dociya

Caste / Income / Domicile Certificate (India)

State Revenue Department certificates confirming caste category (SC/ST/OBC), annual family income, or residence/domicile — used for reservations, scholarships, fee concessions, jobs, and welfare. Applied via the state e-District portal.

Do it on the official site

State Revenue Department (Tehsildar/SDM/DM) — state e-District portal (e.g. edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in)

Fees

Delhi: no fee for Income & Domicile [confirmed]; other states typically ₹10–₹200, some free [inferred — verify on the state portal]

Processing time

Commonly 7–30 days after verification (exact SLA state-specific)

How long it lasts

Income: 6 months (Delhi) to 1 yr; Domicile: often permanent (some 6 mo–1 yr by purpose); Caste: SC/ST lifetime, OBC non-creamy-layer ~1 FY (annual renewal for central benefits)

What to know first

  • Issued by the Revenue Department — signed by Tehsildar/SDM/SDO/DM (varies by state); a local field verification usually precedes issue.
  • Apply online via the state portal (e-District in most states; Seva Sindhu in Karnataka, etc.).
  • Validity differs sharply: income certs short-lived (6 months Delhi, up to ~1 yr); SC/ST caste effectively permanent; OBC non-creamy-layer needs annual renewal for central benefits.
  • Caste certificate generally requires the father's/family caste certificate as base proof — the most common blocker.

How to do it

  1. 1Register on the state e-District portal (mobile + Aadhaar).
  2. 2Select the service (Caste / Income / Domicile) → fill the form + upload docs → pay any fee → submit, save the acknowledgement.
  3. 3Application routes to the Tehsildar/SDM for field verification + approval.
  4. 4Download the digitally signed certificate.

What you need to bring

  • Application form; ID proof (Aadhaar + voter ID/PAN/ration); residence proof (for domicile); birth certificate; self-declaration affidavit; income proof (salary slip/ITR); father's/family SC-ST-OBC certificate (base proof for caste); 2 photos

In person

Nearest state Revenue Dept / Tehsildar office or e-District Common Service Centre (CSC)

Questions people ask

Where to apply and who signs?
Online via the state e-District portal; signed by the Revenue Dept (Tehsildar/SDM/DM).
How long is my income certificate valid?
Often 6 months (Delhi) up to 1 yr — renew before scholarship/admission deadlines; SC/ST caste is typically lifetime.
Why is my caste certificate rejected?
Usually the father's/family caste certificate or migration certificate is missing.

Documents that travel with it

Sources

  • revenue.delhi.gov.in income/domicile/scst; edistrict.delhigovt.nic.in; indiafilings caste (accessed 2026-06-27)