Bihar RTI Guide 2026 — RTI Wiki Citizen Guide 2026

The Right to Information Act, 2005 applies fully in Bihar. State-specific rules under §27 govern fee, format, and First Appeal procedure. Capital: Patna. State Information Commission: https://bihar.gov.in/sic. RTI fee: ₹10. Bihar has no dedicated state online RTI portal — file by post or in person; for Central Government RTIs use rtionline.gov.in. This guide gives you the operational rules + sample RTIs + key state authorities + escalation ladder for Bihar citizens.

Reviewed on: 16 September 2026.

1. By post: Address to the Public Information Officer of the concerned department. Send by Registered Post.
2. Walk-in: At the department's office during working hours. Get a dated receipt.
3. Online: Bihar has no dedicated state RTI filing portal — so for state departments, file by post or in person. For Central Government RTIs you can use rtionline.gov.in from anywhere in Bihar.
4. Pay ₹10 via Indian Postal Order (IPO) in favour of “Accounts Officer, [Department]” — or by Demand Draft or cash at the counter where the office accepts them (get a receipt).
5. BPL applicants: No fee. Attach BPL/Antyodaya/AAY card.

Bihar SIC, Patna · DM offices · BPSC

For Central Government RTIs filed FROM Bihar, use rtionline.gov.in which routes to the relevant central ministry.

To:
The Public Information Officer,
[Department name],
Government of Bihar,
[Department address, Patna].

Subject: RTI under §6 of the RTI Act, 2005 — [your subject]

Sir/Madam,

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, I, [Name], resident of
[address with PIN], request the following information:

1. [Specific item 1.]
2. [Specific item 2.]
3. Copy of the noting sheet of the file from receipt till the date
   of this reply.
4. Name, designation, and contact of the dealing officer at present.
5. Service standard / SLA applicable to this matter and the reason
   for delay, if any.

I am enclosing ₹10 via IPO in favour of "Accounts Officer,
[Department]". (BPL applicants: card copy enclosed; fee waived under §7(5).)

Yours faithfully,
[Name]
[Address, mobile, email]
Date: [Today]

To:
The First Appellate Authority,
[Senior officer designation, e.g., Joint Secretary],
[Department name], Government of Bihar,
[Address, Patna].

Subject: First Appeal under §19(1) of the RTI Act, 2005

[See full template at https://righttoinformation.wiki/rti-first-appeal-second-appeal-guide]

To:
The Registrar,
Bihar State Information Commission,
[Address from https://bihar.gov.in/sic].

Subject: Second Appeal under §19(3) of the RTI Act, 2005

[See full template at https://righttoinformation.wiki/rti-first-appeal-second-appeal-guide]

• Anjali Bhardwaj v. Union of India (Supreme Court, 2019) — a general, all-India precedent (not a Bihar-specific ruling): the Court directed governments to fill Information Commission vacancies within a reasonable time and transparently. Cite it if Bihar SIC vacancies are delaying the listing of your Second Appeal.
• General Supreme Court rulings apply: see 10 Landmark SC RTI Rulings.
• Apply HC rulings of your jurisdiction.

• Passport delay → Passport Delay RTI
• EPF / PF claim → EPFO Claim Status RTI
• Income Tax refund → IT Refund RTI
• PAN card delay → PAN Card Delay RTI
• FIR copy → How to Get an FIR Copy
• VB-GRAMG / rural wage arrears (old MGNREGA period) → MGNREGA wage arrears RTI
• PMAY status → PMAY Status RTI
• Driving licence → Driving Licence RTI
• Ration card → Ration Card RTI
• IRCTC refund → IRCTC RTI
• The RTI Playbook

1. Day 0 — File RTI to PIO (registered post or in person).
2. Day 30 — PIO reply due under §7(1).
3. Day 60 — First Appeal under §19(1) to FAA (within 30 days of PIO order).
4. Day 60-105 — FAA decision due (30-45 days under §19(6)).
5. Day 195 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to Bihar SIC.
6. Last resort — Writ under Article 226 to the High Court of Bihar.

• CPGRAMS (Central): pgportal.gov.in
• Central RTI online: rtionline.gov.in (Central Government departments only)
• State RTI filing: no dedicated online portal — file by post or in person at the office.
• State SIC: https://bihar.gov.in/sic
• National RTI helpline: Use the state's general grievance number.

₹10 under the Bihar RTI Rules. BPL exempt under §7(5). Pay via Indian Postal Order (IPO) for postal filings, or by Demand Draft or cash at the counter for walk-in filings.

Bihar currently has no dedicated state online RTI portal — file by post or in person. For Central Government RTIs you can use rtionline.gov.in from Bihar. The statutory reply deadline of 30 days applies either way.

The Bihar SIC composition is updated on its website https://bihar.gov.in/sic. Composition changes periodically — check the website for current Commissioners.

If the Second Appeal hearing is delayed beyond reasonable time, file a writ petition under Article 226 to the High Court of Bihar. The HC has supervisory jurisdiction over the SIC.

(a) Indian Postal Order (IPO) in favour of the Accounts Officer of the concerned department; (b) Demand Draft in some districts; © Cash at counter during walk-in filing (get receipt).

• All-states RTI comparison
• First Appeal & Second Appeal Complete Guide
• §8 Exemptions explained
• Fee Calculator
• Deadline Calculator
• AI RTI Drafter
• Telangana RTI Guide 2026

• Right to Information Act, 2005 — cic.gov.in
• Bihar RTI Rules (state notification)
• Bihar State Information Commission — https://bihar.gov.in/sic
• Central Information Commission — cic.gov.in