Submit the worker's details, photo and ID proof to your state police through its citizen portal, app or the local police station using the domestic help or servant verification form. Portals and rules vary by state. Add your own checks too: verify Aadhaar through UIDAI's tools, call previous employers and confirm the permanent address.
Key takeaways
- Police verification of domestic staff is required by local police orders in many cities.
- Each state runs its own portal or app; the station counter remains a valid option.
- Verify Aadhaar with UIDAI's QR scan or online check instead of trusting a photocopy.
- Match checks to the role: a nanny or elder caregiver needs more than a part-time cleaner.
- Treat workers fairly: no hidden cameras in their private spaces, no keeping their ID originals.
How do you get police verification done for a maid?
You, as the employer, submit the worker's particulars to the police station that covers your home, either online through the state police citizen portal or app, or on a paper form at the station. The police check their records, may ask the police at the worker's permanent address to confirm antecedents, and sometimes call or visit. Some states issue a report or certificate; others only record the information.
Police verification of domestic staff works much like tenant police verification: many city police commissioners and district magistrates issue orders under BNSS s.163 requiring householders to share details of servants, drivers and other domestic staff, and ignoring such an order can be an offence. Check whether an order applies in your area on your local police website.
Where is the domestic help verification form in your state?
There is no single national portal, and systems change, so start from the official state police website. As a guide:
| State or city | Usual channel for servant or domestic help verification |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Delhi Police website or app (citizen services, domestic help or servant verification) |
| Karnataka (including Bengaluru) | Seva Sindhu portal or Karnataka State Police citizen services |
| Haryana (Gurugram, Faridabad) | HarSamay citizen portal |
| Uttar Pradesh (Noida, Lucknow) | UPCOP app or UP Police citizen services |
| Rajasthan | RajCop Citizen app |
| Maharashtra, Telangana and other states | The police commissionerate or state police citizen services, or the local police station |
The Ministry of Home Affairs' Digital Police portal also lists verification services offered by states. Fees, where charged, and processing times differ by state.
Domestic help verification step by step
- Before hiring, collect a recent photo, an ID proof, permanent and current address, family contact, and names of previous employers.
- Verify the ID yourself (see the Aadhaar section below).
- Open your state police portal or app, register with your mobile number and choose servant, domestic help or employee verification.
- Fill in your details and the worker's, upload the photo and documents, and pay any fee.
- Save the request number and track it; if nothing moves for weeks, follow up at the station.
- Call two previous employers while the police check runs.
- Keep the acknowledgement or certificate on file and update the police when the worker leaves.
Workers whose permanent address is in another state are common. The police route still works, since stations can refer the check to the home district, though it may take longer.
How do you verify a domestic worker's Aadhaar card?
A photocopy of an Aadhaar card proves very little, since copies are easy to edit. Use UIDAI's own tools:
- QR code scan: the secure QR code on the Aadhaar letter, PVC card or e-Aadhaar can be scanned with UIDAI's official apps (such as mAadhaar). The scan shows the details and photo signed by UIDAI, which you compare with the card and the person.
- Online number check: the "Verify Aadhaar" service on the UIDAI website confirms that a number exists and shows partial details such as age band, gender and state.
- Offline e-KYC: the worker can download a paperless e-KYC file from UIDAI and share it with you with a share code.
Ask for a masked Aadhaar where possible, keep only what you need, and never post a worker's ID on a society WhatsApp group. For drivers, check the driving licence status on the Parivahan Sarathi service as well. The same tools work for verifying any employee's Aadhaar, though companies should follow their own employee verification process.
What extra checks suit nannies, drivers and caregivers?
| Role | Main risk | Checks worth adding |
|---|---|---|
| Part-time cleaner or cook | Access to home and valuables | Police verification, ID check, one or two references |
| Live-in maid | Full-time access, keys, knowledge of routines | All of the above plus permanent address confirmation and family contact |
| Nanny or babysitter | Care of a child, often alone | Detailed references from families with children, a supervised trial period, court record search |
| Elder caregiver or home nurse | Vulnerable adult, medicines, cash and cards | Agency or nursing credentials, references, regular check-ins by family |
| Driver | Safety of family, vehicle, location knowledge | Licence check, driving test, references, police verification |
For a nanny, references matter most: speak to the parents she previously worked for, ask why she left, and spend the first days at home while she works. Watch how your child responds over the first weeks.
What can private checks add to police verification?
Police verification tells you whether there is something adverse on police record, if the check is completed. It does not confirm that the person worked where they say, left on good terms, or really lives at the address given. A private check, explained in our comparison of police verification and private background checks, can add:
- a visit to the permanent address, even in another state, to confirm identity and family;
- conversations with previous employers and neighbours;
- a court record search in the districts the person has lived in;
- verification of the placement agency itself, including its registration where your state requires one.
For a live-in worker or a caregiver for a child or elderly parent, a short private check is often worth it. A verified investigator from our nationwide directory can do this lawfully with the worker's knowledge.
What are the legal limits when hiring domestic help?
- No child workers: employing a child under 14 in any work, including domestic work, is prohibited under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. If an agency offers a minor, refuse and call Childline 1098.
- Cameras: CCTV in common areas of your home with the worker told about it is generally accepted, but never place cameras in a bathroom, a changing area or the worker's room. That can be voyeurism under BNS s.77; see the law on hidden cameras.
- Documents: do not keep original ID documents or a worker's phone. Copies are enough.
- Wages and welfare: some states notify minimum wages for domestic workers, and workers can register on the e-Shram portal for social security schemes.
- If something goes missing: file a police complaint. Never detain, search or threaten the worker yourself.
What red flags should make you pause before hiring?
- The worker gives only a mobile number and no permanent address, or the address cannot be found.
- The name on the ID does not match what references or the agency call them.
- Previous employers cannot be reached, or the "reference" turns out to be a relative.
- Reluctance to undergo police verification, or a request to start immediately "before the paperwork".
- An agency that asks for a large fee in cash, will not give a receipt or changes the worker after payment.
None of these proves bad intent, since many honest workers have thin paperwork. But each one is a reason to slow down, ask questions and complete the checks before handing over keys.
Bottom line
Do the police verification through your state's portal or station, verify ID with UIDAI's tools rather than a photocopy, and add reference and address checks in proportion to the trust involved. Respect the worker's privacy and dignity throughout; a fair employer is also the one most likely to keep good help.
Sources & official links
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and procedures change, and every case is different — speak to a lawyer about your situation. In an emergency, call 112.