Apply Labour Card and Check Status 2026

For the full legal background on labour law rights, see Labour Department Complaint: Employer, Salary & PF.

India has two main worker registration systems for the informal sector. The e-Shram card is a central government scheme run by the Ministry of Labour and Employment at eshram.gov.in. It covers 400+ occupations and gives every registered worker a 12-digit Universal Account Number (UAN) linked to Aadhaar. The BOCW labour card is a state-level card issued by each state's Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board under the BOCW Act, 1996. It is specifically for construction workers and unlocks state welfare benefits like pension, housing assistance, and educational scholarships. Construction workers are encouraged to hold both.

You qualify for an e-Shram card if:

• You are aged 16-59 years.
• You work in the unorganised sector (home-based, self-employed, or casual wage worker).
• You are not a member of EPFO or ESIC.
• You are not an income-tax payer.
• Agricultural labourers and landless farmers are explicitly covered.

The card has no expiry date once issued.

Documents needed:

• Aadhaar number.
• Mobile number linked to Aadhaar (for OTP).
• Bank account number and IFSC code.
• If your mobile is not Aadhaar-linked, visit a Common Service Centre (CSC) – they can verify by biometric fingerprint.

Registration is completely free – no fee on the portal and no operator charge is permitted at CSCs.

Steps to register online:

1. Go to eshram.gov.in and click “Register on e-Shram.”
2. Enter your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and the captcha; submit the OTP.
3. Confirm your Aadhaar number; a second OTP verifies your identity.
4. Fill in your occupation, address, bank account, and nominee details.
5. Submit – your 12-digit UAN is generated immediately and you can download the UAN card.

Helpline: 14434 or 1800-889-6811 (9 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Sunday, available in 22 Indian languages via the Bhashini platform).

1. Go to eshram.gov.in and click “Already Registered? Update.”
2. Enter your Aadhaar-linked mobile number and the captcha; verify with OTP.
3. On the dashboard, click “Download UAN Card.”
4. Alternatively, open DigiLocker, search “Ministry of Labour,” select “UAN Card,” and enter your Aadhaar.

On October 21, 2024, the government launched e-Shram One-Stop-Solution, integrating 12 central welfare schemes into a single dashboard. Schemes now accessible through e-Shram include:

• PMSBY – Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: accident insurance of up to Rs. 2,00,000 for accidental death or permanent total disability; Rs. 1,00,000 for partial disability. The annual premium is Rs. 20, auto-debited from your linked bank account on June 1 each year.
• PMJJBY – life insurance cover.
• MGNREGA – rural employment guarantee.
• PMAY-G and PMAY-U – housing schemes.
• AB-PMJAY – Ayushman Bharat health cover.
• PM-SVANidhi – working-capital loans for street vendors.

As of March 2025, over 30.68 crore unorganised workers had registered on e-Shram, with women making up 53.68% of registrations.

Under Section 12 of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996:

• Age: 18 to 60 years (must not have completed 60 years of age, per Section 12 of the Act).
• Must have worked in building or construction for at least 90 days in the preceding 12 months.
• Registration fee: not exceeding Rs. 50 under the Act (for example, Delhi charges Rs. 25 for the first year: Rs. 20 contribution + Rs. 5 processing; annual renewal is Rs. 20 only – fees vary by state).

An application cannot be rejected without giving the worker a hearing. Appeals against rejection go to the Board's Secretary within 30 days.

• Age proof: voter ID, ration card, driving licence, Aadhaar, or a notarised affidavit stating date of birth.
• Address proof: ration card, bank passbook with photo, electricity bill, water bill, voter ID, Aadhaar, or registered rent agreement.
• 90-day work certificate: issued by the employer or contractor; for labour-chowk workers, a registered construction trade union can issue this; self-certification in the prescribed format is also accepted at many boards.
• Passport-size photograph and bank account details.

