Aditya's warehouse manager called him panicking — a truck got stopped at a state border checkpost. ₹3 lakh of goods on board, no e-way bill. The officer is talking penalty. The driver is texting the buyer.
This is the kind of avoidable mess that e-way bill exists to prevent. Five minutes of admin saves the entire shipment.
- Required when goods worth > ₹50,000 move (inter-state by default; intra-state per state rules).
- Generate at ewaybillgst.gov.in before transport starts.
- Validity: 1 day per 200 km (normal); longer for over-dimensional cargo.
- Carry it (printout or phone) with the invoice during transport. No e-way bill = ₹10k or 100% of tax penalty.
When you need one
- Inter-state movement of goods > ₹50,000 — mandatory always
- Intra-state — depends on state (most ≥ ₹50,000; Delhi ≥ ₹1L; check your state rules)
- Job-work to inter-state job worker — regardless of value
- Handicraft goods moved inter-state by exempt persons — regardless of value
When you don't
- Non-motorised transport (handcart, cycle)
- Goods exempt from GST (fresh fruits / vegetables, raw silk, etc.)
- Specified goods (Annexure to Rule 138 — alcohol, petroleum, etc.)
- Distance < 50 km within same state for delivery
- Movement within port / airport / cargo terminal for customs clearance
Who generates it
Consignor
Seller (default)
Almost always. You're shipping → you generate.
Consignee
Buyer
Only if seller is unregistered. Becomes your responsibility.
Transporter
Last resort
If neither party generates and value > ₹50k, transporter must.
The 5-step generation
GSTIN + password. Bookmark it — you'll be back here daily.
Transaction type (Outward), Sub-type (Supply), Doc No., Doc Date, From (you), To (buyer GSTIN), item details (HSN, qty, value, tax rate).
Vehicle number (own transport) or Transporter ID + vehicle (hired). Long-distance? You can update multiple vehicles en route.
System generates a 12-digit EBN. Print or save PDF. Driver carries it with the invoice.
Goods change trucks en route? Update Part B with new vehicle before continuing.
Validity — the distance × time rule
Validity starts when Part B is updated (vehicle entered). Don't generate days in advance.
Penalties for skipping
Tax + 100% of tax due, OR ₹10,000 — whichever is higher. Goods + truck can be detained until you pay. Repeat offences attract higher penalties. Aditya's ₹3L shipment would have cost ~₹54k in tax + ₹54k penalty = ₹1.08L for forgetting a 5-minute admin step.
The SMS shortcut (when portal is slow)
Register your mobile under "SMS" option in the portal. Then SMS-generate using this format:
EWBG TRAN_TYPE REC_GSTIN DELPLACE INVOICE INV_DATE TOTAL_VAL HSN APRX_DIS
Useful when the portal is slow or you're on the road. EBN comes back by SMS.
Treat the e-way bill like a passport for your goods. No goods leave the warehouse without one. Build it into your dispatch SOP — make it the foreman's last check before the truck rolls.
Quick answers
Yes, within 24 hours of generation, provided the goods haven't been verified by an officer. After verification or after 24 hours — no cancellation.
You can extend within 8 hours before or after expiry by updating Part B with current vehicle and reason. Don't continue with an expired EWB — it's the same as not having one.
Each invoice needs its own e-way bill if value > ₹50k. For consolidated shipments, you can generate a Consolidated E-Way Bill (CEWB) using transporter ID.
Not automatically, but e-invoice IRN can be used to generate e-way bill — data flows over. You still need to add Part B (vehicle).
Goods come back to you under "Sales Return" transaction. Generate a fresh e-way bill for the return leg if value > threshold. Don't reuse the original EWB.
When you might want help
Daily EWB generation is mechanical once your team knows the flow. Where it pays off: API-integrating your billing software with the EWB portal so vehicle entry takes 10 seconds, training the dispatch team on edge cases (returns, trans-shipments, cancellations), and reconciling unfulfilled EWBs at month-end.
Dispatch volume getting heavy?
We set up API-integrated EWB generation, train your dispatch team, and run monthly reconciliation. No more checkpost scares.