Is the online EC search a valid certificate?

No. The department's user guide calls the online search an informative service, not an authorised one. Authorised ECs and certified copies are issued through MeeSeva centres and the Sub-Registrar and District Registrar offices on payment of the fee. Use the online search as a first check, and apply for the signed certificate when you need a document.

How far back do the online EC records go?

The department's user guide says documents registered manually from 1983 onwards were entered into the system for EC search. To search years before 1983, visit the Sub-Registrar office concerned. The Citizen's Charter allows 24 hours for an EC from manual records, against one hour from computer records.

Can I search for an EC by the owner's name?

No. The user guide says an EC search cannot be made by a person's name. You search by document number, registration year and SRO, or by property details such as village, survey or door number, extent and boundaries. Only the GPA Search on the portal works by name.

Does a Nil EC mean the property is clear?

Not on its own. A Nil EC means that no registered transaction was found for the details and period you gave. The department's FAQ says unregistered transactions are not included and that an EC cannot be the sole basis to buy or lend. Incomplete or wrong details can produce a wrong EC.

What does a signed EC cost?

Under the table of fees in force from 2 September 2021, an EC costs Rs 500 per certificate for a search of up to 30 years and Rs 1,000 for more than 30 years. A certified copy of a registered document costs Rs 500. An older FAQ on the portal still shows Rs 200; the 2021 table is the later figure.

Whom do I contact about an EC problem?

The Registration & Stamps Department lists the toll-free number 1800 599 4788, WhatsApp 8247619983 and the email grievance-igrs@igrs.telangana.gov.in. If a deed is missing from the result, the department's FAQ also lets you inspect the records yourself at the Sub-Registrar office after paying the prescribed fee.

Record guide

Encumbrance Certificate (EC) in Telangana

An Encumbrance Certificate (EC) in Telangana is a statement of the registered deeds on a property, such as sales, mortgages, gifts and leases, for the period you choose. The Registration & Stamps Department holds these records. You can search them yourself through Encumbrance Search(EC) on registration.telangana.gov.in after creating a citizen login, by document number or by property details. The department calls this online search informative, not an authorised certificate. For a signed EC, apply at a MeeSeva centre or the Sub-Registrar's office. The fee is Rs 500 for a search of up to 30 years and Rs 1,000 for more than 30 years, under the fee table in force from 2 September 2021. The Citizen's Charter allows one hour for an EC from computer records. Online records start from 1983, so older years need a search at the Sub-Registrar's office. An EC never shows unregistered agreements.

Definition

Encumbrance Certificate (EC): A certificate from the registering officer that lists the acts and encumbrances found in Book I and its indexes for the property and period searched. Rule 143 of the Registration Rules in force in Telangana requires a complete list, and Rule 140 prescribes the format in Appendix VII.

When you need it

Before you buy, to match the registered deeds on the property with the seller's chain of title and to find any mortgage. The department's own FAQ says an EC cannot be the sole basis to buy a property or lend money. A Nil EC only means that no registered transaction was found for the details given. Unregistered transactions are not included.

Steps

Open registration.telangana.gov.in and click Encumbrance Search(EC) under Online Services.
On the User Login page, choose User Type Citizen. First-time users click New Users? Register. Others enter the mobile number or email ID, password and captcha, and click Login.
Choose the search option: Document No. if you know the deed number, or None to search by property details.
Enter the details, run the search, and save or print the result.
For a signed EC, apply at a MeeSeva centre or the Sub-Registrar's office with the property details and the search period. The paper form is under Downloads as EC Application.
Pay the fee: Rs 500 for a search of up to 30 years, or Rs 1,000 for more than 30 years.
For years before 1983, ask the Sub-Registrar's office concerned to search its manual records.

What you need to search

Search by document: document number, registration year and the Sub-Registrar office (SRO)
Search by property: village, survey number or door number, plot or flat number, extent and boundaries, and the SRO where it was registered
Search period: From and To dates
The registered deed and, for farm land, the pattadar passbook, to get the survey and sub-division numbers right
A citizen login (mobile number or email) for the online search

Fees

Encumbrance Certificate (EC) fee. Source: registration.telangana.gov.in, as of 2026-10-22.

Signed EC: Rs 500 per certificate for a search of up to 30 years, Rs 1,000 for more than 30 years. Certified copy of a registered document: Rs 500 (Registration & Stamps Department table of fees, in force from 2 September 2021). (source: https://registration.telangana.gov.in/RegistrationFees.htm, as of 2026-10-22. Verify with sub-registrar.)

How to read it

The certificate lists each deed found with the description of the property, the date of execution, the nature and value of the document, the executant and the claimant, and the volume and year of the entry. Check that the seller is the claimant in the last sale or gift. For every mortgage, look for a later release. The department's note on the EC format says a deed that describes the property differently from your application will not appear, so search every survey and door number variant.

Red flags

A mortgage entry with no later release or reconveyance deed
The seller is not the claimant in the last registered sale or gift
A sale agreement, GPA or lease in favour of someone other than the seller
A Nil EC for a property the seller says was bought by registered deed
A search period that starts after the seller's purchase or misses earlier owners
The survey number also appears in the Prohibited Property list, which an EC does not show

Questions

Is the online EC search a valid certificate?: No. The department's user guide calls the online search an informative service, not an authorised one. Authorised ECs and certified copies are issued through MeeSeva centres and the Sub-Registrar and District Registrar offices on payment of the fee. Use the online search as a first check, and apply for the signed certificate when you need a document.
How far back do the online EC records go?: The department's user guide says documents registered manually from 1983 onwards were entered into the system for EC search. To search years before 1983, visit the Sub-Registrar office concerned. The Citizen's Charter allows 24 hours for an EC from manual records, against one hour from computer records.
Can I search for an EC by the owner's name?: No. The user guide says an EC search cannot be made by a person's name. You search by document number, registration year and SRO, or by property details such as village, survey or door number, extent and boundaries. Only the GPA Search on the portal works by name.
Does a Nil EC mean the property is clear?: Not on its own. A Nil EC means that no registered transaction was found for the details and period you gave. The department's FAQ says unregistered transactions are not included and that an EC cannot be the sole basis to buy or lend. Incomplete or wrong details can produce a wrong EC.
What does a signed EC cost?: Under the table of fees in force from 2 September 2021, an EC costs Rs 500 per certificate for a search of up to 30 years and Rs 1,000 for more than 30 years. A certified copy of a registered document costs Rs 500. An older FAQ on the portal still shows Rs 200; the 2021 table is the later figure.
Whom do I contact about an EC problem?: The Registration & Stamps Department lists the toll-free number 1800 599 4788, WhatsApp 8247619983 and the email grievance-igrs@igrs.telangana.gov.in. If a deed is missing from the result, the department's FAQ also lets you inspect the records yourself at the Sub-Registrar office after paying the prescribed fee.

Sources

Encumbrance Search (EC) - Registration & Stamps Department, Telangana
Fee source — as of 2026-10-22

Last reviewed 22 Oct 2026 by LawyerDesk Team

Quality check: 9 of 6 required sections filled. General information only, not legal advice.

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