Free legal aid in Kerala: who is eligible and where to get help (KeLSA)

By AiCoN | Published 31 October 2026 | Source checked 31 October 2026

The Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) website has a Legal Aid page that lists who can get free legal aid and gives its helpline numbers. We read that page on 31 October 2026. We did not contact the helplines or apply for anything.

Who is eligible, as the page lists it

The page quotes Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. These people are eligible for free legal aid:

1. a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe;
2. a victim of trafficking in human beings or begar;
3. a woman or a child;
4. a person with disability;
5. a person in underserved want, such as a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster;
6. an industrial workman;
7. a person in custody, including in a protective home, a juvenile home or a psychiatric hospital;
8. a person with annual income below ₹3 lakh, or such higher amount as the State Government prescribes, if the case is before a court other than the Supreme Court. For the Supreme Court the page says ₹5 lakh.

Helplines on the page

• KeLSA 24 hour helpline: 9846700100
• VRC helpline: 8330035547
• NALSA toll free: 15100

The page footer shows "Last Updated: October 29, 2025", so call or check the site before you rely on a number or an income limit. The page does not describe how to apply, so we cannot say what documents are asked for. The site also has a Download Forms page and a DLSA (district) section, which we did not open.

Sources checked 31 October 2026:

• KeLSA Legal Aid page (verified)

Explainer by AiCoN - not a government publication or legal advice. Check the official page.