PAN Number Format Checker Online

What Does a PAN Number Look Like?

The Income Tax Department describes PAN as a ten-digit unique alphanumeric identifier.

10 characters

A standard PAN contains 10 characters: five letters, four numbers and one final letter.

Example

ALWPG5809L is an example used in Income Tax Department material. It is not a real person's PAN.

First 3 characters

The first three are an alphabetic series running from AAA to ZZZ.

Fourth character

The fourth character identifies the PAN holder's status/category, such as P for Individual and C for Company.

Detailed Guide

PAN Number Format Explained

What is a PAN number?

PAN stands for Permanent Account Number. The Income Tax Department issues it as a ten-digit unique alphanumeric identifier used to identify taxpayers and link tax and financial information with the correct person or entity.

PAN format

AAAAA9999A
5 letters + 4 numbers + 1 final alphabetic check character.

What do the first three letters mean?

The first three characters are an alphabetic series running from AAA to ZZZ. They do not by themselves reveal your name or address.

What does the fourth character mean?

Code	Meaning
P	Individual
C	Company
F	Firm / Limited Liability Partnership
H	Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)
A	Association of Persons
B	Body of Individuals
G	Government Agency
J	Artificial Juridical Person
L	Local Authority
T	Trust

What does the fifth character mean?

For an individual, the fifth character represents the first character of the last name or surname. For a non-individual PAN holder, it represents the first character of the PAN holder's name.

What do characters six to nine mean?

These four characters are sequential numbers running from 0001 to 9999.

What is the tenth PAN character?

The tenth character is an alphabetic check digit. It completes the PAN's standard structure.

Can a format checker prove a PAN is genuine?

No. A format checker answers only whether the text looks like a PAN. It cannot access the Income Tax database or confirm ownership, active status or the name/date of birth associated with the PAN.

How to verify an active PAN

Open the official Income Tax e-Filing portal.
Choose Verify your PAN.
Enter PAN, full name, date of birth and an accessible mobile number.
Complete OTP verification.
Read the result returned by the Income Tax Department.

Common PAN format mistakes

Using fewer or more than 10 characters.
Putting a number in the first five positions.
Using a number as the last character.
Confusing O with 0.
Assuming a correctly formatted PAN is automatically active.

Privacy: Avoid publishing your full PAN online. For actual validation, use the official Income Tax service rather than an unknown third-party checker.

Official source: Income Tax Department — PAN FAQ ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

Clear answers to common PAN questions.

How many characters are in a PAN?

A PAN contains 10 characters: five letters, four digits and one final alphabetic character.

What is the format of an individual PAN?

A typical individual PAN follows AAAAA9999A, with P as the fourth character.

Can I check whether a PAN is active?

Yes. Use the official Income Tax Department's Verify PAN service. This page's checker only checks format.

Does the fifth character represent my surname?

For an individual, it represents the first character of the last name or surname.