Refund of RTI fees — when can you claim it?

The Right to Information Act, 2005 has two fee-relief mechanisms: §7(5) BPL exemption (zero application fee for Below Poverty Line applicants) and §7(6) free-supply rule (if the PIO does not demand additional fee within 30 days, all information must be supplied free of charge). This page is the full explainer.

• Zero application fee for any applicant who attaches a BPL certificate (or equivalent state-issued poverty certificate, e.g., yellow ration card in some states).
• No additional fee for photocopies, inspection, CDs, or any other format.
• The PIO cannot demand any fee from a verified BPL applicant.

• §7(6): “Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5), the person making request for the information shall be provided the information free of charge where a public authority fails to comply with the time limits specified in sub-section (1).”
• Plain-English: If the PIO does not reply within 30 days under §7(1), AND does not demand additional fee within those 30 days, the information must be supplied free of charge when eventually disclosed.
• The PIO cannot retroactively charge ₹2 per page for photocopies after Day 30.

1. You paid the application fee, and the PIO refused based on §8 exemption — application fee is NOT refundable. The §6 fee is for processing, not for the outcome.
2. You paid additional fee for photocopies, but PIO eventually refused — claim refund of the additional fee.
3. You paid additional fee, but PIO supplied less than what you paid for — claim pro-rata refund.
4. PIO did not reply within 30 days, and demanded fee on Day 35 — invoke §7(6) and refuse to pay; file §19(1) First Appeal.

1. Step 1 — write a polite letter to the PIO citing §7(5) or §7(6) and requesting refund.
2. Step 2 — if no response in 15 days, file §19(1) First Appeal grouping the refund issue with the underlying RTI denial.
3. Step 3 — at the FAA + IC level, the §19(8)(b) compensation provision can be invoked for any “loss or detriment”.
4. Step 4 — for prolonged delay, parallel CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in.

• Claiming refund for application fee on bad-RTI grounds — the ₹10 application fee is not refundable just because your RTI was poorly drafted. It pays for processing.
• Not invoking §7(6) when PIO delayed — many citizens pay the additional fee on Day 40 even though the PIO had not demanded it within Day 30. You should refuse and cite §7(6).
• Not claiming compensation under §19(8)(b) — IC can award you actual costs + compensation for “loss or detriment”.

• Right to Information Act, 2005, §7(1), §7(5), §7(6), §19(8)(b). Full text.
• Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI (2019) 9 SCC 199 — IC accountability for compensation orders.
• State RTI Rules — fee schedule by state at state RTI rules.

• State-wise fee chart
• Fee Calculator tool
• First Appeal Builder
• Case-law database
• RTI Act, 2005

Last reviewed: 4 May 2026.