• Application form (state-specific) — Downloadable from state e-District portal
• Aadhaar — Identity proof
• Birth certificate — For lineage and DOB
• Residence proof (15 years) — Chain of: Old ration card + electricity bills + voter ID issued 15 years back + school TC + property tax receipts
• School Transfer Certificate / Class 10 Mark sheet — Showing schooling in the state — single strongest proof
• Father's/Guardian's domicile certificate — For minors / first-time applicants under 18
• Self-declaration / Affidavit — Rs. 10 stamp paper, notarised; declaring 15-year continuous residence
• Two passport-size photos — Recent, white background

• Property documents — Sale deed / property tax receipts of family-owned property in state
• Voter ID 15+ years old — Strongest residence proof if available
• Patwari verification report — For rural applicants
• Ration card 15+ years old — Family ration card showing state
• Marriage certificate — For women claiming domicile via husband post-marriage

• 15-year continuous residence is the standard — counted from birth or from year of immigration to state.
• Some states (J&K, certain North-East) have stricter rules and unique domicile criteria.
• Inter-state migration — start residence clock from year of arrival; need fresh certificate after 15 years.
• For minors — parent's domicile is sufficient; child gets derivative domicile.
• Marriage exception — women who marry into a state can claim domicile after some states' minimum residence (varies; some immediately, some 3-15 years).
• Validity — lifetime once issued (no renewal).

Tehsildar / SDM office OR online via state e-District portal.

→ Official source: https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/apply-for-domicile-certificate

If domicile is denied for “insufficient residence proof”, file RTI to Patwari/Tehsildar for the verification report under §4(1)(d). Submit additional residence chain documents in re-application.

→ Use our 🪄 AI RTI Drafter to generate a free §6(1) application asking for the rejection reason in 60 seconds.

• Q: 15-year residence — does my MBA / job in another state break continuity? — Generally no — temporary absence for studies/work doesn't break domicile. Affidavit explaining.
• Q: Can I have domicile in 2 states? — No — only one at any time. Inter-state move starts the clock fresh.
• Q: NRI of Indian state origin — domicile valid? — Yes if you maintained property/family ties + can prove continuous Indian-state nexus.
• Q: Required for state govt jobs? — Yes — most state govts require domicile certificate for state quota positions.
• Q: Marriage to person from other state — domicile auto-changes? — No — woman retains origin domicile unless explicitly applies for husband-state domicile (some states allow immediate).

1. Gather mandatory documents above before applying — saves a re-visit
2. Apply via official portal (link above) — no agent needed
3. Track status: see our status-check guides
4. If rejected for “documents inadequate”: request specific deficiency under §4(1)(d) RTI Act
5. For state-specific guidance: see state portals directory

• 🪄 AI RTI Drafter — type problem, get §6 application
• 🎤 AwaazRTI — voice-to-RTI in 11 Indian languages
• 🔮 Outcome Predictor — score draft win-likelihood
• ⚖️ First Appeal Generator — §19(1) draft on Day 31
• 📅 Timeline Calculator — track 30-day window

• State-by-state: Domicile Certificate across all 36 states
• If rejected, file RTI: Full RTI guide
• Citizen RTI playbook: All 100+ scenarios
• All documents checklists: All 30 checklists

• Statutory references: as cited in Specifications above
• Official portal: linked in “Where to apply” above
• RTI Act 2005 §§4, 6, 7, 19

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.