Lost documents or belongings: what to do

Which documents need a police report

Check before you go anywhere. Aadhaar and PAN you can start on straight away.

Step by step

1. 1

   Find out if you need a police report

   A police report (often called an FIR or lost report) is asked for mainly when the document itself proves who you are and could be misused if someone else has it, like your passport or voter ID.

   Aadhaar and PAN reissue does not ask for one. For a driving licence, RTOs commonly ask for a police report when it is lost or stolen.

2. 2

   If you need one, get it made

   Go to the police station that covers where you lost the document, or your local station if you are not sure which one that is.

   Uttarakhand Police's citizen portal has a Lost Property Registration service: that is the one to use for a lost document. It also has a separate e-FIR login for the offences it covers. Both need an account. Check there first; if your case isn't covered, you'll need to go in person.

   policecitizenportal.uk.gov.in ↗Not working?
3. 3

   Aadhaar: download it free, or order a new card

   Log in to myAadhaar with your Aadhaar number and OTP and download your e-Aadhaar as a PDF, free, any time. It is accepted wherever a physical Aadhaar is.

   If you want a physical card, order an Aadhaar PVC card on the same portal for the fee shown there. It's delivered to your registered address by post.

   myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in ↗Not working?
4. 4

   PAN: get a free e-PAN or a reprinted card

   If you have lost only the card, you still have your PAN: you do not apply for a new one. The Income Tax portal's Instant e-PAN is only for people who have never been allotted a PAN at all.

   Download a copy of your e-PAN, or order a reprinted card, from Protean or UTIITSL, whichever issued your PAN, using your PAN, date of birth and Aadhaar for OTP verification, for the fee shown on the page.

   Don't apply for a fresh PAN because you lost the card. Holding more than one PAN isn't allowed and can lead to a penalty. You only need a reprint of the one you already have.

   onlineservices.proteantech.in ↗Not working?
5. 5

   Driving licence: apply for a duplicate

   Apply on the Sarathi portal: choose your state, then the duplicate driving licence service, and fill in your details.

   Most RTOs ask you to upload your police report with the application for a lost or stolen licence. Your RTO may ask you to visit in person to finish the process.

   sarathi.parivahan.gov.in ↗Not working?
6. 6

   Voter ID (EPIC): download e-EPIC or get a replacement

   If your mobile number is linked to your voter record, log in to the Election Commission's Voters' Service Portal and download your e-EPIC, a digital copy accepted for identity checks.

   For a physical replacement card, submit Form 8 on the portal (or at your Electoral Registration Officer's office), tick "Lost", and attach your police report. The form itself says you must attach a copy of the FIR or police report for a lost EPIC.

   voters.eci.gov.in ↗Not working?
7. 7

   Passport: apply for a re-issue

   If your passport is damaged but the passport number, your name and your photo are still readable, you don't need a police report, just a signed statement (Annexure F) explaining how it was damaged. Take the damaged passport itself with you, plus self-attested copies of its first two and last two pages.

   If it's lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recognition, you need a police report in original, plus the same signed statement giving the date, the police station and how many times this has happened before. The instructions say loss should be reported to the nearest police station immediately, and to the Passport Office.

   A re-issue for a lost, stolen or badly damaged passport can only be applied for as a Normal application, not under the faster Tatkaal scheme.

   Pay the fee shown on Passport Seva when you apply.

   www.passportindia.gov.in ↗Not working?

Watch out

• Apply only through myAadhaar, the Income Tax e-filing portal, Protean, UTIITSL, Sarathi, the Voters' Service Portal or Passport Seva. The fee, if any, is shown on the official page itself; a site that asks for more than that is not official.
• No government office calls or messages you asking for your Aadhaar, PAN or OTP to "verify" a lost document.