Encumbrance Certificate (EC): How to Check and Download Online in India (2026)
How to apply for and download an encumbrance certificate online, what it shows, which state portal to use, and how to read the result before you buy a property.
How-To Guide · Property Records
You are about to pay a token amount for a flat or plot, and the seller says the property is clear. The only way to check that against the official record is an encumbrance certificate, called an EC. To download an EC online, log in to your state registration portal, choose the EC or e-search service, enter the property details (district, sub-registrar office, village, survey or door number) and the period, pay the fee, and download the certificate. It shows registered sales, mortgages and liens, so a buyer can confirm the property is free of registered dues before paying. This guide covers the steps, the main state portals, and how to read the result.
- What it is: a state record of registered sales, mortgages and liens on a property over a chosen period.
- How to get it: log in to your state registration portal, enter the property details and period, pay, and download.
- Form 15 vs Form 16: Form 15 lists recorded entries, Form 16 is the nil-encumbrance result (Karnataka).
- Limit: an EC does not prove title and does not show court disputes.
01What an encumbrance certificate shows
An EC is a record of the registered transactions on a property over a period you choose. It is issued by the state registration department, so each state has its own portal, rules and format.
Typically it lists:
- Sale deeds, gift deeds and partition deeds.
- Mortgages and loans registered against the property.
- Liens, leases and other registered charges.
- The names of the parties, the document number and the registration date.
An EC covers only what is registered. A dispute, an unregistered agreement or a court case may not appear in it. Keep that in mind, because it shapes how much you should rely on it.
02Why a buyer needs it before purchase
A seller can say the property has no loan. The EC is the record that proves or disproves it. Buyers, banks and housing finance companies all ask for it.
- To find hidden loans: a mortgage registered years ago may still be open.
- To trace the chain of ownership: a 13 to 30 year EC shows who sold to whom.
- For a home loan: most lenders need an EC for the legal check.
- For your own records: after you buy, an EC shows your deed is registered.
Registered is not the same as disputed
A clean EC does not mean the property has no court case. If the property has been in litigation, that sits in court records, not in the registration record. A separate litigation check is a sensible second step. See our guide on how to run a litigation check on a person or party for the same idea applied to tenants.
03Steps to apply for and download an EC online
Screens differ by state, but the flow is nearly the same everywhere.
- Open your state portal. Use the official government site only (see the table below).
- Register and log in. Create a citizen account with your mobile number and email. Some states allow a guest search.
- Choose the EC service. Look for Encumbrance Certificate, EC search or e-search.
- Select the period. Choose the from and to years. Longer periods cost more and show more history.
- Enter the property details. District, sub-registrar office (SRO), village, and survey number, door number or plot number as the state asks. Copy these from the sale deed.
- Pay the fee online. Use net banking, UPI or card. The fee depends on the state and the number of years.
- Track and download. Use your application number to check the EC status. When it is ready, download the PDF.
Many portals also offer a free search view that you can read at once, while the signed EC is issued after a short wait. Some states still ask you to visit the SRO for older records that are not digitised.
04Major state portals for EC online
Always start from the official government address. Third-party sites often charge extra for the same service.
| State | Portal | What you search by | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | TNREGINET (Registration Department) | District, SRO, village, survey number and period | tnreginet.gov.in |
| Karnataka | Kaveri Online Services | District, taluk, SRO, village, survey number and period | kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in |
| Maharashtra | IGR Maharashtra (e-Search) | District, taluka, village, CTS or hissa number and year | igrmaharashtra.gov.in |
| Telangana | Registration and Stamps Department (IGRS Telangana) | District, SRO, village, survey or door number and period | registration.telangana.gov.in |
| Andhra Pradesh | IGRS Andhra Pradesh | District, SRO, village, survey or door number and period | Search for the AP IGRS portal on the official AP government site |
Other states, such as Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, have their own registration sites with a similar process. Search for your state registration department.
05Form 15 vs Form 16: encumbrance and nil-encumbrance
In some states the result comes in one of two forms. Karnataka is the clearest example.
- Form 15: issued when transactions are recorded in the period you searched. It lists the sales, mortgages and other entries.
- Form 16: issued when nothing is recorded in the period. This is the nil-encumbrance certificate.
So a Form 16 is the result most buyers hope for, but a Form 15 is not automatically bad. A sale deed from the last owner will also show up in Form 15. Read each entry. Look for a mortgage with no matching release.
06EC vs mutation vs title
Buyers often mix these three. They answer different questions.
| Document | What it answers | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Encumbrance certificate | Are there registered loans, liens or transfers on this property? | State registration department |
| Mutation (khata or record update) | Whose name is in the revenue or municipal record for tax purposes? | Revenue department or local body |
| Title | Who legally owns the property, and is the chain of ownership clean? | Not a certificate. It is a legal conclusion from deeds and records |
An EC does not prove title, and mutation does not prove title either. Title comes from checking the full chain of deeds. To check the revenue record, read our guide on how to check property mutation status.
07Common problems and how to handle them
The search shows no result
The usual reason is a wrong survey number, an old village name or the wrong SRO. Copy the details from the deed, and try the neighbouring SRO if the area was reorganised.
The period is too short
A one-year EC tells you very little. Use at least the period your lender asks for, and cover the full chain of deeds if you can.
The EC shows a mortgage
Ask the seller for the release or closure document. Do not pay until the mortgage is cleared or the lender gives a written no-objection.
A dispute appears
If a party disputes the property, the matter may reach a High Court. For how such petitions are drafted, see our guide to the writ petition format in India. For recovering dues tied to a property, see legal collections software in India.
08Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Claw does not issue or download an EC. Only the state registration portal can do that. Where Claw helps is the step after the EC: checking whether the property, the seller or the parties are involved in court cases, and tracking those cases once you find them. Claw has a free plan for individual advocates, and paid plans for teams.
09Sources and further reading
Official state portals used in this guide:
- Tamil Nadu: tnreginet.gov.in
- Karnataka: kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in
- Maharashtra: igrmaharashtra.gov.in
- Telangana: registration.telangana.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
Last verified October 2026. Portals, fees and forms change, so confirm on the official site before you rely on this guide. This is general information, not legal advice.
10Frequently asked questions
How do I download an encumbrance certificate online?
Open your state registration portal, log in, choose the EC service, enter the district, sub-registrar office, village, survey number and period, pay the fee, and download the certificate. Track the application status with your application number.
What does an encumbrance certificate show?
It shows the registered transactions on a property over the period you choose, such as sales, gifts, mortgages and liens, with party names and document numbers. It does not show unregistered dealings or court cases.
What is the difference between Form 15 and Form 16?
In Karnataka, Form 15 is issued when transactions are recorded in the period, and Form 16 is the nil-encumbrance certificate issued when none are recorded. Other states may use different forms.
Is an EC the same as proof of ownership?
No. An EC shows registered transactions only. Ownership depends on the full chain of title deeds, and the mutation record shows the name in the revenue or municipal record.
How many years should my EC cover?
Banks often ask for 13 to 30 years, and a longer period shows more of the chain of ownership. Ask your lender for its rule.
Can Claw download my encumbrance certificate?
No. Only the state registration department issues an EC. Claw helps you track property disputes and court cases linked to the parties after you have the EC.