A CIN is the Corporate Identity Number (often called the Corporate Identification Number) that the Registrar allots to every company on incorporation under section 7(3) of the Companies Act 2013, and an LLPIN is the matching number for an LLP. This guide covers what the law says about the CIN, what the CIN format means in practice, and how to run a CIN number search or LLPIN search on MCA to see the live record. A CIN that decodes cleanly proves only that the number is well formed, never that the company is active.
What is CIN under the Companies Act?
On and from the date in the certificate of incorporation, the Registrar allots the company a corporate identity number, "a distinct identity for the company", and includes it in the certificate (section 7(3)). Section 12(3)(c) then requires the company to print its CIN, name and registered office address on all business letters, billheads, letter papers, notices and official publications.
So the quickest place to find a CIN is the company's own paperwork. Two related rules help when you compare documents:
- If the company changed its name in the last two years, it must print the former name as well (proviso to section 12(3)).
- An OPC must show "One Person Company" in brackets below its name wherever the name is printed.
An LLP gets its LLPIN the same way. MCA's FiLLiP instruction kit says that once the incorporation form is processed, the LLP is registered and its PAN, TAN and LLPIN are allotted, and the certificate of incorporation states the LLPIN.
CIN format meaning: reading the number in practice
The six parts in the table above each answer a practical question: is it listed, what does it do, where is it registered, how old is it, what kind of company is it, and which registration is it. MCA has not published a formal specification, so the tool reads the parts as they appear on CINs that MCA has issued.
A few readings are especially useful when you vet a counterparty:
- Year. Characters 9 to 12 give the year of incorporation. A supplier claiming 20 years in business but showing a CIN from 2023 may have re-formed recently.
- State. The two letters show where the registered office was when the CIN was issued.
- Class. NPL marks a not-for-profit Section 8 company, FTC a subsidiary of a foreign company.
- Changes. The CIN changes if the company changes its listing status, its state or its class, so an older document may carry an older CIN.
Example. Someone copies the made-up CIN U85300MH2020NPL123456 from a scanned letterhead as "U85300MH2O20NPL123456", with the letter O in place of a zero. The lookup above flags "Year: Must be 4 digits." Corrected, it decodes as unlisted, activity code 85300, registered office in Maharashtra, incorporated in 2020, a not-for-profit licence (Section 8) company, registration number 123456.
CIN number search on MCA, step by step
The tool decodes the number. The live record sits on the MCA portal under View Company or LLP Master Data, which works with a CIN, an LLPIN or the company's name. MCA describes master data as a facility for the general public. The search asks for a captcha, and you may be asked to log in with an MCA user account.
- Open mca.gov.in and go to MCA Services, then Master Data, then View Company or LLP Master Data.
- Enter the CIN or LLPIN. Without one, type the first few characters of the name, search, and pick the entity from the list.
- Enter the captcha and submit. If the portal asks you to log in, register as a user first.
- Read the record: name, status, date of incorporation, capital, registered office and filing dates. MCA's help adds that the record lists charges and the directors or signatories, and describes a print option for your file.
What should you check in the master data?
Start with the status, then the filing dates. An active status with recent annual filings is a good sign. A company marked struck off has been removed from the register under section 248, and a gap of several years in filings is a reason to ask questions before you sign or pay.
Then match the record against what you have been given:
- Name and registered office. They should match the invoice, agreement or letterhead, allowing for a former name used in the last two years.
- Directors or signatories. The person signing for the company should normally appear here.
- Charges. Registered charges show that lenders hold security over the company's assets, which matters if you are lending to it or buying its assets.
Section 248(1) explains why the Registrar strikes companies off. The main grounds are failing to start business within one year of incorporation, carrying on no business for two financial years without applying for dormant status under section 455, and subscribers not paying their subscription with no declaration filed within 180 days.
Use the dates to work out what is overdue. The ROC compliance calendar gives the due dates, and the MCA late fee calculator prices a delay. A struck-off name also stays out of reach for new companies for 20 years under rule 8A(1)(n), which matters if you are using the company name search.
What is LLPIN, and how is an LLPIN search different?
An LLPIN has three letters, a hyphen and four digits, and is allotted when the LLP is incorporated. The LLPIN search uses the same View Company or LLP Master Data screen, but the record to check is LLP-specific: the designated partners and the yearly LLP filings.
For an LLP, the key filings are Form 11 (annual return) by 30 May and Form 8 (statement of account and solvency) by 30 October. Designated partners are identified by their DIN, which works as the DPIN, and you can check those numbers with the DIN lookup.
Common mistakes when you verify a company
These errors all come from trusting the number instead of the record.
- Treating a valid format as proof of existence. The format check catches typos only.
- Mixing up O and 0, or I and 1, when typing a CIN from a scan.
- Using a CIN from an old document after the company changed its class, state or listing.
- Confusing the CIN with the GSTIN. A GSTIN carries the PAN, not the CIN; check it with the GSTIN validator.
- Expecting an LLP to have a CIN. It has an LLPIN.
How Ofin can help
If the master data shows your own company is behind on filings, Ofin files the overdue returns and keeps you on schedule. Company annual compliance starts from ₹19,999, and LLP annual compliance from ₹7,999.
