GST Number Search: How to Check and Verify a GSTIN Online (2026)

A new wholesale customer asks for a GST bill and reads out a 15-character number. A new supplier sends an invoice with a GSTIN printed at the top. In both cases the number decides who gets input tax credit, and in both cases a single wrong character, or a registration that was cancelled last year, turns into a problem at return time. A GST number search takes about a minute and settles it before the bill is made.

This guide shows how to check a GST number for free on the official GST portal, how to search by PAN, and how to use the e-way bill portal's taxpayer search. It explains what each of the 15 characters of a GSTIN means, how to read every field the search returns, what the different statuses mean, and the warning signs of a fake or wrong GSTIN.

What a GSTIN is

A GSTIN (Goods and Services Tax Identification Number) is the number a business receives when it registers under GST. It is issued with the registration certificate and must appear on every tax invoice the business issues. On a B2B invoice the buyer's GSTIN must appear too.

A GSTIN is tied to a PAN and a state. One business with one PAN that is registered in three states has three GSTINs, one per state. A business can also hold more than one registration in the same state (for separate business verticals), and each gets its own GSTIN.

Because a GSTIN is public information, anyone can check it. You do not need the other party's permission, an account or any software.

The 15 characters of a GSTIN

Every GSTIN follows the same structure. The example below, 27ABCDE1234F1Z5, is illustrative and not a real business.

A few state codes you will see often:

The PAN in the middle has its own pattern: five letters, four digits, one letter. The fourth letter of a PAN shows the type of holder, for example P for an individual, C for a company and F for a firm. So a GSTIN whose PAN part says "company" but whose invoice says "Sharma Traders, proprietor" deserves a second look.

The structure alone tells you a lot before you search. A GSTIN starting with 33 belongs to a registration in Tamil Nadu. If the invoice address is in Pune, something is wrong.

How to check a GST number on the GST portal

The official GST portal is the source every other tool draws on, and it is free.

1. Open www.gst.gov.in. You do not need to log in.
2. From the top menu, choose Search Taxpayer, then Search by GSTIN/UIN.
3. Type the 15-character GSTIN exactly as printed. Letters are capitals.
4. Type the characters shown in the captcha image.
5. Click Search.

If the GSTIN exists, the portal shows the registration details. If it does not, you get a message that the GSTIN is invalid or that no record was found. Retype it once, carefully, before you conclude anything: most "invalid" results are a single mistyped character, which is exactly what the check character at the end is designed to catch.

How to search a GST number by PAN

Sometimes you know the business's PAN but not its GSTIN, or you want to see every state in which it is registered.

1. On gst.gov.in, choose Search Taxpayer → Search by PAN.
2. Enter the 10-character PAN and the captcha.
3. Click Search.

The portal lists every GSTIN registered under that PAN, with the state and the status of each. Click a GSTIN to see its full details. This is also a quick way to find the right GSTIN when a customer has branches in more than one state: the invoice should carry the GSTIN for the state of the branch you are billing.

Other places to check a GSTIN

Search Composition Taxpayer. Also under Search Taxpayer on gst.gov.in. It tells you whether a business has opted for the composition scheme. A composition dealer cannot charge GST on its bills, so if a supplier registered under composition sends you a bill with GST on it, ask questions before you pay. Our guide to the GST composition scheme explains why.

E-way bill portal. The e-way bill system (ewaybillgst.gov.in) has its own Taxpayer Search, also free with a captcha. It is useful if you already work on that portal to move goods.

Private lookup tools. Many accounting and payment companies run free GST number search pages that pull data from the official system. They are convenient, and some add search by business name. Treat any result from them as a lead and confirm it on gst.gov.in, especially before a large order.

Search by business name. The official portal does not offer a free-text search by business name to the public. If you have only a name, ask the business for its GSTIN, or use a private tool to find candidates and then verify the GSTIN itself on the portal.

How to read the search result

The result page on gst.gov.in shows a set of fields. Labels may vary slightly as the portal is updated, but the content is the same.

The return filing table is worth a minute. A supplier who has not filed GSTR-1 for months is a supplier whose invoices may never reach your GSTR-2B, and your input tax credit depends on that. Our guide on how to file GSTR-1 explains why the supplier's return matters to the buyer.

What each GSTIN status means

A cancelled GSTIN is the most common problem. The business may still be trading and may still print the old number on its bills, but tax invoices issued on a cancelled registration do not give the buyer valid input tax credit.

