Obtaining an Encumbrance Certificate in Karnataka Zen Citizen

Volunteer Credits: AN & Sioux helped with nailing many a nitty gritty in this article

About Encumbrance Certificate

What is an Encumbrance Certificate

An Encumbrance Certificate (EC) is a record of registered transactions related to a property. It helps buyers and banks confirm that the property has a clear title, isn’t mortgaged, and has no legal or financial liabilities. It is also required for certain utilities related services like transferring an electricity or water connection, to get eKhata

What transactions are included in EC?

The EC includes any transaction registered with the Sub-Registrar Office. Examples: mortgage, sale, gift deed, partition deed, settlement deed, lease agreement, and court orders related to the property. The EC does not show any pending court cases, Power of Attorney appointments, or will deeds linked to the property.

Types of Encumbrance Certificate

In Karnataka, Encumbrance Certificates (ECs) are issued in different forms based on whether any transactions are recorded for a property during the selected period:

Form 15 is issued when there are registered transactions (like sale, mortgage, or gift) related to the property during the selected period. For example, if a mortgage was registered in 2015 but you request the EC for 2020–2025, it won’t show up – because it falls outside the selected period. So if you want to verify the history of a property, apply for the EC over a longer time span.

Form 16, also called a Nil Encumbrance Certificate, is issued when no registered transactions are found during the selected period. However, you might also get a Nil EC if your search was incorrect and didn’t match any property. The more accurate property details you enter, the better your chances of retrieving a complete record and confirming that there are no transactions or mortgages. To ensure the Nil EC is valid, search for a longer period using the same criteria, ideally covering a time when you know a transaction occurred: if the property appears, then the original Nil EC truly reflects no transactions in the selected window.

Form 17 is issued when you search for an EC using only a party name. It shows the history of registered transactions and the owner’s name. However, Form 17 is not accepted by banks for legal or loan purposes. For official purposes, you must search using property details and get a Form 15 or Form 16.

Which Department issues the EC?

In Karnataka, the Encumbrance Certificate is issued by the Department of Stamps and Registration.

How do I contact the Department?

Visit the website: igr.karnataka.gov.in

The Contact Us section lists details for the Technical Team, Sub-Registrar Offices (SROs), District Registrar Offices (DROs), and the Head Office.

Helpline: 080-68265316

Email: idshelpdsr@karnataka.gov.in / igrshelpline@gmail.com

Getting a response may take persistence. If your service is delayed, consider filing a Sakala appeal or an RTI.

About Kaveri Portal

What is the Kaveri portal

Kaveri is a portal by the Department of Stamps and Registration, Karnataka, for accessing registration-related services such as applying for ECs, verifying registered documents, property valuation, calculating registration fees, booking registration appointments, making online payments for stamp duty, marriage registration, and related services.

The URL is kaveri.karnataka.gov.in

What are the common technical issues with the Kaveri portal and how to resolve them?

Here are common issues encountered on the Kaveri portal, along with suggested solutions. If these don’t work, please refer here.

Getting logged out frequently

The portal logs you out often. To reduce hassle, save your username and password in your browser. If that’s not possible, change the auto-generated password to something memorable so you can re-enter it quickly.

“Multiple active session is detected. Do you want to clear all your previous active session(s)?” error message

This usually means you closed the Kaveri portal tab without logging out and are now trying to log in again, or you’re attempting to log in on one device while still logged in on another. Just click OK. You may need to repeat this a couple of times until you receive the OTP and can log in.

Payment issues

Fewer issues have been reported when ‘Mode of Payment’ is set to ‘Netbanking’ and ‘Type of e-Payment’ is selected as ‘SBI e-Pay’. NEFT does not work. You’re also required to select your bank branch during the process, but the dropdown contains hundreds of branch names with no easy way to search or filter.
Keep your payment details ready as delays can lead to “Payment pending at payment gateway” status. It may take days for this status to change. Wait for a day or two, and if the status does not change, start a new application
You can pay using a debit card by entering the card number in the field meant for credit card.
Some users have reported issues such as “I get a blank screen after clicking ‘Payment’” or “My payment is successful, but clicking ‘Send for E-Sign’ doesn’t take me to the next screen. It is just stuck on the screen.”

