IRCTC enforces a monthly booking limit to prevent misuse and ticket touting. Here is exactly how the limit works and how to maximise it for legitimate travel needs.
Default IRCTC Booking Limit
| Account Type | Tickets Per Month |
|---|---|
| Regular (unverified) | 6 tickets |
| Aadhaar-verified | 12 tickets |
| Authorised agents | Separate commercial quota |
What Counts as One Ticket?
Each booking (PNR) counts as one ticket regardless of:
- The number of passengers on that PNR (up to 6 per booking)
- Whether the ticket was confirmed, RAC, or waitlisted
- Whether you later cancelled the ticket
So if you book 2 passengers together on one PNR, that counts as 1 against your monthly limit — not 2.
How to Check Remaining Monthly Quota
- Log into IRCTC
- Go to My Account → My Profile
- You will see a booking count or quota indicator showing how many tickets you have used this month
How to Increase Limit to 12 Tickets
Aadhaar verification is free and takes 2–3 minutes:
- Log in to IRCTC
- Go to My Profile → Aadhaar Verification
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number
- Complete OTP verification on your Aadhaar-linked mobile
- Limit automatically increases to 12 per month
What Happens If You Hit the Limit?
IRCTC will display an error message when you attempt to book and have reached your monthly limit. You will need to wait until the 1st of the next month, or use a different IRCTC account (with a different registered mobile number) for additional bookings.
Track existing PNR statuses at PNR Alert.