What Is The Cin Of A Company And How Do Companies Get It

Corporate identity number (CIN) is a unique 12-digit alphanumeric number allotted to companies by the Registrar of companies. The CIN can be found in the Certificate of Incorporation. All companies registered in India will automatically get the CIN at the time of incorporation and registration of the company.

All companies must have a CIN as it is mentioned in all audits and reports that are submitted to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). 

Who Needs to have a Corporate Identity Number (CIN)?

All companies registered and incorporated in India need to have a CIN number. These include –

1. Private Limited Companies
2. State Government Companies
3. Nidhi Companies
4. One Person Companies 
5. Companies owned by the Government of India
6. Not-for-Profit Section 8 Company

For Limited Liability Partnerships, instead of CIN, LLPIN (Limited Liability Partnership Identification Number) is given. It is a unique 7-digit number unique to the LLP.

How to Get a Corporate Identity Number (CIN)?

The CIN is automatically allotted as a 12-digit alphanumeric number at the time of registration and incorporation of a company. There is no procedure to apply for CIN.

Importance of Corporate Identity Number (CIN)

CIN is used for below purposes –

1. It gives basic information about the company.
2. Each digit of CIN can be translated into important information about the company.
3. It can also track all activities that the company is involved in.

Format of Corporate Identity Number (CIN)

The CIN is a 12-digit alphanumeric number in which each number/alphabet can be decoded. Each number/digit tells information about the company. The format of CIN is as follows -

1. Listing Status – The first letter in a CIN is either “U” or “L”. It tells about the listing status of the company where “U” is for Unlisted and “L” is for listed.
2. Industry Code – The next 5 numbers in the CIN represent the industry in which the company operates. It is called the ROC Industry code. 

Some examples of Industry Codes are below -

 

3. State Code – The next two digits after the Industry code are for the state where the company is incorporated. Each state has a unique code. For e.g., Maharashtra is “MH” and Tamil Nadu is “TN”. Madhya Pradesh will be “MP” and Gujarat will be “GJ”.
4. Incorporation Year – The next 4 digits after the State code represent the Incorporation year. For e.g., “2009” would mean the company was incorporated in 2009.
5. Ownership Type – The following three alphabets represent the ownership type of the company. For E.g., PTC stands for Private Limited Company while PLC stands for Public Limited Company.
6. Registration Number – The last digits of the CIN are the registration number of the company. The LLPs in India do not have a CIN. Instead, they use LLPIN.

Below are the registration abbreviations used for different types of companies-

FLC: Financial Lease Company as Public Limited

FTC: Subsidiary of a Foreign Company as a Private Limited Company

GAP: General Association Public

GAT: General Association Private

GOI: Companies owned by the Government of India

NPL: Not-for-Profit License Company (Section 8 Company)

OPC: One Person Company

PLC: Public Limited Company

PTC: Private Limited Company

SGC: Companies owned by State Government

ULL: Public Limited Company with Unlimited Liability

ULT: Private Company with Unlimited Liability

Where can the CIN be mentioned?

It is mandatory to mention CIN in the following documents –

1. Annual reports
2. Business letters
3. Invoices
4. Receipts
5. Notice
6. Letterheads
7. All e-forms on the portal of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
8. Emails to parties who are not a part of the company
9. Publications such as periodicals, journals, financial results, books, etc.

When Should you Change CIN?

The CIN needs to be updated in the following cases –

1. Change in industry or sector of the company
2. Change the address of the registered office of the company, when there is a change in the state itself.
3. Change in the listing status of the company (Listed or Unlisted)

How to Track CIN?

The CIN of any company can be easily found online. Visit the official website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to find the CIN. The website allows you to search for the following –

1. Registration number of the company
2. Name of the existing company or name of the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
3. Active or inactive CIN
4. Name of the LLP or the old company
5. After the required details are filled in, you need to enter a CAPTCHA code and then click on search.

Penalty for Missing CIN in Important Documents

Companies need to pay a penalty of Rs. 1,000 for missing adding the CIN to important documents. Documents as necessitated by section 12(3) of the Companies Act, 2013 need to add CIN. The overall penalty cannot exceed Rs. 1,00,000 as mentioned in section 12(8) of the Companies Act.

Conclusion

The Corporate Identity Number or CIN is a 12-digit alpha-numeric code that is unique to every corporation. The CIN is automatically generated at the time of incorporation and registration. Each alphabet/digit of the CIN can be decoded to get basic information about the company. It is mandatory to include CIN on important documents like letterhead, invoices, annual reports, business letters, etc.

FAQ of What is CIN Number of A Company and How To Get It

1:What is a CIN?

A Corporate Identity Number is a 12-digit alpha-numeric code unique to each company.

2:How to change the CIN number?

The CIN number will automatically change when there is a change in the basic details of the company like listing status, the state where the registered office is located, changes in the industry, etc.

3:How do I verify a CIN?

To do CIN verification visit the official MCA website. Go to Master Data and click on “View Company or LLP Master Data.” Enter the CIN Number and Captcha code and submit the page.