“Login isn’t working even though I entered correct username, password and Captcha”
“I get invalid captcha error although I am certain I entered Captcha correctly”
The Captcha changes every time I try to log in without any error message

eSign & Other Issues

“I entered all the right information but I get ‘e-sign failed. Try again’”
“There is no ‘Submit’ or ‘OK’ button after I finish the e-Sign”
“Failed in generating Sakala” or “Unable to save the application”

How to resolve these issues

Try after some time, preferably during working hours (10 am to 5 pm on weekdays). The portal may be under maintenance.
Try a different browser or device.
Clear your browser cookies and cache, then try again.

Is there a preferred browser for accessing the Kaveri portal?

It’s recommended to use Google Chrome for the best performance.

What languages is the Kaveri website available in?

The Kaveri portal is available in English and Kannada. You can switch languages using the toggle at the top right of the portal.

Tap the three-line menu icon at the top left of your mobile screen. You’ll find the Register and Login options at the bottom of the dropdown.

I’m outside the country. I am not able to access the Kaveri portal.

The portal blocks international IPs and VPNs as a precaution against hacking. Some users outside India have accessed the site using Windscribe or SurfShark VPN by selecting an Indian server. This isn’t always guaranteed to work.

I don’t have an Indian mobile number. Can I register with a US number?

No, registration requires an Indian mobile number.

How do I register on the Kaveri portal?

To register on the Kaveri portal, follow these steps:

Go to kaveri.karnataka.gov.in and click on “Register” at the top right of the screen.
Fill in your First Name, Last Name, and Gender.
Enter your mobile number. A “Send OTP” button will appear. Click it and enter the OTP sent to your mobile number.
Enter your email address. Another “Send OTP” button will appear. Click it and enter the OTP sent to your email address. (The email will be from dsrnotify@karnataka.gov.in with the subject “User Registration Information Kaveri 2.0”. Check your Updates or Spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.)
Choose a Security Question from the dropdown list and provide an answer. Options include:
- Date of Birth
- Favourite Movie
- Mother’s Maiden Name
- Favourite Cricket Team
- Make/Model of First Car
- Occupation
Enter the CAPTCHA displayed on the screen.
Click “Register”.

Once your registration is successful, you will receive an email with your login name and password from dsrnotify@karnataka.gov.in with the subject “User Login Information Kaveri 2.0”.

I’m not getting the OTP

OTPs usually arrive quickly by email but may be delayed via SMS. Check your email inbox and spam folder if you don’t receive the SMS OTP right away.

For how long is the OTP sent by Kaveri valid?

The OTP is valid for 10 minutes.

I often get an ‘Invalid Captcha’ error

This usually happens due to confusing characters. Common lookalikes to watch for:

l (lowercase L) vs 1 (number one)
O (uppercase O) vs 0 (zero) – the zero is egg shaped
i (uppercase i) vs 1 (number one)
g (lowercase g) vs 9 (number nine)
z (lowercase z) vs 2 (number two)

Tip: If the CAPTCHA is hard to read, click the refresh icon to get a new one.

If you’re sure the CAPTCHA is correct but still being rejected, wait a while as the site may be under maintenance, or try a different browser, device, or incognito mode.

Can I change my email address, phone number, username, or secret question?

Click the blue person icon at the top right of the Kaveri portal and select Profile from the dropdown menu for the options to change email address, phone number, username, or secret question.

Note: When we checked on June 1, 2025, this feature was not functioning properly. Users attempting to update these details encountered an error message: “File Uploaded Failed.”

To log in to the Kaveri Portal, follow these steps:

First, register an account on the Kaveri portal.
After registering, click the “Login” button located at the top right of the page.
Enter your username (this is the email address you used during registration).
Enter your password (this is a system-generated password that was sent to you via SMS and email when you registered).
Please make sure your username and password are saved in the browser. You’ll be logged out multiple times during the process, so saving your credentials prevents repeated re-entry. Browsers usually prompt to save login info – if yours doesn’t, try a different browser. Tip: this is important 🙂
Enter the CAPTCHA displayed on the screen.
After entering the CAPTCHA, you will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on both your registered phone number and email address. If you experience a delay with one, check the other.
Enter the OTP.
Click the “Log in” button.

