RTI Fees by State and Online Portal Directory (2026)

The Central RTI fee is Rs 10 (rtionline.gov.in). State fees range from free (Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Sikkim) to Rs 50 (Maharashtra, select states). BPL applicants are fully fee-exempt. Additional copy fees are typically Rs 2 per page beyond the first 20 pages. Fee can be paid online, by IPO, by postal order, or in cash at the authority.

Below Poverty Line (BPL) applicants pay no fee at any stage under Section 7(5) of the Act. Attach a copy of your BPL card or ration card with the application. States and UTs must respect this at parity with the Central Rules.

For any State RTI that matters, file simultaneously:

1. Online on the State portal (link in the table), AND
2. Speed Post with Rs 10 IPO to the PIO's address.

The portal gives you a digital receipt and SMS alerts. The Speed Post gives you a physical proof of filing that Information Commissions accept. Both costs together: Rs 10 for the fee, Rs 30 for Speed Post. Total Rs 40 for insurance that your RTI reaches the PIO.

• Paying higher fees without asking why. Demand the notification that supports the higher amount.
• Filing through an unreliable portal only. Always post a parallel Speed Post.
• Not specifying BPL status if eligible. Attach the BPL card copy upfront; do not wait to be asked.
• Using Indian Postal Order made out to the wrong payee. Payee is “Accounts Officer, [department name]” unless the department's own rule says otherwise.

Yes on rtionline.gov.in and on most modern State portals (Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra). For postal filing and older State portals, use Indian Postal Order (IPO), Demand Draft, or Banker's Cheque from a nationalised bank.

Rule 3 of the Central RTI Fee Rules and the State rules list accepted payment modes. IPO is universally accepted for Central matters. For State matters, check the State's notification. Refusal to accept a valid IPO is a Section 19 first-appeal ground.

The Central RTI Act does not prescribe a filing fee for first or second appeal. Some States charge a nominal fee for SIC appeals; Kerala and Karnataka are free, Tamil Nadu charges Rs 50. Check the SIC's website.

Yes. Section 6 allows the official language of the State, Hindi, or English. The PIO has a duty to assist applicants who cannot write in the required language.

Kerala (keralartionline.gov.in) is the most feature-rich with SMS alerts and strong routing. Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Odisha follow. See the State RTI Portals Directory

• State RTI Portal Rankings (scored 0-50) for full evaluations.

Pick your State in the table above. If it shows Working, click the portal URL and file online. If Post only, download the First RTI template, print, attach Rs 10 IPO, and send by Speed Post. For central matters, go directly to rtionline.gov.in.

• All RTI Rules (Central, Supreme Court, State, DPDP 2025)
• State RTI Portals Directory
• File RTI Online in India: 12 Steps (Central)
• rtionline.gov.in walk-through
• Central vs State RTI: Which Should You File?
• RTI Application Format (Copy-Paste)
• First Appeal Format (30-day rule)
• Inspection: fees + procedure
• Using AI to Draft Your RTI
• Why RTI Gets Rejected (and Fixes)

1. Right to Information Act, 2005, Sections 6, 7, 27.
2. Central RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005.
3. State Government notifications (verified April 2026 on respective Government Gazette portals).
4. Central Information Commission, cic.gov.in.
5. Government of India, rtionline.gov.in.
6. Department of Personnel and Training, Guide on the RTI Act, 2005 (2013 updated).

Last reviewed on: 20 April 2026 Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.