If you trained as a clinical psychologist or in another rehabilitation course in India, you will hear one question again and again: what is your CRR number? It is your entry on the Central Rehabilitation Register, kept by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). This guide covers who needs it, how to apply online, what it costs and how renewal works under the rules that took effect on 14 October 2025.
Rules change. Before you apply, read the current norms on rehabcouncil.nic.in. Where this guide and the RCI website differ, the RCI website is right.
Who needs RCI registration
Section 13 of the RCI Act, 1992 says only a professional enrolled on the register with a recognised qualification may practise as a rehabilitation professional anywhere in India, hold a rehabilitation post in government, sign certificates the law requires from such a professional, or give expert evidence in court on these matters. Practising without enrolment can lead to imprisonment of up to one year, a fine of up to Rs 1,000, or both.
RCI lists the professions it registers under section 19 of the Act. They include clinical psychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, rehabilitation counsellors, rehabilitation social workers, audiologists and speech therapists, and special educators. Your course must be one RCI recognises, from an institution it approves. If your degree is not on that list, you cannot get a CRR number for it.
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 ties the title clinical psychologist to a recognised clinical psychology qualification from an RCI approved institution. State Mental Health Authorities register clinical psychologists too, and they ask for your RCI registration when you apply.
Which courses count
For the clinical psychologist category, RCI publishes guidelines and syllabi for its regulated programmes. These include the M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology, the Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology and the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. Each must be studied at an institution RCI has approved for that course.
UGC has discontinued M.Phil. programmes, including the M.Phil. in Clinical Psychology. In its place RCI regulates a two year Master in Clinical Psychology. Admission needs a four year B.A. or B.Sc. in Psychology with at least 55% marks (50% for SC and ST candidates), or a three year degree plus a bridge year. Admission is through an entrance test and an interview.
For the rehabilitation psychologist category, RCI regulates the M.A. in Rehabilitation Psychology and the B.Sc. Rehabilitation Psychology (Hons.).
A general M.A. or M.Sc. in Psychology does not lead to a CRR number on its own. You need one of the regulated programmes above. If you are unsure about your course, check RCI's list of approved institutions before you apply.
Register early: Pre-CRR
Students in an RCI approved course can register for Pre-CRR on the RCI portal for Rs 100. If your college submits its student data to RCI, the Rs 100 is waived. Your CRR is then issued after you complete the course, without a further fee.
Pre-registered students can also earn pre-CRE points from RCI approved programmes, up to 10 points a year. They are added to your account once your CRR number is issued.
How to apply online
All registration is online at rciregistration.nic.in, using the Apply Online CRR link (or Apply Online Pre-CRR as a student). Read the guidelines on the website first. Fill the form so that every detail matches your certificates exactly, including the spelling of your name.
Upload good quality colour scans of your original documents while you fill the form. Keep your degree or diploma certificate and the mark sheets of your professional course ready. Pay any fee online during registration.
Apply within six months of completing your course. After that, a late penalty applies.
What it costs
On 28 October 2025 the government announced that RCI had waived the fee for CRR issuance, renewal and adding a qualification. The norms still list a few charges. A graduate or postgraduate candidate who did not apply for Pre-CRR within the first three months of the course pays Rs 500 for CRR. Pre-CRR is Rs 100. Certificate and diploma holders under NBER do not register separately or pay a fee.
Late registration, late renewal or a late add-on qualification costs Rs 100 for each month of delay, up to Rs 5,000. A Good Standing Certificate costs Rs 1,500 and needs a signed hard copy sent to RCI with your original documents.
Validity and renewal
A CRR registration is valid for seven years from the date of registration or renewal. If you held a valid five year registration when the new rules came in, it was extended by two years and your CRE points were kept.
Renewal is automatic in the 90 days before expiry if you have 100 or more CRE (Continuing Rehabilitation Education) points in your account. Points do not carry forward, so you need a fresh 100 in each cycle. CRE programmes run directly by RCI are free.
If you are 65 or older with an active registration, RCI renews it for 10 years without a fee, even without CRE points. A gap between expiry and renewal does not count as active registration.
You can correct your name, father's name or address yourself on the online dashboard through Aadhaar eKYC, free of charge.
How clients can check a CRR number
Anyone can search the register at rciregistration.nic.in under CRR Register. Putting your CRR number on your profile and website lets a client confirm it in a minute, before they book. On Leshya, your credentials sit on your profile page next to your fee.
Common questions
Mostly. Since the October 2025 reforms there is no fee for CRR issuance, renewal or adding a qualification. A graduate or postgraduate candidate who skipped Pre-CRR in the first three months of the course pays Rs 500, and late registration costs Rs 100 a month up to Rs 5,000.
