An e-way bill can be cancelled only by the person who generated it, within 24 hours of generation, and only if it has not been verified in transit by a tax officer. Log in to ewaybillgst.gov.in, open e-Waybill > Cancel, enter the 12-digit number, choose a reason and submit. A cancelled e-way bill cannot be reused or edited; generate a fresh one if needed.
Mistakes happen: a wrong vehicle number, a duplicate e-way bill, or an order cancelled after the bill was generated. The e-way bill system lets you cancel, but only within a tight window and only in certain conditions. This guide explains the cancellation rules, the exact steps on the portal, the recipient's right to reject, and what to do once the window has closed.
If you are still learning the basics, start with what is an e-way bill.
When can you cancel an e-way bill?
Rule 138(9) of the CGST Rules and the official FAQ set three conditions:
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Only the person who generated the e-way bill |
| When | Within 24 hours of generation |
| Not verified | The e-way bill must not have been verified in transit by a proper officer under rule 138B |
And there must be a reason: either goods are not transported, or goods are not transported as per the details furnished in the e-way bill.
The FAQ adds that an e-way bill once generated cannot be deleted — cancellation is the only route, and a cancelled bill remains visible on the portal with the status "cancelled".
Common reasons to cancel an e-way bill
- The order was cancelled or postponed after the e-way bill was generated.
- A duplicate e-way bill was created for the same invoice.
- Part A has an error — wrong recipient GSTIN, value, HSN or document number. Part A cannot be edited, so cancel and regenerate.
- The goods will travel under a different document (for example, the invoice was replaced before dispatch).
- The e-way bill was generated under the wrong transaction type (for example, "Supply" instead of "Job Work").
If only the vehicle number is wrong, you do not need to cancel. Update Part B instead — see Part A and Part B.
How to cancel an e-way bill on the portal
- Log in to ewaybillgst.gov.in with your username, password and two-factor authentication.
- From the menu choose e-Waybill → Cancel.
- Enter the 12-digit e-way bill number and click Go.
- The e-way bill details appear. Check you have the right one.
- Select a reason: Duplicate, Order Cancelled, Data Entry Mistake, or Others.
- Add remarks (for example "Wrong GSTIN of recipient — regenerated as EWB no. xxxx").
- Click Cancel e-Way Bill. The status changes to cancelled.
You can also cancel through the SMS facility, the mobile app or via API if your billing software is integrated. The 24-hour rule applies to every method.
What about consolidated e-way bills?
A consolidated e-way bill (Form EWB-02) is a trip sheet that lists individual e-way bills. If a consolidated e-way bill is no longer needed, the transporter can cancel it from the consolidated EWB menu; the individual e-way bills inside it remain active. If the vehicle changes, the transporter can use "Regenerate CEWB" rather than cancelling, and the old consolidated bill becomes invalid.
Can the recipient cancel? Rejection explained
The recipient cannot cancel your e-way bill, but can reject it. The FAQ explains that the other party can see the e-way bill generated against their GSTIN and communicate acceptance or rejection. If they do not act within 72 hours of the time of generation or the time of delivery of goods, whichever is earlier, the e-way bill is deemed accepted.
| Action | By whom | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel | Generator | 24 hours from generation, if not verified |
| Reject | Recipient (GSTIN on the e-way bill) | 72 hours from generation or delivery, whichever is earlier |
| Deemed acceptance | Automatic | If recipient does nothing within 72 hours |
A buyer should reject an e-way bill that was raised against their GSTIN for goods they never ordered, or with clearly wrong details. To do so, log in and use Reject under the e-Waybill menu, select the e-way bill and submit.
Worked example: cancel and regenerate after a GSTIN mistake
A Jaipur supplier of industrial fittings invoices a builder in Ahmedabad (the fittings are taxed at 18%):
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Taxable value | ₹2,40,000.00 |
| IGST @ 18% | ₹43,200.00 |
| Invoice total | ₹2,83,200.00 |
The clerk generates the e-way bill at 11:15 am on 6 November but enters the GSTIN of the builder's sister concern. The error is spotted at 3:00 pm the same day, before the truck leaves.
- 3:00 pm on 6 Nov is about 4 hours after generation — well inside 24 hours. The bill has not been verified.
- The clerk cancels it with reason "Data Entry Mistake" and a remark.
- Because the GSTIN on the invoice itself was also wrong, the supplier corrects the invoice before supply (if no supply has taken place yet) and generates a new e-way bill with the correct GSTIN.
- The driver carries the new e-way bill number. The old one shows "cancelled".
