RTI Time Limit Cheat Sheet 2026 (30/35/45/48 Days)

The RTI Act, 2005 prescribes four headline time limits: 30 days for the PIO's reply under §7(1), 35 days when the application was filed with an APIO under the §7(1) proviso, 45 days for the FAA's first-appeal decision under §19(6) (30 + 15 extension), and 48 hours when life or liberty is involved. Add 5 days for §6(3) inter-authority transfers and 40 days for §11 third-party consultation. The cheat sheet below sets out every clock under the Act, the deemed-refusal triggers, the appeal windows, and the rare exceptions.

The standard time limit for the PIO to reply is 30 days from the date the public authority receives the RTI application. The clock starts the moment the application reaches the office, not the moment the PIO personally reads it.

The 30 days are calendar days, not working days. Sundays and public holidays count. The reply is “received” on the date the PIO posts or hands over the response, not the date you read it. Speed-post receipts and acknowledgments establish the dates on both sides.

Failure to reply within 30 days is a deemed refusal under §7(2). The Appellant's right to file a First Appeal under §19(1) begins on Day 31.

§7(1) proviso: where the RTI application is filed with an Assistant Public Information Officer (APIO) instead of the PIO, an extra 5 days is added to the standard limit. The total is 35 days.

This rule exists because the APIO is a sub-office (usually a Post Office under §5(2)). The 5 days cover the transit from the APIO to the PIO.

In practice, almost no one files through the APIO any more. The rule still matters when filing through a Post Office under the §5(2) scheme.

§7(1) proviso: where the information concerns the life or liberty of a person, the reply must come within 48 hours of receipt.

Examples of life-or-liberty matters:

• Status of a missing person.
• Custody records of an arrested person.
• Medical records needed urgently for treatment.
• Status of a habeas corpus petition.
• Police complaint dismissal where the complainant's safety is in doubt.

Mark the envelope and the application clearly as “Application under the §7(1) proviso, life or liberty matter, reply within 48 hours”. The 48 hours run from receipt, including overnight.

§6(3): where the application is filed with a public authority other than the one holding the information, the receiving authority must transfer it to the right authority within 5 days.

The 30-day clock then runs from the date the right authority receives the transferred application, not from the original filing date. The applicant is told in writing about the transfer.

The 5-day clock does not extend if the receiving authority sits on the transfer. The CIC held in Sarbjit Roy v. Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (2007): delay in transfer is a procedural breach, and the 30-day reply clock then runs from the original filing date.

§11: where the information involves a third party, the PIO must send notice within 5 days, the third party has 10 days to reply, and the PIO must decide on disclosure within 40 days of receiving the application.

The 40 days subsume the 30 days under §7(1). For a third-party matter, the longer 40-day clock applies. Read the deep explainer at the §11 explainer.

§19(6): the First Appellate Authority has 30 days from receipt of the First Appeal to decide. The FAA is allowed an extension of 15 more days with reasons recorded in writing.

Total outer limit: 45 days. Past 45 days without a decision, the FAA is in default. The Appellant has the right to file a Second Appeal without waiting any longer.

§19(3): a Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission must be filed within 90 days of the FAA's order or the 45-day deemed-refusal date.

§19(3) proviso: the Commission has discretion to condone delay if the Appellant shows sufficient cause. File a separate condonation application explaining the reason (illness, change of address, missing the FAA order in the post).

A deemed refusal arises in these situations:

1. No PIO reply within 30 days under §7(2). First Appeal becomes available on Day 31.
2. No life-or-liberty reply within 48 hours. First Appeal available the moment 48 hours elapse.
3. No FAA decision within 45 days. Second Appeal available on Day 46.
4. No §11 decision within 40 days. Treated as refusal; First Appeal becomes available.

Treat the deemed refusal as a formal refusal for appeal purposes. Cite the deemed-refusal trigger in the grounds section of your appeal.

The Act allows the FAA a single 15-day extension under §19(6), with reasons recorded in writing. No extension is permitted for the PIO's 30-day reply under §7(1).

If the PIO has asked for more time in writing, the extension is not legally binding. The 30-day clock continues. The Appellant has the right to file a First Appeal on Day 31 regardless.

• Treating “receipt” as the date the PIO reads the file. Wrong. Receipt is the date the public authority receives the application (postal receipt, online stamp, or front-desk acknowledgment).
• Stopping the clock for clarifications. §7 does not allow a “stop the clock” for clarification. Wrong-format applications are entertained under §6(1) proviso (PIO must provide assistance).
• Asking for fee on Day 28. A late fee demand is not a legitimate reason to extend the 30 days.
• Counting working days only. The Act counts calendar days. Sundays and gazetted holidays count.

On the date the public authority receives the envelope (or speed-post acknowledgement). Not the date you posted it, not the date the PIO personally opens the file. Keep the speed-post receipt.

No. §7(1) counts calendar days. Sundays and gazetted holidays count toward the 30. The only exception is when the office is closed for an extended period (a strike, a disaster) and the FAA or CIC has condoned the delay.

No. §7(1) does not permit a stop-the-clock for clarification. §6(1) proviso requires the PIO to assist the applicant in framing the request. The 30 days continue to run.

The 35 days run from the date the APIO receives the application. The first 5 days cover the transit to the PIO. The next 30 days are the PIO's reply window.

The Act sets no outer limit on the Commission's decision. In practice, the CIC takes 8 to 24 months. Some State Commissions take longer. The Commission's own annual report lists the pendency.

Yes. §7(1) proviso is mandatory. Mark the application clearly. If the PIO fails to respond, the Commission has held in Kishan Lal Bhati v. Police Commissioner Mumbai (2010): this is a serious breach attracting a §20 penalty.

Automatic. On Day 31 of PIO silence (or Day 46 of FAA silence), the deemed refusal arises by operation of law. You file the next-stage appeal directly. No reminder letter is required.

• RTI Application Format 2026
• First Appeal Format with grounds checklist
• Second Appeal to CIC, format + penalty
• §11 third-party consultation explainer
• Time limits, deeper guide
• §7 of the RTI Act
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005. §6(3), §7(1), §7(2), §11, §19(3), §19(6).
• Central Information Commission. cic.gov.in.
• Department of Personnel and Training. dopt.gov.in.
• RTI Online Portal. rtionline.gov.in.

Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.