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Government Services

Income Certificate: Who Issues It, Documents and Validity

An income certificate states your family's annual income and is issued by the tahsildar or SDM through your state portal, usually within 14 to 21 days.

RM

Written by Rohan Mehta

Published 9 October 2026·5 min read

On this page8 sections
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An income certificate is a state government document that records your family’s annual income from all sources. The tahsildar, SDM or an equivalent revenue officer issues it, mostly through the state’s online service portal. Fees are nominal (nil in Delhi, ₹20 in Maharashtra) and it takes about 14 to 21 days.

Key facts

Item Detail
Issued by State revenue department: nayab tahsildar (Maharashtra), SDM (Delhi), deputy tahsildar at Nadakacheri centres (Karnataka)
Used for Scholarships, fee concessions, welfare schemes and reserved seats with an income limit
Apply at State portal (Aaple Sarkar, e-District Delhi, Sewa Setu, Nadakacheri) or a service centre
Fee Nil (Delhi); ₹20 (Maharashtra); ₹25 per application (Karnataka); ₹30 plus charges (Assam)
Time 14 days (Delhi); 15 days (Maharashtra); 21 working days (Karnataka)
Validity No single national rule; set by the state or the scheme that asks for it

What counts as family income

The certificate covers the income of the household, not only the applicant. Maharashtra’s online form, for example, asks for family educational details, family farm income and income from other sources for the income year you choose. Delhi asks for salary slips or other proof of family income, and proof of monthly expenditure.

Schemes define family in their own way. The Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT students counts the income of the student’s parents or guardians, plus the student’s own income if employed, against a limit of ₹2.50 lakh a year. Read the rules of the scheme you are applying to before you fill in the form.

An income certificate is a different document from the Income and Asset Certificate needed for the EWS quota. The Department of Personnel and Training identifies EWS families as those with gross annual income below ₹8 lakh, and that certificate also looks at assets. Karnataka’s Nadakacheri portal lists the two as separate services.

Where to apply

State Portal or office Issuing officer
Maharashtra Aaple Sarkar portal (Revenue Department) Nayab tahsildar; appeals to tahsildar, then SDO
Delhi edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in, or the SDM or Deputy Commissioner’s office SDM of your area
Karnataka Nadakacheri (Atalji Janasnehi Kendra) Deputy tahsildar
Assam Sewa Setu portal, or a PFC or CSC Certificate downloaded from the ARTPS portal

Other states use their own e-District portals and designate their own officers, so check your state portal for the office that covers your village or ward.

Documents required

States ask for identity and address proof, and some want income evidence too. The official lists:

ItemDetails
Maharashtraone identity proof (PAN, passport, Aadhaar, voter ID, driving licence, MGNREGA job card, RSBY card or government ID), one address proof (passport, water, electricity or telephone bill, ration card, Aadhaar, voter ID, property tax receipt, 7/12 and 8A extract or rent receipt) and a self-declaration. Minors add age proof.
Delhiapplication form, identity proof (Aadhaar is not compulsory; PAN, passport, driving licence or voter card work), residence proof, a self-declaration in the prescribed format, salary slip or other proof of family income, and proof of monthly expenditure. Documents must be attested by a gazetted officer, and your photograph is taken by webcam.
Assamaddress proof, identity proof and land revenue receipt are mandatory; a salary slip is optional.
Karnatakaphoto identity and address proof; the operator keys in the other details.

If you are salaried, salary slips (and Form 16) show your income; see our page on Form 16, 26AS and AIS. For the self-declaration, our guide on how to make an affidavit explains attestation.

Online application steps

This is the Aaple Sarkar flow in Maharashtra. Other state portals follow a similar pattern.

  1. Register on the Aaple Sarkar portal, using Aadhaar verification or a mobile OTP.
  2. Complete your profile: applicant details, address, photograph, identity proof and address proof.
  3. Select Revenue Department in the left panel, then Revenue Services, and click Proceed.
  4. Choose Income Certificate, read the document list and click Proceed.
  5. Pick the income year and fill in applicant, family, farm income and other income details.
  6. Accept the declaration, submit and upload your documents.
  7. Pay the ₹20 fee to complete the application.
  8. Respond if the tehsil clerk, awwal karkun or nayab tahsildar raises a correction request.
  9. Download the digitally signed certificate from the portal once approved.

In Delhi you apply the same way on e-District, or in person at the SDM or Deputy Commissioner’s office between 10 am and 1 pm on working days. In Karnataka, you can give your details orally at a Nadakacheri centre instead of writing an application.

Download, validity and renewal

Maharashtra issues a digitally signed certificate you download from Aaple Sarkar. Assam lets you download from the ARTPS portal after approval. You can also check whether your state’s certificates are available in DigiLocker; our guide on what DigiLocker is explains how issued documents work.

No central law fixes the validity of an income certificate. Each office or scheme decides how recent a certificate it accepts, so check before you reuse an old one. The OBC post-matric scholarship guidelines say the income certificate is needed only once, at admission, for courses that run longer than one year.

If your application is delayed beyond the notified time, you can appeal. In Maharashtra the first appeal lies with the tahsildar and the second with the sub-divisional officer.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues an income certificate?

The state revenue department, through the tahsildar, nayab tahsildar, deputy tahsildar or SDM, depending on the state.

How long does it take?

Delhi issues it in 14 days, Maharashtra in 15 days and Karnataka in 21 working days.

What is the fee for an income certificate?

There is no fee in Delhi. Maharashtra charges ₹20 and Karnataka ₹25 per application. Assam charges ₹30, with extra charges at service centres.

Is an income certificate valid for one year?

There is no single rule; the state or scheme decides. The OBC post-matric scholarship, for example, accepts one taken at admission for the whole course.

Can I download my income certificate online?

Yes, in states that issue digital certificates. Maharashtra’s Aaple Sarkar and Assam’s ARTPS portal both let you download it after approval.

Is the income certificate the same as an EWS certificate?

No. The EWS quota needs a separate Income and Asset Certificate, and DoPT’s income limit for it is below ₹8 lakh a year.

Sources

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