Affidavit
Also called: sworn statement
A written statement of facts that the person making it (the deponent) swears or affirms to be true before an authorised officer, such as a notary or oath commissioner.
An affidavit is a sworn written statement. The person making it, called the deponent, states facts in numbered paragraphs, signs a verification saying they are true, and swears or affirms them before an officer authorised to administer oaths, such as a notary, an oath commissioner or a magistrate.
Where affidavits are used
- Courts: evidence and applications under Order XIX of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, and many court forms.
- Government offices: name change, address proof, income, lost documents, gap in education.
- Banks, universities and employers, for declarations they need on record.
A false affidavit is an offence
Making a false statement on oath can amount to giving false evidence. Section 229 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced Section 193 of the old IPC) punishes it, with up to seven years' imprisonment where it is made in a judicial proceeding.
Getting it right
- State facts, not arguments, and say which facts are from your own knowledge.
- Use stamp paper where your State requires it; many affidavits carry a small stamp duty.
- Sign every page and the verification in front of the attesting officer, with identity proof.
Its limits
An affidavit sworn before a notary is still only a statement by you. It does not by itself prove the facts against someone who disputes them.
Start with a general affidavit, and read affidavits: when you need one, and the format.
Checked against the sources below on 7 November 2026 IST. General information about Indian law, not legal advice for your case.
Documents that use this term
Guides that explain more
- Affidavits in India: When You Actually Need One, and How to Get the Format Right
An affidavit is one of the most frequently required documents in India, for everything from a name change to a court filing, and one of the easiest to get rejected on a technicality.
- Lost Your Documents? Police Report and Duplicate Copy Process
A lost document usually needs a police lost report, not an FIR, followed by an application to the authority that issued it. Here is what each common duplicate asks for and how the affidavit and indemnity fit in.
- Marriage Registration in India: Documents, Process and Affidavits
Registering a marriage proves it. Whether you register a wedding that has already happened or marry before a Marriage Officer, here is the process, the 30-day notice, and the affidavits registrars usually ask for.