I forgot the Kaveri portal password. How do I reset it?

Click on ‘Login’ at the top right of the Kaveri portal. Select ‘Forgot Password’, then enter the email ID and phone number you used during registration. You’ll get an SMS and email with a new auto-generated password.

We recommend changing the password to something easy to remember. You may get logged out multiple times during the process, and if your browser doesn’t save login info, you’ll need to enter it each time. This can be frustrating, so a simple password helps if saving isn’t an option.

How do I change the password?

After logging in, click the blue person icon at the top right. Select ‘Change Password’, enter your old password, and set a new one.

How do I find the saved application on the Kaveri portal?

Log in to your Kaveri portal account. Below the ‘New Application’ section you’ll see various services listed horizontally.
For EC, click the ‘EC Applications’ tab. You’ll see a list of applications either in progress after payment or pending payment.

How to Log Out of the Kaveri portal?

At the top right of the Kaveri portal, click the blue person icon. From the dropdown menu, select the third option ‘Logout’.

Process to get an EC

How to get an EC

In Karnataka, getting an EC is fully online through the Kaveri portal. There’s no need to visit any government office, and there is no in-person process.

What is the overall process for getting an EC?

If you have the property identifiers, this is a quick process. Here are the steps involved:

Find the village name in the title deed of the property and enter it in the Kaveri Village Finder tool to get the corresponding district, taluk, and hobli as per Kaveri’s mapping. If you find that the corresponding village name, taluk, or district shown in this tool are different from what’s in your deed, this is expected, as Kaveri portal uses a different mapping.
Search for your property using either the name of one of the parties, or by property identifier. We have given detailed search tips.
Make payment.
Complete eSign
After the SRO approves the application, you can download the EC

What do I need to get an EC

You need:

The village name and either one of:
- Property detail like survey number, Property ID, or Khata number
- Name of one of the parties
- The document number of the title deed. It will be in the format: ABC-1-11111-2011-12
An Aadhaar ID linked to your mobile number
Credit or debit card, net banking, or UPI to make an online payment (cash is not accepted)

Will I get a physical copy of the EC?

No, you’ll only get a soft copy that you can download from the Kaveri portal. It’s digitally signed so it has the same validity as a physical copy signed by the Registrar.

What is the meaning of digitally signed?

A digitally signed document has an official electronic signature. This confirms that the document is legally valid and equal to a physical copy signed by the Registrar. You can use it for legal, financial, or official purposes without needing a printed or stamped version.

How much does it cost to get an EC?

The fee for a digitally signed EC depends on how many years you want to check. There’s a fixed application fee of Rs. 10, plus a search fee of Rs. 30 for the first year and Rs. 10 for each extra year.

How long does it take to get an EC?

It depends on the time period you select.

From 1st April 2004 to today: 3 working days

Before 1st April 2004:

Up to 13 years: 10 working days
More than 13 years: 10 days plus 1 extra day for every additional 10 years

How much time will it take to submit the EC application EC online?

The tricky part is locating your property. If you have enough property identifiers, it can be quick – as little as 10 mins to an hour on average.

Do I need to be the owner of the property to get an EC?

No, anyone can apply for and get the EC for a property.

Will I get status updates on the application?

You’ll get an SMS only when you submit the application or when it’s ready to download.

The application may go through several stages after submission. You won’t receive SMS notifications for these, but you can track the progress in the Kaveri portal.

Possible stages include:

Payment pending at payment gateway
Payment received at payment gateway
Ready for e-sign
Application forwarded to FDA/SDA from SRO (First or Second Division Assistant)
Application signed by SRO
Download signed EC

Readers have noticed that the final status update – ‘Download signed EC’ is not sent to the phone. Please check the dashboard in Kaveri for the final update. The EC should be available within 2 days.

There are no email updates.

