How to File RTI in Karnataka — Online & Postal Guide (2026)

Part of How to file RTI online in India — this page covers the Karnataka state procedure.

• Portal: https://rtionline.karnataka.gov.in
• Works for most Karnataka state departments, public undertakings, and major urban local bodies.
• Fee is paid online through SBI e-Pay.
• You get a unique Registration Number that you use for all follow-ups.

• Address the application to the Public Information Officer, [Name of Public Authority], [Full address].
• Send by Speed Post with Acknowledgement Due. Retain the receipt — it is your filing evidence.
• Enclose the fee in one of the accepted modes: online via Karnataka RTI portal (SBI e-Pay); IPO / DD in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]'; court-fee stamp.

• Application fee: Rs. 10 (BPL applicants: free, on production of a BPL card copy).
• Additional cost for copies: Rs. 2 per page (A4); Rs. 50 per CD.
• Inspection of records: free for the first hour; Rs. 5 for each subsequent 15 minutes (standard state rule).
• Fee modes: online via Karnataka RTI portal (SBI e-Pay); IPO / DD in favour of 'Accounts Officer, [Department]'; court-fee stamp.

Governing rules: Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005 (as amended).

To,
The Public Information Officer,
[Name of Public Authority],
[Full Address, Karnataka]
[PIN Code]

Subject: Request for information under Section 6(1) of the
Right to Information Act, 2005.

Sir / Madam,

I, [Full Name], resident of [Complete Address with PIN], a citizen of
India, request the following information / records under the RTI Act:

1. [Specific record, file number, or data you want — name the document]
2. [Date / period — anchor the timeframe]
3. [Identifier — your application number, account number, or similar]
4. Name and contact of the First Appellate Authority for this office.

I enclose Rs. 10 by way of [IPO No. / DD No. / online payment ref.]
in favour of [Accounts Officer, concerned department].

Please send the information to the address below by Registered Post.

Yours faithfully,
[Signature]
Name:    __________________
Address: __________________
PIN:     __________________
Mobile:  __________________
Date:    __________________

Need a topic-specific template? Pick from the sample RTI library — FIR, admission, exam marks, ration card, pension, refund, and more.

1. Day 0 — PIO receives your RTI.
2. Day 0–5 — Transfer under §6(3) if the matter sits with another public authority; the 30-day clock restarts from the date of transfer.
3. Day 10–25 — Most routine requests are answered.
4. Day 30 — Statutory reply deadline. Silence = deemed refusal under §7(2).
5. Day 31 → Day 60 — First Appeal under §19(1) to the Department FAA (one rank above PIO)..
6. Day 75 → Day 165 — Second Appeal under §19(3) to KSIC at Bengaluru..

For deadlines in detail, see First Appeal timelines and FAA appellate-review checklist.

• Karnataka has a mature online RTI portal covering most state departments and urban local bodies.
• Bengaluru's BBMP, BWSSB, BESCOM, and BMRCL are all on the portal — no separate postal filing needed.
• Kannada is the preferred language; English is accepted.
• Karnataka HC has produced landmark rulings on §6(2) reasons-bar and on PSU tender disclosures (see BMRCL and C.V. Srinivasa).

• Name: Karnataka State Information Commission (KSIC)
• Address: Room No. 305, 3rd Floor, M S Building, Bengaluru - 560001
• Website: kic.karnataka.gov.in

For §19(3) Second Appeals, file directly to the Commission's Registry — postal or online where the Commission's portal allows.

• Filing at the wrong PIO — route via the concerned department, not the generic state grievance portal.
• Asking “why” questions. Ask for records, not answers — see the records-not-answers drafting guide.
• Missing the fee payment — even online filings fail if the payment is not completed.
• Skipping the application reference / identifier that lets the PIO locate your file.
• Drafting in English when the authority uses a regional language — use either, but be consistent.

• Urban Co-operative Bank records — Karnataka HC 2024 — Co-op regulatory oversight is transparent; member data is fiduciary.
• Police complaint records — Karnataka SIC — Complainant entitled to complaint-status & closure reports; live investigation content protected under §8(1)(h).
• KERC tariff determination records — Karnataka HC — KERC tariff-hearing records + calculation worksheets: §4(1)(b) proactive disclosure.
• BMTC tender records — Karnataka HC — BMTC = §2(h); post-award tender summary OK; losing-bidder commercials §8(1)(d).
• Cooperative societies — Karnataka HC — Post-Thalappalam, cooperatives are public authorities only if directly financed or controlled by the State.
• Tender records post-award — Karnataka HC — Pre-award tender commercials are §8(1)(d) confidential; post-award evaluation records become disclosable.

Browse the full case-law database — 362 curated rulings and filter by court / section / keyword.

• How to file RTI online — national guide
• Why RTI gets rejected — drafting fix-it guide
• Ask for records, not answers
• Grounds for RTI rejection
• First Appeal timelines
• FAA appellate-review checklist
• Sample RTI applications
• RTI FAQ — 25 most-asked questions

• Right to Information Act, 2005 (as amended 2019, 2023)
• Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005 (as amended)
• Karnataka State Information Commission (KSIC) — annual reports
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), amending RTI §8(1)(j)

Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.