CIN (Corporate Identity Number): format and where to find it
CIN is the 21-character Corporate Identity Number the ROC gives every Indian company. It encodes listing status, industry, state, year, type and number.
Short answer
A CIN (Corporate Identity Number) is the unique 21-character code the Registrar of Companies allots to every company registered in India. It appears on the Certificate of Incorporation and must be printed on the company's letterheads, invoices, notices and website. The code encodes listing status, industry, state, year of incorporation, company type and registration number.
- Length
- 21 alphanumeric characters
- Issued by
- Registrar of Companies at incorporation
- Display rule
- Letterheads, invoices, notices and website
How to read a CIN
Each part of the CIN has a fixed position and meaning. Take the illustrative CIN U62011KA2026PTC123456, which is not a real company, and read it from left to right as follows.
- U: unlisted (L means listed)
- 62011: industry code under the National Industrial Classification
- KA: state code of the registered office, here Karnataka
- 2026: year of incorporation
- PTC: company type, here private limited (others include PLC, OPC and NPL)
- 123456: registration number
Where the CIN is used
Section 12 of the Companies Act and the incorporation rules require the company name, registered office address and CIN to appear on business letters, billheads, notices and official publications, along with contact details. The CIN is also used to log in to company filings on the MCA V3 portal, to search master data and to identify the company in GST, banking and tender documents.
A CIN can change when the company changes state, converts between private and public, or becomes listed, because those details are embedded in the code. The registration number, however, generally stays the same, so the company's history remains traceable on the portal.
Why it matters for startups
Vendors and enterprise customers often verify a startup's CIN on the MCA portal before onboarding it. If your invoices or website omit it, you are technically in breach of the disclosure rule. After any conversion, update the CIN on stationery, GST records and bank records promptly so documents match the MCA master data.
Related services
Sources
Written by the Refogo Editorial Team from the official sources above and checked on 2026-10-31. Laws, rates and due dates change, and authorities often extend deadlines, so confirm your own case with a qualified professional. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Read our editorial policy or report an error to support@refogo.com.
Common questions
How can I find a company's CIN?
Search the company name on the MCA portal's master data service. The CIN is also printed on the Certificate of Incorporation and usually on invoices.
Do LLPs have a CIN?
No. An LLP receives an LLPIN instead, which has a shorter seven-character format.
Is CIN the same as the company's PAN?
No. The CIN is issued by the ROC to identify the company under company law, while PAN is the income-tax identifier. Both are shown on the incorporation certificate.