• Indian citizen (NRIs apply at home police station of last Indian residence)
• Resided at the address for verification period (typically 1+ year)
• No pending criminal cases (else NOC required from court)

1. Determine purpose — Passport: auto-triggered, no separate application. Employment / Visa: apply for standalone PCC.
2. For passport — automatic — Triggered when you submit passport application at PSK. SHO + DCP Special Branch verify your address. Free.
3. For employment / visa — apply online — Most states have online portal. Examples: Delhi: dpcc.delhipolice.gov.in · MH: mhpolice.maharashtra.gov.in · KA: pcs.ksp.gov.in · TN: tnpolice.gov.in.
4. Sign up at state police portal — Mobile + email OTP. Some states: Aadhaar OTP eKYC.
5. Fill PCC application — Personal details, addresses (last 5 years), purpose, passport number (if any), employer / institution name (if employment).
6. Upload documents — Aadhaar, PAN, passport (if applying for visa), employer letter (if employment), residence proof (utility bill / rent agreement).
7. Pay fee — Rs 50-500 by state + purpose. Visa PCC usually higher than employment PCC.
8. SHO + Special Branch verification — Local SHO inquiry at residence. Special Branch (state intelligence) checks records.
9. Issuance — 7-30 days. e-Certificate from portal; some states require pickup from police HQ.
10. Apostille (for foreign visa) — After PCC, get it apostilled at MEA (Rs 50/document) for foreign use.

• Online portal: State Police portal
• Offline: Local police station, DCP Special Branch office, state police HQ, Passport Seva Kendra (passport-linked).
• Fee: Passport-linked: Free · Standalone Employment PCC: Rs 50-300 · Visa PCC: Rs 200-500 · MEA Apostille: Rs 50/doc
• Timeline: Passport (auto): 7-21 days · Standalone: 7-30 days · Visa PCC + Apostille: 30-60 days

See our complete checklist: Documents required for police verification — covers mandatory + optional + size/format specs.

• Address change in last 1 year — verification needed at all addresses; can take longer.
• Pending case — NOC from concerned court mandatory; PCC mentions case status.
• SHO demanding bribe — file complaint at SP / SSP / ACB. PCC verification is duty of police; no fee outside official.
• Apostille for visa — separate — PCC issued by police; apostille by MEA. Both needed for foreign use.

Most “delays” or “rejections” clear within 7-15 days of an RTI being filed. Use this 5-question template:

1. Status of my application no. _____ dated _____ as on date.
2. The name + designation of the dealing officer assigned to my file.
3. The reasons for delay beyond the statutory timeline.
4. Copy of any noting / movement of my file in the past 30 days.
5. The likely date of issuance of my certificate / approval.

Auto-fill the PIO details + your case: Open the RTI Drafter →

Or browse state-wise scheme procedures: All state portals + RTI templates

Track your application status: How to check status guide

PCC has standardized format from MEA (for visa) or police (for employment). Character certificate is broader — issued by gazetted officer / employer / institution.

6 months for visa (most countries). For employment: as long as residence unchanged.

Embassy/consulate of India in country of residence. They liaise with home state police in India.

Yes — but PCC mentions the case. NOC from court / final disposal helps clean PCC.

File RTI to SHO + DCP. Use our police verification RTI generator.

• How to check status — 25 high-traffic services
• Documents required — 30 checklists
• All state RTI portals
• Full RTI Playbook — 100+ scenarios

• Official portal: https://digilocker.gov.in
• Citizen feedback collected via AwaazRTI (composite, identifying details removed).
• Statutory references: see relevant Act sections.

Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.