We’ve curated these videos for you:

Applying for EC (Kannada) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFp2cz6nwm4
Applying for EC (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajo8nnsB7I8

Gotchas to know before applying for an EC

The search process is easy if you have the title deed document on hand (for example, sale deed, gift deed, release deed)

Payment is non-refundable, so carefully check the details in the draft EC before proceeding with payment.

Ensure you are getting the EC for the right property. You may find multiple properties in the search results. Narrowing them isn’t always possible, as the Kaveri portal uses an OR condition when you search with more than one identifier. Scroll through the results, find your property, and copy the document reference number listed in the last column of that row. Enter this number in the ‘Property Description’ text box. DO NOT proceed to make the payment if multiple rows appear and you haven’t entered the document number – if you do, the application will be rejected, as the SRO won’t know which property to issue the EC for.

Ensure you’re selecting the correct time period for the EC. You may use a narrow window to find the property, but when applying for the EC, set the right time range.

Note the type of EC before making the payment:
- Form 15 when you search using a property identifier
- Form 16 (Nil Encumbrance) is issued when no transactions are found. A draft EC may also show Form 16 if incorrect details were used during the search, so please verify the information carefully.
- Form 17 when you search using a party’s name. Form 17 is not always accepted by banks or government offices. If you receive a Form 17, use the property details shown to run a second search using the property identifier. Also, note the document reference number listed in the last column of Form 17 – you can enter this in the ‘Property Description’ text field if multiple results appear when searching by property identifier.
After making the payment, remember to eSign. Once eSigning is complete, be sure to click the ‘Submit’ button on the next screen (you may need to scroll to locate it).

What are the common issues when getting an EC? Is there a way to work around them?

Technical issues on Kaveri portal

Technical issues with the portal and recommended solutions are explained here.

Can’t Find the Property to get EC

I cannot find Bengaluru Urban district

On the Kaveri portal, you won’t find ‘Bengaluru Urban’ as an option. Instead, it’s split into Basavanagudi, Gandhinagar, Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, and Shivajinagar – corresponding to the 5 District Registrar Offices (DROs) in Bengaluru. Kaveri treats these DROs like separate districts to route the application to the correct jurisdiction.

This creates confusion for citizens, as the very first step in getting an EC is selecting the district, and those looking for properties in Bengaluru Urban can’t find ‘Bengaluru Urban’ in the list.

To help with this, Zen Citizen created the Kaveri Village Finder tool. https://zencitizen.in/2024/11/07/kaveri-village-finder/

Enter the village name from your title deed (sale deed, gift deed, or release deed), and it will show the district (and the taluk, hobli, and village name as per Kaveri’s mapping. You may find that even the village name, taluk, or district differ from what’s in your deed – this is normal, as Kaveri uses a different mapping.

What is a Village Name?

In Karnataka, land records use the revenue village name, as the basic administration unit. Typically we refer to addresses as localities or neighborhoods. Example, Indira Nagar or Jaya Nagar in Bengaluru. However, officially, your property is part of a revenue village, a group of villages form a Hobli, group of hobli’s form a Taluk, and a group of Taluk’s form a District.

For example, 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar falls under:

Village: K.G. Thippasandra

Hobli: Marathahalli

Taluk: Bangalore-East

District: Shivajinagar

How do I find the Taluk, Hobli and Village name?

You can find the ‘village name’ in the following documents:

Title deed of the property (for example, sale deed, gift deed, release deed)
An earlier EC (Encumbrance Certificate) for the property
Property tax receipts from your local Gram Panchayat or Municipal Corporation may sometimes include the village name
For Agricultural property, the Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops (RTC) or Pahani document typically displays the village name at the top of the document.

Tips for finding your property record.

