Newspaper & Periodical Registration (PRGI, formerly RNI)
Anyone who wants to bring out a newspaper, magazine or other periodical in India must register it with the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023. Title verification and registration now happen in one online application on the Press Sewa portal, and we prepare and file it for you.
What it is
Newspaper registration gives your publication a verified title and a certificate of registration from the Press Registrar General of India. Most people still call it “RNI registration”, after the Registrar of Newspapers for India, the office PRGI replaced.
The law is the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023, in force from 1 March 2024, with the Press and Registration of Periodicals Rules, 2024. It replaced the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. The old two-stage process of title verification and a declaration before the District Magistrate is gone. One online application on the Press Sewa portal now does both.
Who it applies to
You are launching a newspaper
A newspaper under the Act is a periodical of loose-folded sheets, usually on newsprint, brought out daily or at least once a week with news or comment on public news.
You publish a magazine
Any publication printed and published at regular intervals with public news or comment on it, such as a monthly news magazine.
You publish books or research journals
Books are outside the Act. So are journals of a scientific, technical or academic nature. A college research journal does not need PRGI registration.
Why it matters
Lock in your title
PRGI will not allow a title that is the same as or similar to one already held in the same language anywhere in India, or in any language in the same State.
Publish without legal risk
Publishing a periodical without a certificate of registration can draw a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh and a direction to stop publishing.
Win advertisers’ trust
Advertisers, including government media buyers, usually ask for the registration certificate and a clean filing record.
Documents required
About the owner
- PAN and Aadhaar of the owner, or of the authorised signatory for a company, LLP, society or trust
- Certificate of incorporation or registration of the entity, whether a private limited company, LLP, society or trust
- Board or governing body resolution authorising the application
About the publication
- Up to a few title choices, in order of preference
- Language, periodicity (daily, weekly, monthly) and place of publication
- Name and details of the publisher and the editor
About printing
- Name and address of the printing press
- Consent or agreement from the printer, if you print elsewhere
- Self-declarations required on the portal
Old RNI process vs the new PRGI process
| Before 1 March 2024 (PRB Act, 1867) | Now (PRP Act, 2023) | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) | Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) |
| Title | Separate title verification first | Title proposed in the registration application itself |
| District Magistrate | Declaration signed before the DM | Application goes online to PRGI and the local specified authority together; the authority gives its no-objection or comments within 60 days |
| Printing press | Declaration before the DM | Online intimation to PRGI and the local authority |
How it works
Shortlist titles that can pass
We check your proposed titles against existing ones in your language and State. Picture a Faridabad group planning a Hindi weekly with a city name in the title: similar Hindi titles may already exist in Haryana, so we suggest variants that are less likely to clash.
Register the owner on Press Sewa
We create the owner’s login on the Press Sewa portal and link the publisher’s details. In practice, the owner, publisher and editor can be different people, and the portal asks for each role separately.
File the registration application
We fill in the title choices, language, periodicity, printer and editor details, upload the documents and pay the fee. The application reaches PRGI and the specified authority of your district at the same time.
Clear queries and collect the certificate
We respond to any deficiency raised by PRGI. Once the certificate of registration is issued, we set up your compliance calendar. Many publishers also protect the masthead through trademark registration, since PRGI title approval is not a trademark.
Timelines
Within 60 days: local authority comments
The specified authority, usually the District Magistrate, must send its no-objection or comments to PRGI within 60 days of the application.
Within 12 months: start publishing
If you do not publish within 12 months from the end of the month in which the certificate was issued, PRGI may cancel it.
By 31 May every year: annual statement
The annual statement for the previous financial year is filed online on the Press Sewa portal by 31 May.
What happens if you publish without registration
Penalty up to ₹5 lakh
Bringing out a periodical without a certificate of registration can attract a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh, with a direction to stop publication. If the publisher does not comply with that direction within six months, imprisonment of up to six months is possible.
Penalty for a missed annual statement
A first default draws a penalty of ₹10,000 to ₹20,000. Think of a monthly trade magazine from Ballabgarh that simply forgot the statement: an easily avoided penalty. Repeat defaults can be charged at twice that, capped at ₹2 lakh.
Suspension or cancellation
PRGI can suspend registration for 30 to 180 days, for example if fewer than half the issues were published in a year, or no annual statement was filed within two years from the end of a financial year.
Frequently asked questions
Is RNI registration still required, or has it changed?
Registration is still required, but RNI has been replaced by the Press Registrar General of India. Since 1 March 2024, the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 governs newspapers and periodicals, and all applications go online on the Press Sewa portal. People still search for “RNI registration”, and it means the same thing. The main change is that everything now runs online.
Who can apply to register a newspaper or magazine?
Any citizen of India, or any entity incorporated or registered in India, can bring out a periodical. A person convicted by a court for a terrorist act, an unlawful activity or anything against the security of the State cannot. A company, LLP, society or trust applies through an authorised person, so most first-time publishers qualify easily.
Do I still need to file a declaration before the District Magistrate?
No. Under the 2023 Act, there is no separate declaration before the District Magistrate. You file one online application, which goes to PRGI and the specified authority of your district at the same time. That authority sends its no-objection or comments within 60 days. No more queueing at the DM’s office.
How is the title of my newspaper approved?
You propose titles in the registration application itself, and PRGI checks them. A title cannot be the same as or similar to one already held in the same language anywhere in India, or in any language in the same State. We screen your options before filing, so the best one has a fair chance.
Does a digital-only news website need PRGI registration?
No, not under this Act. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 defines a periodical as a publication that is published and printed at regular intervals, so a news portal with no print edition does not register with PRGI. A YouTube news channel is in the same position. If you plan a print edition later, register the title before the first printed issue.
Is a college or research journal covered?
No. The Act’s definition of periodical leaves out books and journals of a scientific, technical or academic nature. Here is the catch: the label on the cover does not decide it, the content does. A university’s research journal, for example, does not need PRGI registration. A campus news magazine with public news or comment on public news is different and may need to register. If you are unsure which side you fall on, we will check the content with you.
When is the annual statement due?
The annual statement for the previous financial year must be filed online by 31 May every year. A first default can draw a penalty of ₹10,000 to ₹20,000, and failing to file within two years from the end of a financial year is a ground for suspension. We file it on time each year, so your registration stays in good standing.
What if I don’t start publishing after registration?
PRGI may cancel the certificate if you do not publish within 12 months from the end of the month in which it was issued. Once you start, you must keep publishing regularly; bringing out fewer than half your issues in a year is a ground for suspension. If you stop altogether, you must inform PRGI within six months. Plan the launch date before you file.
Can I change the publisher, editor or printing press later?
Yes. The Act lets you apply to revise the particulars in your certificate of registration, including a change of title. Every issue must print the name of the printer, place of printing, editor, publisher and place of publication, so keep these updated. A company owner must also report shareholding changes within 15 days of informing the ROC. We file these revisions for you.
Can I appeal if PRGI refuses or cancels my registration?
Yes. You can appeal to the Press and Registration Appellate Board within 60 days from the date the order is communicated to you. The Board can admit a late appeal if you show sufficient cause for the delay. We prepare the reply for your review, so your case is clear.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
PRGI lists a processing fee of ₹1,000 for most registrations and ₹10,000 for registering a facsimile edition of a foreign periodical, paid online on the Press Sewa portal.
Ready to begin?
Share your title ideas and launch plan, and we will file your PRGI registration on the Press Sewa portal.