E-way Bill Validity Calculator
Find when an e-way bill expires from the distance and the time it was generated, for normal and over-dimensional cargo.
- Free
- No signup
- Works on your phone
Rule 138(10) as amended from 1 January 2021, and the portal's extension limits, checked on 9 November 2026.
Your e-way bill
The approximate distance in Part A. The portal works out the PIN-to-PIN distance and lets you enter up to 10% more.
One day for every 200 km or part of it.
The time Part-B (the vehicle number) was first entered. If you entered the vehicle while generating the e-way bill, use the generation time. Updating Part-B later does not restart the clock. Times are India time.
Validity
How to use it
Enter the distance from Part A of the e-way bill and pick normal or over dimensional cargo.
Set the date and time validity starts: when the vehicle number (Part-B) was first entered.
Read the exact expiry, the time left and the window in which you can still extend it.
How e-way bill validity is worked out
Rule 138(10) of the CGST Rules sets an e-way bill's validity by distance. Since 1 January 2021 (Notification 94/2020-Central Tax), the rule is:
- Normal cargo: one day for up to 200 km, and one more day for every 200 km or part of it after that.
- Over dimensional cargo, or a multimodal shipment with at least one leg by ship: one day for up to 20 km, and one more day for every 20 km or part of it.
So: days = distance ÷ 200 (or ÷ 20), rounded up, and never less than one.
| Distance | Normal cargo | ODC or ship leg |
|---|---|---|
| 50 km | 1 day | 3 days |
| 200 km | 1 day | 10 days |
| 450 km | 3 days | 23 days |
| 1,000 km | 5 days | 50 days |
| 2,500 km | 13 days | 125 days |
When the clock starts
Validity starts the first time Part-B is filled in: the vehicle number for road transport, or the transport document number for rail, air or ship. Changing the vehicle later does not restart it.
Why a day is not 24 hours
Each day ends at midnight of the day after the e-way bill is generated. A 150 km e-way bill that starts at 10:30 am on 9 November is valid until midnight at the end of 10 November, about 37 hours. One that starts at 11:50 pm on 9 November expires at the same midnight, only a little over 24 hours later.
Worked example
Part-B is entered at 10:30 am on Monday 9 November 2026 for a 450 km trip. 450 ÷ 200 = 2.25, rounded up to 3 days. Day 1 ends at midnight on 10 November, day 2 on 11 November and day 3 on 12 November, so the e-way bill is valid until 11:59 pm on Thursday 12 November. It can be extended from 4:00 pm that day until 8:00 am on Friday 13 November. As over dimensional cargo, the same trip would get 23 days.
Extending an e-way bill
If goods can't arrive in time, the transporter or the person who generated the e-way bill can extend it on the portal, giving the reason, the current place and the distance left. The rule allows this within eight hours of expiry, and the portal opens the window eight hours before expiry as well. From 1 January 2025, extensions stop 360 days after the e-way bill was generated.
Common mistakes
- Counting 24 hours a day. Validity always ends at midnight.
- Counting from Part A. The clock starts at the first Part-B entry.
- Entering a shorter distance than the real route. The portal accepts up to 10% more than its PIN-to-PIN distance.
- Missing the 8-hour window after expiry. Once it closes, the goods need a fresh e-way bill.
When software helps
If you raise e-way bills every day, making them from your invoices avoids typing everything twice, and a list of e-way bills about to expire warns you before a truck runs out of time. Both are worth asking for in billing software for your business. Booking the consignment yourself? The LR / bilty generator prints the lorry receipt with the e-way bill number on it.
Sources, checked 9 November 2026: CGST Rule 138(10), with the 200 km change from Notification 94/2020-Central Tax (22 December 2020, in force 1 January 2021) and the 8-hour proviso from Notification 31/2019-Central Tax; e-way bill FAQs on Part-B and validity (as published by the West Bengal Commercial Taxes Directorate); NIC, "Enhancements in e-Way Bill System" (April 2019) for the PIN-to-PIN distance; GSTN advisories of 17 December 2024 (360-day limit) and 1 January 2025 (8 hours before or after expiry).
FAQ
Questions
How many days is an e-way bill valid for 500 km?
For normal cargo, 3 days: 500 ÷ 200 = 2.5, and every 200 km or part of it adds a day. For over dimensional cargo it is 25 days (500 ÷ 20). Each day ends at midnight, so the e-way bill expires at 11:59 pm on the last day.
When does the validity of an e-way bill start?
When Part-B is first filled in: the vehicle number for road transport, or the transport document number for rail, air or ship. If you entered the vehicle while generating the e-way bill, that is the generation time. Updating Part-B later, for a change of vehicle, does not restart it.
Is one day of e-way bill validity 24 hours?
No. Each day runs until midnight of the day after the e-way bill is generated. A 1-day e-way bill whose validity starts at 10:30 am on 9 November is valid until midnight at the end of 10 November, about 37 hours later.
Can I extend an e-way bill after it expires?
Yes, within 8 hours after it expires, and the portal also lets you extend in the 8 hours before. You give the reason, where the goods are and the distance left. From 1 January 2025, an e-way bill cannot be extended beyond 360 days from when it was generated.
What counts as over dimensional cargo?
Cargo carried as a single indivisible unit that is bigger than the size limits in rule 93 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. Over dimensional cargo, and multimodal shipments with at least one leg by ship, get one day for every 20 km instead of 200 km.
What distance should I enter?
The approximate distance in Part A of the e-way bill. The portal works out the PIN-to-PIN road distance and lets you enter up to 10% more than that. When both PIN codes are the same, you can enter up to 100 km.
What happens if goods move after the e-way bill expires?
They are moving without a valid e-way bill, which breaks rule 138, and officers can detain the goods and the vehicle under section 129 of the CGST Act. Extend it inside the window, or generate a fresh e-way bill before the goods move on.
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