Why verifying a GSTIN matters

When you sell to a registered business. The buyer's GSTIN goes into Table 4 of your GSTR-1. If it is wrong, the GST portal rejects the entry or the invoice lands in someone else's records, and your customer cannot claim the credit. They will come back to you for a corrected invoice, and you will have to amend your return. Checking the GSTIN once, when you first save the customer, prevents all of that. Our guide to the GST invoice format shows where the buyer's GSTIN sits on the bill.

When you buy from a supplier. Your input tax credit depends on the supplier being genuinely registered, filing returns and reporting your invoice. A fake or cancelled GSTIN on a purchase bill means the credit you claimed can be denied, with interest. Our morning guide to input tax credit covers the conditions in full.

When the state decides the tax. The state code in the GSTIN and the place of supply on the bill decide whether the sale is intra-state or inter-state, and so whether you charge CGST and SGST or IGST. A wrong state is a wrong tax split. See CGST, SGST and IGST explained.

How to spot a fake or wrong GSTIN

Run through this list whenever a new GSTIN comes your way:

1. The state code does not match the address. A GSTIN starting with 07 (Delhi) on a bill from a shop in Chennai is wrong.
2. The PAN part is not a valid PAN pattern. Characters 3 to 12 should be five letters, four digits and one letter.
3. The PAN does not match the business. If you know the business's PAN, it should appear in characters 3 to 12.
4. The 14th character is not "Z" on what is supposed to be a normal taxpayer's GSTIN.
5. The portal says invalid or finds no record, even after you have retyped the number carefully.
6. The legal or trade name differs from the name on the invoice or the person you are dealing with.
7. The status is cancelled or suspended.
8. Returns have not been filed for months, visible in the return filing table.
9. GST is charged by a composition dealer, which the composition search will reveal.

Any one of these is a reason to pause. Ask the business to explain, and do not claim input tax credit on its invoices until it is resolved.

Common mix-ups

GSTIN vs PAN. A PAN is a 10-character income tax number. A GSTIN contains the PAN but adds the state code in front and three characters at the end. You cannot use a PAN where a GSTIN is required.

GSTIN vs ARN. When a business applies for GST registration, it receives an ARN (Application Reference Number) to track the application. An ARN is not a GSTIN and cannot be used on invoices. The GSTIN comes only after the registration is approved.

GSTIN vs UIN. A UIN (Unique Identification Number) is issued to bodies such as embassies and UN organisations. It looks similar and can be searched in the same place, but it is not a normal business registration.

TDS and TCS registrations. Government departments that deduct tax and e-commerce operators that collect tax also hold GSTIN-like registrations, with a different letter in the 14th place. If you see one on a supplier's bill for goods, ask what it is.

Your own GSTIN. It is printed on your GST registration certificate (Form REG-06) and visible in your dashboard when you log in to gst.gov.in. If you are not yet registered, our guide to the GST registration limit explains when you need to be.

Saving and printing GSTINs in BillZap

BillZap, our free GST billing app for Android, handles the GSTIN at the point where most mistakes happen: when it is typed in at the counter.

• When you enter a customer's GSTIN, BillZap checks its length and format, 15 characters in the right pattern, so a missing or extra character is caught before the bill is saved.
• The GSTIN is saved with the customer, so the next bill for them carries it automatically and nobody types it again.
• It is printed on every B2B invoice, next to your own GSTIN.
• The state on the bill decides CGST and SGST or IGST, and BillZap shows which split it applied before you save.

BillZap does not look the GSTIN up on the GST portal, and it does not confirm the check character or the registration status. Verify a new customer's GSTIN once on gst.gov.in, then save it in BillZap. The app is free, works fully offline and needs no sign-up.

FAQ: GST number search

The bottom line

A GST number search is the cheapest check in GST. One minute on gst.gov.in tells you whether the number exists, who it belongs to, whether it is active and whether the business files its returns. Do it once for every new customer and supplier, and the GSTIN on your bills and in your returns stops being a source of corrections and lost credit.

After that, keep the checked number where it cannot be mistyped again. If you want a free app that saves each customer's GSTIN, checks its format and prints it on every B2B bill, BillZap is on Google Play. It works offline with no sign-up.

This guide explains GSTIN checks in plain language and is not tax advice. Portal menus and field names change from time to time; where a GSTIN's status affects a tax claim, confirm with your chartered accountant.