RTI first appeal format, filled in for you
If the Public Information Officer does not reply within 30 days, or the reply is incomplete or wrongly refuses information, you can file a first appeal under section 19(1) of the RTI Act to the First Appellate Authority of the same office. File it within 30 days of the reply, or of the date the reply was due.
Fill the form below, check the preview and download the appeal as Word or PDF.
Last updated: Reviewed by IndiaDigital editorsSources
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Opening the form…
This is a general format to save you time, not legal advice. Read every clause, change what does not fit your situation, and for a dispute or a large amount, consult a lawyer.
What is an RTI first appeal?
A first appeal is a short letter to a senior officer of the same public authority, called the First Appellate Authority, asking them to correct what the Public Information Officer did. It sets out your RTI application, what happened to it, your grounds of appeal and the relief you want. This draft lays out those particulars in a table followed by numbered grounds and relief, the format most offices expect.
When do you need an RTI first appeal?
- No reply arrived within 30 days of your RTI application (deemed refusal).
- The reply answered only some of your questions, or gave vague or misleading answers.
- Information was refused under section 8 without a clear reason.
- You were asked to pay a fee for copies that looks excessive.
- The application was transferred or returned without a proper reason.
Documents needed for an RTI first appeal
- A copy of your RTI application and proof of the fee you paid.
- Proof of filing: the postal receipt or the online registration number.
- The reply of the Public Information Officer, if you received one.
- The name or designation and address of the First Appellate Authority (usually given in the PIO’s reply or on the department website).
How to make an RTI first appeal: stamp paper, signing, submitting
- Fill the form: your details, the public authority, your RTI application and what happened to it.
- Keep only the grounds that apply and write the relief you want in plain words.
- Download the PDF to print, or the Word file to edit, and sign the appeal.
- For central public authorities that are on the portal, file the first appeal online on rtionline.gov.in using your original registration number. Otherwise send it by registered or speed post, or deliver it by hand.
- Attach copies of your application, fee proof and the reply. Keep a full set and the postal receipt or online acknowledgement.
- If the First Appellate Authority does not decide or you are still not satisfied, you can file a second appeal to the Information Commission within 90 days.
Common mistakes
- Sending the appeal to the Public Information Officer instead of the First Appellate Authority.
- Asking for new information in the appeal. The appeal can only be about the information in your original application.
- Missing the 30-day window without giving a reason for the delay.
- Not attaching a copy of the original application and the reply, which slows the hearing.
Questions people ask
Is there a fee for an RTI first appeal?
Central rules prescribe no fee for the first appeal; state rules may differ. Check the RTI rules of your state government if the office is a state department.
What is the time limit to file a first appeal?
Within 30 days from the date you received the reply, or from the date by which the reply was due if none came. The First Appellate Authority can accept a late appeal if you show sufficient cause, so explain any delay in the form.
Who is the First Appellate Authority?
An officer senior in rank to the Public Information Officer in the same public authority. The PIO’s reply should name them; the department’s RTI page usually lists them too.
What if the First Appellate Authority also does not respond?
You can file a second appeal to the Central or State Information Commission within 90 days of the date the first appeal should have been decided or was decided.
Is my data safe?
Yes. The form, preview, Word and PDF are all made inside your browser on this device. Nothing you type is uploaded. This is a drafting aid, not legal advice.
Sources and last check
- RTI: application fee, reply time and appeals (central public authorities) (verified 30 Oct 2026)
For central public authorities the fee is ₹10 (cash against receipt, demand draft, banker’s cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer, or online on rtionline.gov.in). Citizens below the poverty line pay no fee if they attach proof. Reply within 30 days (48 hours if life or liberty is involved; 5 more days when filed through an Assistant PIO; 40 days when a third party is involved). First appeal within 30 days to the First Appellate Authority; second appeal to the Information Commission within 90 days. The central rules ask for a request of up to 500 words, but an application cannot be rejected only for being longer. State governments set their own fees and forms.
RTI portal of the Government of India (DoPT): the Act and the RTI Rules 2012 · Central Information Commission · RTI Online (central public authorities)
- Official websites
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