages. Fake PCC websites and agents are common.

Never share the OTP sent to your phone. No genuine officer needs your OTP to process a PCC. Be wary of any agent who promises a guaranteed certificate for a fixed cash payment.

For the Passport Seva route, open passportindia.gov.in, click Track Application Status, choose PCC, and enter your File Number and date of birth. If you applied through your state police, check that state's e-services portal instead. Both routes show the current stage of your application.

The File Number is the reference printed on the acknowledgement or receipt you got after applying. You need it, along with your date of birth, to track your PCC online. Keep this number safe, because the tracker will not work without it. If you have lost it, contact the office where you applied.

The certificate is granted only after local police send a clear report. If your status stays at verification, the report may not have reached the issuing office yet. Follow up at your local police station first. If there is still no progress, an RTI can ask the authority to explain the delay.

In some states, yes. Several state police forces issue a PCC through their own online e-services portal. The route you use depends on why you need the certificate and the state you live in. Check your state police website to see if this option is available to you.

Timelines vary by case and by office. If your present passport has a clear verification on record, a PCC can be quick. If fresh police verification is needed, it can take longer. Track your status online and follow up with the local police if it stalls.

No. The Ministry of External Affairs states plainly that a PCC cannot be issued for persons going abroad on a tourist visa. The certificate exists for residential status, employment, long term visas and immigration. If a travel agent insists you need one for tourism, that is a signal to check the requirement directly with the embassy.

Rs 750 under the Normal quota. This figure comes from the fee chart the portal itself serves, checked on 12 September 2026, and it is paid when you submit the application. A state police route, where it exists, charges what that state notifies. Keep the payment receipt with your File Number.

Through the Indian Mission where you applied. The Mission forwards your papers to the Passport Issuing Authority in India and issues the certificate after the authority sends back a status report. So the File Number tracker at passportindia.gov.in is not the whole picture for applications filed abroad. Ask the Mission for the status and quote your submission date.

• How to check passport application status
• Passport police verification delayed
• Police verification pending for a job
• File an RTI for a delayed passport
• Apply for a passport in Tatkal
• Check your Voter ID status
• RTI Drafter
• The RTI Playbook

• Passport Seva Portal (passportindia.gov.in) — apply and Track Application Status
• Ministry of External Affairs — Police Clearance Certificate
• The Right to Information Act, 2005 — §6(1) (right to seek information) and §7(1) (30-day reply rule)