Because BOCW is state-administered, the exact portal differs. Common steps across most states:

1. Find your state BOCW board portal (examples: mahabocw.in for Maharashtra, bocw.delhi.gov.in for Delhi, bocw.punjab.gov.in for Punjab, abocwwb.assam.gov.in for Assam).
2. Create an account and fill the worker registration form online.
3. Upload the documents listed above (age proof, address proof, 90-day certificate, photo, bank details).
4. Pay the registration fee online (amount varies by state; check your state board's portal – the fee cannot exceed Rs. 50 under the Act).
5. After document verification by the Board officer, your welfare-board membership card is issued.
6. Renew every year (amount and terms vary by state; 90 working days in construction during the renewal year is required).

1. Log in to your state BOCW portal with the registration number and mobile number you used at the time of applying.
2. Most state portals show application status: pending / under verification / approved / rejected.
3. If the portal shows no update after 30 days and no deficiency memo has been issued, submit a written complaint to the district labour officer.
4. You can file an RTI application to the state BOCW Board to ask for the status of your file, the officer responsible, and action taken – cite Section 6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

• Issuing authority: e-Shram = central government (Ministry of Labour); BOCW card = state government welfare board.
• Who it covers: e-Shram = all unorganised workers (400+ occupations); BOCW = construction workers only.
• Age: e-Shram 16-59; BOCW 18-60.
• Work-experience proof: e-Shram = none (self-declaration); BOCW = 90 days in 12 months.
• Fee: e-Shram = free; BOCW = up to Rs. 50 for registration.
• Validity: e-Shram = lifetime; BOCW = annual renewal.
• Can you hold both? Yes. e-Shram data is shared with state BOCW boards to assist cross-registration.

For schemes related to all workers, also see Employment and Labour Schemes in India and New Labour Codes 2026.

• Registering on third-party lookalike sites (use only eshram.gov.in).
• Paying a CSC operator more than Rs. 0 for e-Shram registration – operators are prohibited from charging.
• Skipping the bank account update – PMSBY premium deductions and Direct Benefit Transfers fail if the bank account linked is inactive.
• Construction workers not applying for the BOCW card and missing out on state pension, housing grants, and education scholarships that e-Shram alone does not provide.
• Not renewing the BOCW card each year – lapsed membership disqualifies welfare claims.
• Filing an e-Shram application if you are already EPFO-registered (it will be rejected).

1. Check the portal for a deficiency memo. Most rejections are due to a missing or unclear document, not outright ineligibility.
2. Call the helpline: 14434 / 1800-889-6811 for e-Shram issues.
3. For BOCW delays, submit a written complaint (with application number and date) to the district labour officer. Ask for the reason in writing.
4. If no action after 30 days, use the RTI Act, 2005 (Section 6(1)) to ask the Public Information Officer of the BOCW Board for: file status, officer assigned, and reasons for delay.
5. The The RTI Playbook has sample RTI letters and step-by-step guidance for labour department requests.

Yes. Neither card bars the other. The e-Shram UAN gives access to 12 central welfare schemes; the BOCW card gives access to state-level benefits like pension, housing grants, and education support. Construction workers are encouraged to register for both.

Yes. Registration at eshram.gov.in is completely free. If you visit a Common Service Centre (CSC), the operator is also prohibited from charging you. Report any demand for payment to the CSC helpline 1800-121-3468.

You can still register for an e-Shram card, but you must visit a CSC in person. The CSC operator uses biometric fingerprint authentication instead of an OTP to verify your Aadhaar identity.

After submitting all documents and the fee, the authorised officer must verify and decide on your registration. The process typically takes 15-30 working days across most state boards. If rejected, you must be given a hearing. You can appeal to the Board Secretary within 30 days of any rejection under Section 12 of the BOCW Act, 1996.

This usually means your Aadhaar details need re-verification. Log in to eshram.gov.in, check for any error message on the dashboard, and update your details if prompted. If the status does not resolve within 7 days, call 14434 or visit a CSC with your Aadhaar and bank passbook for assisted correction.

Yes. BOCW membership must be renewed annually. You must show that you worked in construction for at least 90 days during the renewal year. If you miss a year, you may need to re-apply as a fresh applicant with a new 90-day work certificate.

• Labour department complaint: employer, salary, PF
• Employment and labour schemes in India
• New labour codes 2026: employee rights, gratuity, wages