Check your GST ARN status instantly. Track new registration, amendment, cancellation, and refund ARN without login. Fast, secure & 100% free tool.
Your GST ARN status tells you what has happened to your application since you submitted it: Pending for Processing, Pending for Clarification, Approved, Rejected or Withdrawn. Type the ARN into the box above to see it. You do not need to log in or solve a captcha. If the result ever differs from gst.gov.in, trust the portal.
ARN stands for Application Reference Number. The GST portal generates it the moment you submit an application, and the ARN status is the running record of what the tax officer has done with that application. In the goods and services tax system you will meet ARNs in three places: a registration, amendment or cancellation application, a refund claim, and every GST return you file. The tool on this page tracks the first group. Refund and return ARNs are tracked on the portal, and the steps are further down this page.
A registration ARN has 15 characters: two letters, a two-digit state code, four digits for the month and year, and a serial number that ends in a check character. The portal creates it after you submit Part B of Form GST REG-01 and, where it applies, finish Aadhaar authentication. It reaches you by email and SMS, and it is printed on the acknowledgement in Form GST REG-02.
Until the GSTIN is issued, the ARN is only a tracking reference. A client may ask for the acknowledgement to confirm that you have applied, but you cannot charge GST on it, because a tax invoice has to carry the supplier's GSTIN under Rule 46. If you have not applied yet, start with LegalDev's GST registration service.
Three routes work. They all use the same ARN, and the tool on this page is the quickest because it skips the login and the captcha.
LegalDev is a private consultancy and does not run the GST portal. If the tool and the portal ever show different results, go by the portal.
If you applied through the MCA's SPICe+ form, you can search with the SRN instead. IFSCA applicants can use the FRN.
Existing taxpayers can log in, go to Services > Track Application Status, choose Registration and search by ARN or by submission period. This route also lists amendment and cancellation applications and lets you download the acknowledgement.
No. The portal login takes a username and password, and an ARN cannot be used for it. The ARN is only for tracking.
If you are a new applicant and have no credentials yet, you can still get back into your application with the TRN. Go to Services > Registration > New Registration, choose the TRN option, and enter the TRN and the OTP sent to your registered mobile number. The tracking page then shows your ARN. After approval, the portal sends your login credentials by email and SMS.
The portal shows one of nine statuses on a registration application. The names below follow the portal's own user guide.
This is the status most people see first, and for the first few days it simply means nobody has opened the file yet. The clock is 7 working days from submission in a standard case. Count working days, not calendar days, and do not count the day you applied. If it is still unchanged after that, see the section on stuck applications below.
When the officer finds a gap or a mismatch, the portal issues a notice in Form GST REG-03 by email and SMS. Your reply goes in Form GST REG-04 and is due within 7 working days of receiving the notice. The due date is printed on the notice, so start early.
A reply can correct most details in the application. It cannot change the PAN, State, mobile number or email address entered in Part A of Form GST REG-01. If the mistake is in one of those, you need a fresh application.
This status appears when the reply deadline passes. Under Rule 9(4), the officer rejects an application when no reply is received or the reply does not satisfy the officer, and records the reasons in Form GST REG-05. If you see this status, contact your jurisdictional tax office and file a grievance on the portal without delay.
The officer has marked the application for a physical visit under Rule 25. Keep the premises open during working hours, and keep the original address proof and the other uploaded documents ready for the inspector. Where verification is ordered, Rule 9 allows up to 30 days for the registration to be granted.
Approved means the GSTIN has been issued. Do these four things first:
After that you can verify a supplier's GSTIN and set up your GST return filing.
You cannot turn an ARN into a GSTIN yourself. The GSTIN is assigned only when the officer approves the application. Once that happens, you will find it in the approval email and SMS, and on the registration certificate (REG-06).
If you are looking for someone else's GSTIN and you only have their PAN or business name, an ARN will not help. Use the PAN to GST search or the name to GST search instead.
The limits come from Rule 9 of the CGST Rules and are counted in working days.
Deemed approval is the part most applicants miss. If the officer neither approves the application nor issues a notice within the limit, Rule 9(5) treats it as approved and the portal issues the registration. A standard application still showing Pending for Processing after 7 working days is worth checking again the next day, and worth raising with the tax office if nothing has moved.
Rule 14A came into effect on 1 November 2025 through Notification No. 18/2025-Central Tax. Applicants who select Yes for Rule 14A in Form GST REG-01 get automatic registration within 3 working days of ARN generation, provided they pass Aadhaar authentication and the system's risk checks. The scheme is for small taxpayers whose monthly output tax liability on supplies to registered persons stays within Rs 2.5 lakh, and it allows one registration per State or Union Territory for each PAN.
Most REG-03 notices trace back to a handful of problems:
Checking these before you submit avoids most notices. If one arrives, answer it point by point and say which uploaded file supports each answer.
A rejection comes as an order in Form GST REG-05, and it must state the reasons. Download it from Services > User Services > View Notices and Orders. There are two ways forward.
Submit a fresh Form GST REG-01 after fixing the problem the order names. Each new application gets a new ARN. The law sets no waiting period and no limit on new applications, but repeating the same defect gets the same result. Reapplying is usually quicker when the cause is a fixable document or data issue.
Section 107 of the CGST Act allows an appeal to the Appellate Authority in Form GST APL-01 within three months of the order. The authority can condone a delay of up to one month for sufficient cause. On the portal, go to Services > User Services > My Applications and choose Appeal to Appellate Authority. An appeal makes sense when the rejection gave no proper reason or overlooked documents you had already submitted.