The search process is easy if you have the title deed document on hand (for example, sale deed, gift deed, release deed)

Find the village name in the title deed of the property or a previous EC and enter it in the Kaveri Village Finder tool https://zencitizen.in/2024/11/07/kaveri-village-finder/ to get the corresponding district, taluk, and hobli as per Kaveri’s mapping. If you find that the corresponding village name, taluk, or district shown in this tool are different from what’s in your deed, this is expected, as Kaveri portal uses a different mapping.
You can search for your property using either the name of one of the parties to the title deed, or by using a property identifier such as Khata number. Results are based on the title deed details at the time of the transaction. If the property is old and doesn’t have a Khata number, you cannot search using it. Use only the property identifiers listed in the title document. If you search with incorrect or missing info, the property may not appear, and you’ll receive a Form 16 or ‘Nil Encumbrance’.
Use a narrow time window around a transaction date. The transaction can be a registration or taking a loan. Set the ‘From’ date to 1–2 days before the actual transaction date. Use the current date as the ‘To’ date to get the most recent EC.
If you searching by Name, please note the following
- The entire name must be entered in the ‘First Name’ field
- You need to enter the entire name. For example, if your name is “Anand Bharat Karthik” and you enter only “Anand” as the first name, you will not be able to locate your property.
- If there is a dot in your name, please include it
- Check if there is a space after the dot in your name as it is in the title deed or previous EC you have. This will affect the search results.
- When you search by name, you may see several properties for that name. Scroll through the results to find the property you are trying to get an EC.
- If you search for a property using a name, you’ll get Form 17, which isn’t always accepted by banks or government offices. You can first search by name, then use the property details from the results to run a second search using the property identifier. Note the property details including the document reference number which is listed in the last column of the table.
If you are searching by property identifier:
- Remember to select ‘Non-Agricultural’ if it applies to your property. The default setting is ‘Agricultural’, and it’s easy to overlook changing it.
- You must use at least one of the property identifiers in the drop down list to search your property. Here is the list of Property Identifiers. You can find these details in the Sale Deed or Khata or a previously obtained EC.
  - Assessment No., BDA No., BDA PID, Flat No., eAasthi PID, Khata No., Survey No., Ward No. are common parameters
  - Others are: Block No, CITB No., CMC No., Completed Survey No., Corporation No., CTS No., Door No., EWS No., Gramathana House List No., HASB Khata No.,HASB No.,HASN No., HIG No., House List No.,House No., Khaneshumari No.,Khata Assessment No., Khata Serial No., LIG No., MIG No., Municipal List No., Office No., Plot No., Premises No., Property No., RDPR No., Serial No., Site No., Sub-Division No., Town Survey No., TPC, Unit No., UPOR Number, Villa, Village Panchayat Khata No.
- You can use a simple identifier like Flat Number to narrow the results.
- You may find multiple properties in the search results. Narrowing them isn’t always possible, as the Kaveri portal uses an OR condition when you search with more than one identifier. Scroll through the results, find your property, and copy the document reference number listed in the last column of that row. Enter this number in the ‘Property Description’ text box. DO NOT proceed to make the payment if multiple rows appear and you haven’t entered the document number – if you do, the application will be rejected, as the SRO won’t know which property to issue the EC for.
If you only have a document number and not the party name or property identifier, you can find the names of the parties by going to ‘New Application’ → ‘Certified Copy’. In Quick Search, enter the document number in the format ABC-1-11111-2011-12 (District Registrar Office code – Book Number – Volume Number – Financial Year of registration). Click Search to view the first page of the title deed, where the party names will be shown. Note, only the first page of the document will be shown.
If you used a narrow search window to make it easier to find the property, remember to expand the search window to cover the full time period you want the EC for before making the payment.
Other Notes:
- If you see multiple entries for the same property, it indicates the property has undergone multiple transactions. You can proceed to payment with confidence.
- Don’t be intimidated by the sections ‘Boundary Details’ and ‘Unit of Measurement’. These sections are not mandatory.
- Even if there’s an active loan on the property, it won’t appear in the results if the loan was taken outside of the time period you provided.
- For Agricultural, you can try the “Use Experimental Map” feature. It involves selecting your Village, Taluk, Hobli, and District, then manually moving the location pin to find your property. However, locating the property this way is difficult and hasn’t been very useful.
Known bug: Below the search results, you’ll see an option “Can’t locate your property,” which prompts you to enter a document reference number from the Title Deed. However, the ‘View Documents’ button doesn’t work.

When I search for the property, I am getting a Form 16. What is Form 16?

Form 16, also called a Nil Encumbrance Certificate, is issued when no registered transactions are found during the selected period.

