Rule 10 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rule 10 sets up the Designated Partner Identification Number, or DPIN. Anyone who intends to be appointed a designated partner of an LLP, whether an individual or the nominee of a body corporate, had to apply for one, through a two-stage process: a provisional DPIN first and a regular DPIN afterwards. This article explains the rule as notified in 2009.
Every individual or nominee of a body corporate intending to be appointed designated partner had to apply to the Central Government for a DPIN (rule 10(1)). A provisional DPIN was valid for sixty days, within which the regular application had to be made or the number would lapse (rule 10(4), (5)). The Central Government was to decide within one month (rule 10(6)). The DPIN is valid for the lifetime of the applicant and is never given to anyone else (rule 10(7)). Changes in particulars were to be intimated within 30 days (rule 10(9)). The Rules have been amended since 2009; check the current position on the MCA portal.
Read this first: the 2009 text and later amendments
This article states what rule 10 provided as notified on 1 April 2009. The Rules have been amended several times since, and the way DPIN is applied for, the forms used, the fees and the time limits may differ today. Check the MCA portal or the current Rules before acting. This article gives no fee amount, no form field detail and no portal step, and it refers to the forms only as the form prescribed for the purpose.
Rule 10 supports the designated partner provisions of the Act; see Section 7: designated partners. The related rules on consent and disqualification are in rules 7 to 9. If you are forming an LLP, our LLP registration service covers the current steps for obtaining a DPIN.
What a DPIN is
Rule 2(1)(iv) defines it as an identification number the Central Government may allot to an individual or the nominee of a body corporate intending to be appointed designated partner, "for the purpose of his identification as such". It is a number for a person, not for an LLP. The same person may be a designated partner in more than one LLP, and one number identifies him.
Rule 10(1) to (3): who applies and how the provisional DPIN is generated
Rule 10(1): every individual or nominee of a body corporate who intends to be appointed designated partner shall make an electronic application to the Central Government for a DPIN. Note that the duty is placed on the intending designated partner, before appointment, not on the LLP.
Rule 10(2): the Central Government shall provide an electronic system for the application through a portal on the website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Rule 10(3): the applicant fills in the form on the portal and submits it. The system then generates a Provisional DPIN.
Rule 10(4) and (5): the sixty-day window
| Step | What the 2009 rule says |
|---|---|
| Provisional DPIN | Valid for sixty days from the date it was generated (10(4)) |
| Regular application | To be submitted, with the fee, within sixty days of the provisional DPIN being generated (10(5)(i)) |
| If late | The provisional DPIN lapses (10(5)(i)) |
| Supporting papers | A print-out of the form with photograph, true copies of proof of identity and proof of residence, and a signature; photograph and proofs to be certified by a Gazetted Officer, a Notary Public, or a practising Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant or Company Secretary (10(5)(ii)) |
The sixty days run from the date on which the provisional DPIN was generated, not from the date of any later step. If the second step is missed, the first is wasted: the provisional number lapses and, as the text implies, the process has to start again. The rule does not say in so many words that a fresh provisional DPIN may be generated, so that is a silence in the text.
Example. Suresh Pillai wants to become a designated partner of Pillai Rao LLP. He generates a provisional DPIN on 1 June. The sixty days from 1 June end on 30 July. If he sends the regular application with certified papers only on 5 August, the provisional DPIN has lapsed under rule 10(5)(i).
Rule 10(6): the Central Government's decision
The Central Government is to process the application, decide on it, and communicate approval with the DPIN, or rejection, to the applicant. The communication can be by post, electronically or in any other mode. The period is one month from receipt of the application under sub-rule (5). The text does not say what follows if the Central Government does not decide within the month. It is silent on any deemed approval.
Rule 10(7): lifetime validity, one person only
The DPIN "is valid for the life time of such applicant and shall not be allotted to any other person in any case". So there is no renewal. A person who has a DPIN keeps it; the number is never reused.
Rule 10(8): consent and intimation to the Registrar
Every designated partner shall intimate his consent to become designated partner, and his DPIN, to the LLP in the prescribed form. The LLP shall then intimate that DPIN to the Registrar in the prescribed form. This is the bridge between rule 10 and rules 7 and 8: the consent and particulars are filed by reference to the DPIN.
Rule 10(9) and (10): changes in particulars
A designated partner who has been allotted a DPIN must intimate any change in his particulars, as stated in the application, to the Central Government within 30 days of the change. He must also tell the LLP, or each LLP on which he is a designated partner, within 30 days. A copy of proof of the changed particulars, certified in the manner given in rule 10(5)(ii), goes with the intimation. The rule says there is no fee for intimating changes in particulars.
Under rule 10(10), the Central Government, after being satisfied by verifying the proof, incorporates the change and informs the designated partner, by letter by post, electronically or in any other mode, that the change has been made in the database.
Example. Suresh moves house in a different city. Under rule 10(9), he has 30 days from the change to tell the Central Government with proof of the new address and 30 days to tell Pillai Rao LLP and any other LLP where he is designated partner.
Practical points
- A person who is not yet a designated partner but is likely to become one needs the DPIN first. Plan the timing around the sixty-day window and the one-month decision period.
- Keep the DPIN letter with the LLP records.
- A designated partner on several LLPs has to tell each of them about a change in particulars within the 30-day period.
- For KYC of directors and designated partners, see our guide on DIR-3 KYC for LLP designated partners; that is a separate present-day requirement and not part of the 2009 rule.
Need help getting a DPIN or setting up an LLP?
A missed time limit or an incomplete set of supporting papers costs time. Our LLP registration team can walk you through the current DPIN position as part of setting up your LLP.
Key takeaways
- Rule 10 applies to an individual, or a nominee of a body corporate, who intends to be appointed designated partner.
- A provisional DPIN is valid for sixty days; the regular application must be made within that time or the provisional number lapses (as notified in 2009).
- The Central Government was to decide within one month of receipt.
- The DPIN is for life and cannot be given to anyone else.
- Changes in particulars must be intimated within 30 days, to the Central Government and to each LLP.
- The Rules have been amended since 2009; check the current process.
Read next
- Rules 7-9: consent and disqualification of designated partners
- Rules 11-14: incorporation document and register of LLPs
- Designated partners in LLP: role and DPIN
Disclaimer: Based on the Limited Liability Partnership Rules, 2009 as notified on 1 April 2009. The Rules have been amended several times since; current forms, fees and time limits must be checked before acting. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.