PAN Card Validator
Validate Indian PAN format and decode the holder type from the 4th character.
Written by Anil Gautam · Updated
What does each character of a PAN mean?
A PAN has ten characters in a fixed pattern of five letters, four digits and one letter. The first three letters are an alphabetic series running from AAA to ZZZ, and the fourth is the holder type, which the tool decodes. Its fifth character is the first letter of the holder's name: for an individual, whose fourth letter is P, it is normally the initial of the surname, and for a company, firm, trust or other entity it is the first letter of the entity's name. Four sequence digits and a final check letter complete the number.
Take ABCPK1234E, the value the box starts with. The breakdown reads ABC as the series, P as Individual, K as the surname letter, 1234 as the sequence and E as the check letter. If that PAN were meant to belong to someone called Rahul Sharma, the K would be a reason to look again, since his surname starts with S.
Why does my PAN show as invalid?
The checks run in order: exactly ten characters, then the letter and digit pattern, then a known holder code in the fourth place. A common surprise is a made-up example such as ABCDE1234F. It has the right shape, but D is not a holder code, so the tool rejects it and names the fourth character as the problem. The placeholder shown when the box is empty, ABCPE1234F, uses P for an individual and passes.
Typing slips are the next thing to look for. The letter O in place of a zero, or I in place of a one, inside the four-digit block breaks the pattern, so ABCPK12O4E fails where ABCPK1204E passes. Lowercase letters are converted to capitals for you. The box holds only ten characters, though, and a PAN pasted with a space, such as ABCPK 1234E, is cut to ABCPK 1234 and fails, so remove spaces before pasting.
Does a valid format mean the PAN is genuine?
A valid result confirms the structure only. The tool cannot tell whether the PAN was ever issued, whether it is still active or whose it is, and it does not test the final check letter, so ABCPK1234E and ABCPK1234F both pass. Confirm a PAN you rely on with the PAN verification service on the Income Tax e-filing portal. The check here runs in your browser and the number is not sent anywhere.
Every GSTIN contains the same ten characters, from the third to the twelfth position, and the GSTIN Validator checks that embedded PAN along with the state code and checksum. For HRA paperwork, the Rent Receipt Generator prints the landlord's PAN on each receipt without checking its format, so test it here first.