However, you might also get a Nil EC if your search didn’t match any property.

The more accurate property details you enter, the better your chances of retrieving a complete record and confirming that there are no transactions or mortgages.

To ensure the Nil EC is valid, search for a longer period using the same criteria, ideally covering a time when you know a transaction occurred: if the property appears, then the original Nil EC truly reflects no transactions in the selected window.

If you know there was a transaction during the period you searched but your property doesn’t appear in the results, it means the search criteria you entered are incorrect.

You may encounter issues when making payment

Keep your payment information such as credit card, debit card, Netbanking or UPI details handy as your payment window can time out by the time you get them.

Please select ‘Net Banking’ for a smoother payment experience.

Delay in getting the application approved by the Registrar

If there’s a delay in receiving your EC beyond the government’s promised time limit, file a Sakala appeal. To do this, you’ll need the Sakala acknowledgement number, which is generated when you make the EC payment. Screenshot or copy this number. You can also find it in the SMS confirming receipt of your application. You can also file an RTI application.

You can’t return to an EC application to edit it later.

You can’t return to an EC application to edit it later. If you don’t click ‘Continue’ after searching, the application won’t be saved. If you do click ‘Continue’, you’ll be taken to the next step—Make Payment. After this point, you can’t go back to edit the application, such as changing the EC time period. The status in the Dashboard will show as ‘Make Payment’ or ‘Delete Application’.

Can I get multiple ECs at one time?

No, you need to submit separate applications for each EC.

Grievance Redressal

If your EC application is unduly rejected or delayed, you can file a Sakala appeal or an RTI application. Filing a Sakala appeal is free, while an RTI costs Rs. 10. Both are required to be responded to within 30 days, and this timeline is generally adhered to. If the application was wrongly rejected, it often gets approved at this stage. More details below.

Sakala

What is Sakala?

Sakala is an Act passed by the Karnataka Government in 2011, under the Right to Public Services legislation, which assures delivery of Government services to citizens within a stipulated time and provides a means to hold public servants accountable. Sakala covers key citizen services across government bodies, public sector companies and non-government bodies financed by the Government of Karnataka.

If the application is rejected and the citizen disagrees with the reason, or if the service is not provided within the promised timeframe, an appeal can be filed on the Sakala website. This must be done within 30 days from either the date of rejection or the date the service was due.

There is no fee to file Sakala appeals.

Filing a Sakala appeal

Here is the link to file first appeal
Enter your GSC (Guarantee of Service to Citizen) number, which is displayed when you submit your EC application. If you missed noting it down, please check your phone – it is also sent as an SMS.
Click on ‘Generate OTP’ to proceed.
A First Appeal Number (FAP) will be generated, which you can use to track your appeal.
Timeline: The ‘Competent Officer’ – for EC it is the District Registrar, must dispose of the first appeal within 30 days. In exceptional cases, this may extend to 45 days, but the reason for the delay must be recorded in writing.
If you are not satisfied with the Competent Officer’s response to the appeal, you can file a second appeal with the ‘Appellate Authority’ within 30 days of the decision. Here is the link to file the second appeal.
Status Update: You can check the status of your appeals by scrolling down the Home Page
The decision made at this stage is conclusive and binding. Ensure you have all relevant documentation from the first appeal process when submitting the second appeal.

Helpline

The Sakala helpline is fairly responsive. You can contact them by phone at 080 4455 4455 or by email at sakala@nic.in / aosakala@gmail.com.

Right to Information (RTI) Act

You can also file an RTI, either along with or without filing a Sakala petition.

What is the RTI Act?

The Right to Information (RTI) is an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2005 that allows citizens to request information from both Central and State Government Departments/Bodies and requires a response within 30 days from the date of application submission.

There are different RTI portals for the Central Government and each State. Here is the link to Karnataka’s RTI portal.

You can file an RTI both offline and online. We detail the online process here.

