CSD Entitlement Checker — what you get, in one step
Half the queue at any canteen is people who came with the wrong assumption — about the card, about the car, about who is entitled to what. This checker answers it in one step: choose who you are, and it shows the card, the four-wheeler entitlement by pay level, and the papers the depot asks for — from the official policy, with its date on it.
What it deliberately does not show: monthly grocery and liquor limits. CSD revises those, and we do not print figures we have not verified — the depot and the official site carry the current ones.
Checker
Whatever you choose stays in this browser — it is not sent to any server and not recorded anywhere. Details in Privacy. The car matrix comes from rates.json — that file is public on purpose, so anyone can check what this site answers with.
The four-wheeler matrix — official, dated
| Pay level (serving/retd) | Cost up to | EV up to | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3–5 (incl. pensioner widows/NoK) | ₹8 lakh | ₹13 lakh | 4 cars in a lifetime — first after 5 years of service, 8-year gap between cars |
| Level 6–9 (incl. pensioner widows/NoK) | ₹10 lakh | ₹15 lakh | 5 cars in a lifetime — same 5-year and 8-year rules |
| Level 10–18 | ₹20 lakh | ₹25 lakh | Once in eight years |
Two extra rules from the same letter: an EV may cost up to ₹5 lakh more than the normal cap, and a first-time EV may be bought after 6 years of the previous car — but any purchase after that waits for the full 8-year gap. Widows and next of kin buy against the quota the late soldier did not use.
The papers the depot asks for
This list is from the Jul 2015 depot guidelines — the newer car policy does not reprint it, so treat it as a starting point and let the depot confirm the current list.
- CSD depot indent form — for ex-servicemen, countersigned by the Station Commander or the Deputy Director of the Zila Sainik Board
- PPO / discharge book / release order
- PAN card copy
- Driving licence copy — relaxable for retired JCOs/ORs and senior citizens
- Address proof
- Any document your state notifies for the tax concession — the depot tells you which
⚠ In writing, from the Jul 2015 guidelines "No payment is to be made on account of CSD handling charges/logistic charges etc. to the dealer." An "agent fee" for a CSD car has no basis at all — the portal and the depot work directly against your own card and documents.
Frequently asked questions
Which car can I buy, and how often?
The table above is the official answer, with its date on it. Two things people miss: the cap is now on price excluding taxes, not engine capacity — and it goes by your pay level, not your rank name. For Levels 3–9 the entitlement is a lifetime count of cars with an 8-year gap, not "every N years".
Does a widow get her own CSD card?
Yes — in her own right, with her own smart card made against the PPO and related papers. And the Nov 2023 car policy expressly lists pensioner widows and next of kin: a car can be bought against the quota the late soldier did not use, with the same price caps and the same eight-year gap. Confirm your exact case at the depot or on the AFD portal.
Do Agniveers get CSD after their four years?
Agniveers released after the four years do not get ex-serviceman status, and the CSD entitlement rides on that status. Those retained in regular service earn it with regular terms.
An agent wants a fee to arrange my CSD car — ever genuine?
No. The guidelines say in writing that no handling or logistic charges are payable to any dealer. Walk away — and do not lend your card or papers for anyone else's purchase; that can cost you the entitlement itself.
Sources
- CS Dte, QMG's Branch, IHQ of MoD (Army) letter No. 95350/Q/DDGCS/Car Policy dated 30 Nov 2023 — "Entitlement of Four Wheelers Through CSD", in force from 1 Feb 2024, superseding the 30 Nov 2022 letter: the pay-level matrix, the EV rules and the widow/NoK entitlement above. Scan read in full on 3 August 2026; the matrix was also matched line for line against the official AFD portal's eligibility page the same day.
- Earlier basis, now superseded and recorded as a correction: DDGCS letter No. 96410/Q/DDGCS dated Jul 2015 (cc-based matrix). Its depot document list and its "no CSD handling/logistic charges to the dealer" rule are kept above as dated guidance — the depot has the current list.
- afd.csdindia.gov.in — the official AFD online portal
- Agniveer / ex-serviceman status — Agnipath recruitment notification terms, Para 2(c)(iii): released Agniveers are not eligible for "Ex Serviceman status", CSD or ECHS.
This is general information, not legal advice. Entitlements in force are those notified by CSD, and the AFD portal's matrix is the live authority. Sainik Desk is a private website with no government affiliation, and no affiliation with CSD.