If the error had been spotted at 2:00 pm on 7 November — about 27 hours after generation — cancellation would no longer be possible. The supplier would generate a new e-way bill for the actual movement and keep a written explanation for the first one. (Always confirm the rate for your HSN before invoicing; the GST calculator helps with the arithmetic.)
What if you miss the 24-hour window?
You cannot cancel after 24 hours. In that situation:
- If goods did not move at all: keep the e-way bill on record with supporting evidence — the cancelled invoice or a credit note, your internal dispatch register showing no movement, and a note to file. Make sure the transaction is not reported as a supply in your GSTR-1 if it never happened.
- If goods moved under different details: generate a new, correct e-way bill for the actual movement before or as goods move, and document why the first one is inconsistent.
- If you need the recipient's help: if still within 72 hours, the recipient can reject the incorrect e-way bill, which places their disagreement on record.
There is no form to cancel an e-way bill late, and the portal does not accept requests by email.
Cancelling an e-way bill linked to an e-invoice
If you generated the e-way bill using an IRN, the two documents are linked but cancelled separately. Cancelling the e-way bill does not cancel the IRN. If the entire sale is cancelled, cancel the e-way bill first and then the e-invoice on the IRP within its time limit. See cancel an e-invoice for that process.
Cancel or update? A quick decision table
Before cancelling, check whether a smaller fix will do. Cancelling means you must generate a fresh e-way bill, and that takes time when a truck is waiting.
| Problem | Right action |
|---|---|
| Wrong vehicle number | Update Part B |
| Goods shifted to another truck | Update Part B (or regenerate the consolidated e-way bill) |
| Wrong transporter assigned | Update Transporter |
| Goods delayed, e-way bill about to expire | Extend validity — see extend e-way bill validity |
| Wrong recipient GSTIN, value, HSN or document number | Cancel within 24 hours and regenerate |
| Duplicate e-way bill for the same invoice | Cancel the duplicate within 24 hours |
| Order cancelled before dispatch | Cancel within 24 hours |
| Goods already verified by an officer | Cannot cancel; deal with the officer's findings |
What records to keep after cancelling
A cancelled e-way bill remains on the portal, so keep a simple paper trail:
- The cancelled e-way bill number, date and reason.
- The replacement e-way bill number, if one was generated.
- The corrected invoice or challan, or the credit note if the sale was cancelled after invoicing — see credit note under GST.
- A dispatch register entry showing the actual movement date and vehicle.
These records make it easy to explain the sequence if your e-way bill data is later compared with GSTR-1 or the e-invoice records.
Edge cases: cancellation in special situations
A few situations come up often enough to plan for in advance.
Part B not yet filled. An e-way bill with only Part A completed can still be cancelled within 24 hours of generation, on the same conditions. If you only forgot the vehicle number, you do not need to cancel at all — simply update Part B before the goods move.
Goods already partly moved. If the truck has left and the trip is then called off, cancel only if the bill is still within 24 hours and has not been verified by an officer. Keep a short internal note of why the movement stopped, because the bill was live while the goods were on the road.
Wrong distance entered. Distance drives validity, so a large error can leave the consignment with too little time. If you are still inside the 24-hour window, cancelling and regenerating with the correct distance is cleaner than relying on an extension later.
Bulk errors. When a whole batch of e-way bills was generated from a faulty upload, check each one's generation time first; the oldest bills reach their 24-hour limit earliest, so cancel those first, then regenerate the corrected batch.
Common mistakes when cancelling e-way bills
- Cancelling when only the vehicle is wrong. Use Update Part B; cancelling forces you to regenerate everything.
- Waiting until the next day. The 24 hours run from the generation time, not to the end of the next day. Check the clock.
- Cancelling after the goods have left. If the goods are already moving, cancelling leaves them without a valid document — generate the replacement first.
- Forgetting the IRN. For e-invoiced sales, cancelling the e-way bill alone leaves the IRN live.
- No reason recorded. Always choose the correct reason and add remarks; it helps explain the record later.
- Ignoring wrongly raised e-way bills against your GSTIN. As a buyer, reject them within 72 hours; otherwise they are deemed accepted.
Billing Software by Betterwork links each e-way bill to its invoice, so when you cancel an invoice you can see whether the related e-way bill (and IRN) still needs cancelling.
Key takeaways
- Only the generator can cancel, within 24 hours of generation, and only if the bill has not been verified in transit.
- Cancel when goods are not transported or not transported as per the e-way bill details.
- Part A errors need cancel-and-regenerate; vehicle errors need only a Part B update.
- Recipients can reject an e-way bill within 72 hours of generation or delivery, whichever is earlier.
- E-way bill and e-invoice cancellations are separate actions.
This guide is general information, not tax advice. Rules last checked on 20 October 2026; confirm with your tax professional for your situation.