Each online RTI application requires a digital payment of ₹10. Applicants below the poverty line (BPL) are exempt from this fee but must upload valid BPL (Below Poverty Line) proof as a supporting document. To be accepted for RTI fee exemption, the name in the supporting document must match the name used in the RTI application. Accepted supporting documents are:

BPL Ration Card
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) Card
BPL Certificate issued by the local revenue authority or municipality
Any government-issued income certificate clearly stating BPL status

If the citizen is not satisfied with the response provided to the application, or a response has not been provided within 30 days, they can make an appeal to the first Appellate Authority. If you are not satisfied with the response to the first appeal, you can file a second appeal here – within 90 days from the date of the decision by the first Appellate Authority.

Process for filing an RTI online for Encumbrance Certificate

You can file an RTI Application with the Government of Karnataka here
Create an account on the RTI portal and login. When logging in, make sure all letters in your email address are in lowercase. The OTP for account creation and login is sent via SMS.
Sometimes, the site does not respond when you click ‘Login’ or ‘Submit’ or the CAPTCHA shows an error even when entered correctly. This usually occurs when the site is under maintenance. Try again after some time or contact the helpline for assistance.
The RTI Karnataka helpline is fairly responsive. You can reach them at rtionline@karnataka.gov.in or call 080-22585858.
You will see this message: “Please do not file RTI application/first appeal through this portal for Departments/Public Authorities under Central Government or other State Governments. If filed, the application would be returned without refund of the fee amount.” This message is advising you to file RTI applications only for Karnataka. Some citizens mistakenly interpret it as meaning they cannot file RTI applications for any state government through this portal.
Click ‘Submit Request’. The RTI application form will appear on the next screen.
For Public Authority, please search for ‘DPAR’ and select ‘Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms(DPAR e-Gov)’
Supporting documents:
- The document must be a single PDF and less than 1MB in size.
- If you have multiple PDFs, merge them using an online tool like this one.
- You can compress the file if it exceeds 1MB by using free services available online, such as from Adobe
- The PDF file name cannot contain spaces. Only letters, numbers, dot (.), underscore (_), and dash (-) are allowed.
Text for Filing an RTI regarding an Encumbrance Certificate application in Karnataka. Here is the template.

I applied for an Encumbrance Certificate at the <Name of the Sub-Registrar Office>

I request the following information under the Right to Information Act, 2005:

The current status of my Encumbrance Certificate application.
The reason for the delay in issuance of the certificate.
The details of the officer responsible for processing my application.
The expected timeline for issuance of the certificate.
A copy of any internal correspondence or file notings related to my application.

As per the Section 6 (3) of the RTI Act, where an application is made to a public authority requesting for an information which is held by another public authority; or the subject matter of which is more closely connected with the functions of another public authority, the public authority, to which such application is made, shall transfer the application or such part of it as may be appropriate to that other public authority and inform the applicant immediately about such transfer.

As per Sections 7(8)(iii) and 7(3)(ii) of the RTI Act, 2005, I request the PIO to provide details of the First Appellate Authority.

The above information be kindly provided to this e-mail <enter your email address here >

RTI fee of Rs 10 has been paid through RTI portal

Applicant Details:

Name: [Your Full Name]
Application Number: [Your Application Number]
Date of Application: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Contact Details: [Your Phone/Email]
Additional Text [If you prefer you can include additional details here.However, please note the character restrictions.Additionally, there are several nuances to filing an application, and if these are not followed correctly, the application may be rejected.]

If you are adding Additional text to the template, please note these character restrictions

The text must be under 3,000 characters (including spaces).
The application does not accept the following characters
- ‘ ” ; + * = > < ! [ ] { } ~ ^ \
- Common special characters: ‘ ” ; (single apostrophe, double apostrophe, semicolon) – For example, use “I am requesting” instead of “I’m requesting.”
- Mathematical operators: + * = > < !
- Square & curly brackets: [ ] { }
- Other restricted symbols: ~ ^ ` (tilde, caret, backtick, backslash)
Use this prompt in ChatGPT or other AI tool to ensure your text complies with the character restrictions. “Check if the string ‘Insert the text of your application here‘ contains any of the following special characters: {‘ ” ; + * = > < ! [ ] { } ~ ^ }. Respond with the specific word that has the special character. If the text does not contain any of the listed special characters, respond with ‘No’.”

Payment

Please select ