Don't have your RC number? Enter your name and select your state to find your ration card details — card type, family members, FPS shop and current status.
Three steps from name to full card details — no RC number needed to get started.
Pick your state or UT from the dropdown. Each state runs its own PDS database, so getting this right is the first step to finding your record.
Type the head of household's name as it appears on the ration card. If the full name gives no results, try just the first name — partial matches work too.
Click Search and you'll land directly on the name search page for your state. From there you can see your RC number, card type, FPS details, family members and status.
Each state's PDS database has its own quirks. Here's what to keep in mind for the most-searched ones.
Most people land here because they've lost their physical card — or more precisely, they can't find the RC number and need to look it up before they can do anything else. The RC number is what state portals ask for first. Which creates a loop: you need the number to find the number.
Name-based search breaks that loop. You give the system your name and state, and it returns cards registered to that name — along with the RC number, card type, FPS shop assignment, and the full list of family members on the card.
It's also useful when you want to check whether a correction you applied for has gone through, or to confirm which district your card is filed under before going to the food office.
Just two things: your state and the head of household's name. You don't need Aadhaar, a mobile number, or any government ID. PDS beneficiary records are public under the National Food Security Act's transparency rules — they're meant to be accessible to everyone.
The name has to be at least partially right, though. If you're unsure of the exact spelling, start with just the first name. Most state portals do partial matching, so "Ram" will return "Ramesh," "Ramkumar," "Ramnarayan," and so on. You narrow down from there using the district or card type.
This is the most common reason a name search comes up empty. The name in the PDS database is whatever was written on the original application form, often filled in by a VLE or food department clerk, sometimes years ago. Spelling errors in these records are genuinely common — "Devi" listed as "Debi," "Ramesh" as "Ramash," initials dropped or swapped.
If your exact name finds nothing, try:
If nothing works, the Aadhaar-based search option available on some state portals is worth trying next. States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh allow Aadhaar-linked lookup which sidesteps the name spelling problem entirely.
When your search returns results, each card will show one of three types. AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) is for the poorest households — destitute families, daily wage earners, landless agricultural workers. These cards carry the highest grain allocation at 35 kg per family per month. PHH (Priority Household) covers families below the poverty line under the NFSA — 5 kg per person per month. This is the most common type. NPHH (sometimes called General) covers households above the BPL threshold; subsidy levels for this category vary by state.
If your search shows you in NPHH but your household qualifies for PHH, you can apply for category correction at your district food office. You'll need income proof and the current RC number.
Once you've located your record, write down the RC number. You'll need it for downloading the e-Ration Card PDF, applying for corrections, porting your card under ONORC if you've moved cities, or claiming your monthly entitlement at a new FPS shop. If you want to download the PDF right away, use the "Download e-Ration Card" button on this page — it opens your state's download section directly.
If you spot an error — wrong name spelling, missing family member, old address — corrections require a formal application, not just a search. Most states now accept correction applications online through the food department portal. Look for an "Amendment" or "Correction" link once you're on the state portal.
West Bengal has a detailed name search system that works down to block level and usually returns results with the FPS shop code included. Names are sometimes stored in Bengali transliteration, so try both the English version and any common Bengali spelling if the first attempt fails.
Uttar Pradesh has the largest PDS database in the country by volume. The search is hierarchical: you go district, then block, then panchayat, then ward before names appear. It takes a few more clicks than other states, but the records are fairly complete once you drill down.
Delhi allows address-based search alongside name, which is useful when you're not sure of the exact registered spelling. Results load in two to three seconds and include the e-Ration Card download link on the same page.
Bihar and Jharkhand route through district-level search first. Including the district along with the name cuts results down significantly and gets you to the right record faster.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala require a mobile OTP login for full card details, but basic verification — confirming a card exists under a name — is available without logging in.
The central government's Mera Ration app (available on Play Store and App Store) lets you look up your card by logging in with your Aadhaar-linked mobile OTP. Once logged in, it shows your RC number, current card status, your assigned FPS, and your monthly entitlement. It also works as a name-based path in — you log in with your number, and the system fetches your card details without you needing to type the name at all.
If you've moved to a different state and need to find your card registered back home, name search in your home state is the right starting point. Under ONORC, your card stays registered in the state where it was issued. Once you have the RC number from the name search, the Mera Ration app can verify whether your card is ONORC-enabled and help you locate your nearest FPS in the new city.
Real questions people ask about finding a ration card by name in India.