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Alankar Mishra

June 4, 2026

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GST Rules

How drivers and authorised persons can close E-way bills using mobile numbers

Drivers and authorised persons can close E-Way Bills using their mobile numbers after goods are delivered. A mobile number must be provided for closure purposes. After OTP verification, the portal shows active E-Way Bills linked with that number. The driver or authorised person can then select the relevant E-Way Bill and submit the closure request.

Introduction

The E-Way Bill system is getting an important operational update from 15 June 2026. Under this update, a voluntary E-way bill closure facility will allow an E-way bill to be marked as closed once the goods are delivered.

This facility is useful for businesses, transporters, drivers and authorised persons because it helps maintain cleaner delivery records. Earlier, businesses could generate, update, extend, cancel or reject E-way bills, but there was no simple closure system to confirm that goods had actually reached the destination.

The most practical part of this update is the mobile number-based closure. This allows drivers and authorised persons to close active E-way bills linked to their mobile number after delivery completion.

What is E-way bill closure?

E-way bill closure means marking an E-way bill as completed after the goods have been delivered. It confirms that the movement of goods connected with this E-way bill is complete.

It is different from cancellation. Cancellation is used when an E-way bill was generated by mistake or goods were not moved. Closure is used after the goods have been moved and delivery is complete.

Also Read: Gold & Precious Stones: E-Way Bill Guide for Intra-state & Inter-state Transport

Point	Meaning
Cancellation	Used when the e-Way Bill is wrong, or goods are not moved
Closure	Used after goods are delivered successfully
Main Purpose	To confirm that the goods movement is complete

Who can close an E-way bill?

The E-way bill closure facility can be used by different parties involved in the transaction.

Person/Party	Can you close the E-Way Bill?	How
Supplier	Yes	Through the portal login
Recipient	Yes	Through the portal login
Transporter	Yes	Through the portal login
Driver	Yes	Using a linked mobile number and OTP
Authorised Person	Yes	Using a linked mobile number and OTP

For drivers and authorised persons, a mobile number must be provided for closure purposes. Once the number is linked, they can access and close the active E-way bills connected with that number.

How mobile number based E-way bill closure works

In many businesses, the person who generates the E-way bill is not the same person who completes the delivery. The accounts or dispatch team may generate the E-way bill, while the driver or logistics person handles the actual goods movement.

To make the process easier, GSTN has introduced a mobile number-based closure. A mobile number can be entered for closure purposes while generating the E-way bill. If required, this number can also be updated later during vehicle updation, consolidated E-way bill activity or validity extension.

After delivery is completed, the driver or authorised person can use that mobile number to close the relevant E-Way Bill.

Step-by-Step process to close E-way bill using mobile number

Drivers and authorised persons can follow these steps:

Visit the E-Way Bill Portal.
Go to the Search option.
Select the E-Way Bill closure facility.
Enter the mobile number linked to closure.
Verify the OTP received on that mobile number.
View active E-way bills linked to this number.
Select the E-way bill or multiple E-way bills that need to be closed.
Submit a closure request.
Once submitted, the selected E-way bills will be marked as closed.

This process is useful because the driver or authorised person does not need full taxpayer login access. OTP verification is enough to complete the closure process.

Also Read: Why an E-Way Bill is Required in India

When should an E-way bill be closed?

An E-way bill should be closed only after delivery is completed. It should not be closed before the goods reach the destination.

Situation	Closure Allowed?
Goods are still in transit	No
Goods have reached the destination	Yes
Same day of delivery	Yes
Immediately, the next day after delivery	Yes
Before delivery completion	No

Businesses should train drivers, transporters and dispatch teams to complete closures on time. This helps avoid a mismatch between delivery status and portal records.

E-way bill closure vs cancellation

Many users may confuse closure with cancellation, but both are different.

Basis	E-Way Bill Cancellation	E-Way Bill Closure
Used When	The E-Way Bill is generated incorrectly, or the goods are not moved	Goods are delivered successfully
Timing	Before or without actual goods movement	After delivery completion
Purpose	To cancel an unused or wrong E-Way Bill	To mark completed goods movement
Meaning	This E-Way Bill should not be used	This E-Way Bill has completed its purpose

Why this update matters for businesses

This update will help businesses improve compliance and delivery tracking. Many companies generate several E-way bills every day. If delivered consignments remain open in the system, it may create confusion during audits, reconciliation or internal checks.

Key benefits include:

Cleaner E-way bill records.
Better delivery confirmation.
Reduced dependency on accounts teams.
Easier transporter accountability.
Better invoice and delivery matching.
Fewer open E-way bills after goods delivery.
Improved compliance clarity during audits.

For businesses using ERP, API or accounting software, this update is also important. They should check whether their systems are ready to capture mobile numbers for closure.

Common mistakes to avoid

Businesses, drivers and authorised persons should avoid the following mistakes:

Do not close the E-way bill before delivery.
Do not enter the wrong mobile number for closure.
Do not confuse closure with cancellation.
Do not delay closure after delivery.
Do not assume that every driver can close every E-way bill.
Do not forget OTP verification.
Do not ignore ERP or software updates related to closure.

Also Read: A step-by-step guide to E-Way Bill integration

Conclusion

The mobile number-based E-way bill closure facility is a useful update for businesses, transporters, drivers and authorised persons. This allows delivery completion to be recorded clearly after goods are delivered.

From 15 June 2026, businesses should make sure their dispatch teams, drivers, transporters and ERP users understand this process. By adding the correct mobile number and closing E-way bills on time, businesses can reduce open records, improve delivery tracking and maintain better compliance clarity.

Create E-way bill faster with Swipe

Closing E-way bills after delivery is important, but the process becomes smoother when your E-way bills are generated and managed properly from the beginning. Swipe helps businesses create GST-compliant E-way bills quickly, reduce manual entries and keep billing, dispatch and GST records organised in one place.

With Swipe, businesses can generate E-way bills from invoices, manage e-invoices, use auto-filled details, reduce errors with smart alerts, track inventory, and access GST reports easily. This is useful for suppliers, transporters, traders, wholesalers and businesses that handle regular goods movement.

Swipe can help you:

Generate GST-compliant E-way bills quickly.
Create E-Way Bills directly from invoices.
Reduce repeated manual data entry.
Use auto-filled customer, vehicle and distance details.
Get smart alerts for missing or incorrect details.
Manage e-invoices, inventory and GST reports together.
Keep billing and dispatch records more organised.

Make your E-Way Bill process faster, cleaner and easier with Swipe.

Visit Swipe’s E-Way Bill page: E-Way Bill solution

FAQs

What is the mobile number-based E-way bill closure?

The E-way bill closure facility, combined with a mobile number, enables the driver or any authorised partner of the licensed vehicle operator to close the E-way bill linked to that mobile number once the goods have been delivered.

Can a driver close an E-way bill?

The driver is also an authorised person who is capable of closing the E-way bill, provided the driver’s mobile number was used for closure and the goods have been successfully delivered.

Is OTP required for E-way bill closure?

The driver will need to input an OTP in order to complete the process of closing an existing E-way bill using a mobile number.

When should an E-way bill be closed?

An E-way bill needs to be closed on or before the first day after delivery of the goods.

Is E-way bill closure mandatory?

Currently, there is no obligation to use the E-way bill Closure process. However, it will help in facilitating better record-keeping for companies that do choose to use this feature.

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