A chartered accountant or GST practitioner can read the order and tell you which route fits. LegalDev offers a free consultation if you want a second opinion.
Once the GSTIN arrives, the ARN is useful only as a reference when you write to the tax office about the original application.
Look in your email, including spam, and in the SMS sent after submission. The ARN is also printed on the REG-02 acknowledgement. If you still have the TRN, use the TRN route described above and the tracking page will show it.
If the tool says the ARN is invalid, check every character. Letters should be capitals and there should be no spaces. If you submitted only a few minutes ago, wait a little and try again.
A refund application (Form RFD-01) gets its own ARN when you submit it. The LegalDev tool above is built for registration ARNs, so track a refund on the GST portal.
The common refund statuses are Refund Application Filed, Refund Application Acknowledged (RFD-02 issued) and the final order (RFD-06) showing the refund as sanctioned, partially sanctioned or rejected. If bank validation fails, the same page has an Update Bank Account button. Under Section 54(7) the officer is expected to pass the order within 60 days of receiving a complete application, and interest is payable under Section 56 if the refund is delayed beyond that.
Every GST return you file also generates an ARN, which is emailed to you straight away. To track it, log in to the portal and go to Services > Returns > Track Return Status. You can search by ARN, by return period or by status. This one needs a login.
The return statuses are To be filed, Submitted but not filed, Filed-Valid and Filed-Invalid. Filed-Invalid means the return went in but the tax was not paid or was short paid. To check whether a business has been filing on time, use the GST filing status tool. If you want help keeping returns on schedule, see GST return filing.
Core-field amendments and cancellation applications get an ARN too, and the tool on this page tracks them the same way as a new registration. A cancellation application ends with the tax officer accepting or rejecting it. If you are closing a business, LegalDev's GST registration cancellation service handles the filing.
Other free tools: GSTIN verification, GST filing status, PAN to GST search, name to GST search, GST late fee calculator and the GST calculator.
Enter the ARN in the tool at the top of this page. It needs no login or captcha. You can also use Services > Track Application Status on gst.gov.in, which asks for a captcha. Both work with the ARN alone.
ARN is the Application Reference Number the GST portal generates when you submit an application, whether it is for registration, amendment, cancellation, refund or a return. It is a tracking number and not a registration number.
No. The ARN is a temporary reference for tracking an application. The GSTIN is the 15-character registration number issued after approval, and it is the one that goes on tax invoices and returns.
No. Login needs a username and password. A new applicant without credentials can get back into the application with the TRN and an OTP. After approval, the portal sends the login credentials by email and SMS.
You cannot convert it yourself. The GSTIN is issued when the application is approved and appears in the approval email and SMS and on the REG-06 certificate. Track the ARN to see whether the status is Approved.
For a standard application the officer has 7 working days to approve it or raise a notice, and it is deemed approved if the officer does nothing. Rule 14A applicants get registration within 3 working days of the ARN. Cases that need physical verification can take up to 30 days.
The application has been filed and is waiting for the tax officer to act. In a standard case the officer has 7 working days from submission. Waiting is normal inside that window.
The officer has issued a REG-03 notice asking for clarification or documents. You must reply in Form GST REG-04 within 7 working days of receiving the notice. Open the notice against your ARN on the portal and answer each point.
The status changes to Clarification not filed, pending for order, and the officer can reject the application in Form GST REG-05 under Rule 9(4). You can then apply again with a fresh REG-01 or file an appeal under Section 107.
Count working days from the ARN date first. Inside 7 working days on a standard application, waiting is normal. After that, check your email for a notice, file a grievance on the portal quoting the ARN, and contact your jurisdictional tax office.
Under Rule 9(5), if the officer takes no action within the time limit, the application is treated as approved. The limit is 7 working days from submission in a standard case, 30 days where physical verification is needed, and 7 working days after the officer receives your reply to a notice.
No. The certificate is downloaded after login, from Services > User Services > View/Download Certificates. The registration certificate is Form GST REG-06.
Go to Services > Refunds > Track Application Status on gst.gov.in and enter the refund ARN. This works without a login if you enter the captcha. After login you can also search by filing year.
It is emailed to you right after the return is filed. You can also see it by logging in and going to Services > Returns > Track Return Status, where you can search by period if you do not have the ARN.
Yes, if you still have the TRN. Use the TRN option under Services > Registration > New Registration, enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile number, and the tracking page shows the ARN. The ARN was also sent by email and SMS and is printed on the REG-02 acknowledgement.
No. A tax invoice must carry the supplier's GSTIN under Rule 46, so GST invoicing starts only after approval. The ARN only shows that an application was submitted.
The GST portal user guide gives no expiry date for an ARN. The 15-day validity people often mention belongs to the TRN, which lets you reopen a saved application.
Yes. Submit a fresh Form GST REG-01 after fixing the problem named in the REG-05 order. The law sets no waiting period and no limit on new applications. You can also appeal under Section 107 within three months of the order.
No, and it never should. The tool asks for the ARN only. LegalDev never asks for Aadhaar OTPs, UPI PINs or banking passwords, so do not share them with anyone claiming to help with your application.
No. LegalDev is a private consultancy and the tool is not run by the GST department. The official tracker is on gst.gov.in and asks for a captcha. If the results differ, the portal is correct.
This page gives general information and is not legal advice. LegalDev is a private consultancy and is not a government body. The official tracker is at gst.gov.in.
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