Police verification for domestic help: when, why, and exactly how

Police verification is one of those things every middle-class Indian family says they should do for their domestic help — and most never actually do. The reasons are usually the same: no one is sure where to start, the maid pushes back, the form looks complicated, and the worst hasn't happened yet so it never feels urgent.

This guide walks through the whole process so the next time you hire someone full-time, you can do it in an afternoon.

When you should absolutely get it done

Three scenarios where police verification is not optional:

1. Live-in workers. Anyone who sleeps in your home. Maids, caretakers, security guards — the verification is the single most important thing you do at hire time.
2. Workers with keys to your home. Even if they don't live with you, if they let themselves in when you're at work, verify them.
3. Workers around vulnerable family members — elderly parents, young children, anyone who can't independently report a problem.

When it's reasonable to skip

• Visit-based workers — plumbers, electricians, painters, beauticians. They come for a specific job and leave. Aadhaar verification + phone verification (which sewakarmi already does) is usually enough.
• Part-time maids who work only when you're home. Lower risk. You can do verification later if she stays past three months.
• Tutors and pet-walkers in shorter engagements.

The general rule: if she'll ever be in your home alone, verify her.

What police verification actually checks

The local police station runs the worker's name and address against:

• Pending criminal cases
• Past convictions
• Active warrants
• Any FIRs filed against her in any jurisdiction
• Sometimes: address verification (a constable visits the listed address)

What it doesn't check:

• Civil disputes
• Tenancy or housing problems
• Personal references
• Skill or honesty in domestic work specifically

So police verification rules out the worst-case (a worker with a serious criminal record). It doesn't replace your reference checks for ordinary work quality.

Step-by-step process

What you'll need before you go

• Worker's documents:
  • Aadhaar card original + copy
  • Two recent passport-size photos
  • Current address proof (the address she actually lives at right now)
  • Permanent address proof (her home village/town address — usually on Aadhaar)
• Your documents:
  • Your ID (Aadhaar or driving licence)
  • Address proof of where the worker will be employed (electricity bill, rent agreement)
• Form: Some states have an online form; most still use a paper form available at the police station.

Where to go

The local police station for the address where the worker will be employed (i.e. your address, not hers). Walk in during normal hours (10 AM to 5 PM is safest). Ask for the Domestic Help Verification desk or the Servant Verification counter. Every urban station has one.

What to fill out

Standard form sections:

• Worker's name, age, gender, and Aadhaar number
• Worker's permanent address (home village)
• Worker's current address
• Employer's name, address, and phone (you)
• Type of work (cooking / cleaning / driving / care)
• Hours and live-in arrangement (if applicable)
• Two character references from her previous employers

The fee

It is free. There is no government fee for domestic help police verification in any Indian state. If anyone at the station asks for money, that is a bribe — politely refuse, ask to speak to the SHO (Station House Officer). Most stations do this cleanly.

Turnaround

7 to 14 working days in most stations. The constable assigned will visit the worker's permanent address (or coordinate with the station in that area) and verify the records. You'll be called once it's complete; collect a verification certificate to keep with your records.

What if she's from another state?

This is the most common bottleneck. The verification has to be cross-checked with the police station near her home village. That can take 30+ days. It's still worth doing — and you can hire her on a temporary basis while it's in process, with her informed consent.

The honest conversation with the worker

Many workers have been to police stations before, often for difficult reasons — there can be reluctance. Frame it clearly:

• "We do this for everyone we hire long-term. It's the same form for the cook before you and the driver after you."
• "It's free. I'll come with you to the station so it doesn't take more than two hours of your time."
• "It protects both of us — if anything ever happens in the building you're not living in, the verification document protects you from being assumed responsible."

If a worker refuses to be verified, that's information. Listen to the reason; if it's vague, walk away.

Faster alternatives (when you can't wait 14 days)

Two paid options exist:

1. OnGrid / Authbridge / similar background-check companies. ₹500–₹1,500 per check. Cross-verifies Aadhaar, criminal records, and sometimes employment history. Useful when you need to hire urgently. Not a substitute for the official police verification — but a reasonable bridge.
2. Specialised domestic help agencies. Some agencies pre-verify their workers (they charge you for it through the placement fee). Verify what they actually checked — many do only Aadhaar lookup, not criminal record.

For a long-term hire, the free official verification is still the gold standard. The paid services are useful in week one while the official one is in progress.

Storing the certificate

Keep the verification certificate digitally and physically:

• Take a photo on your phone, save in cloud storage
• Keep the original in your file with the worker's other documents
• Note the verification date — many states have you re-verify every 2–3 years

When the worker eventually leaves, ask for the certificate back if you'd like to (it has her details). Most workers keep it as their own record — that's reasonable too.

What this whole exercise is really about

Police verification doesn't make a hire safe. It makes a hire slightly safer, and — more importantly — it signals to both sides that this is a serious working relationship. Workers who pass it tend to take the role more seriously. Employers who do it tend to treat the worker more professionally.

The two hours and the 7–14 days are a small price for a long-term relationship.

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Workers on sewakarmi are already Aadhaar-verified and phone-verified at signup — that takes the first layer of identity confirmation off your plate. The police verification step is on you for any full-time or live-in role.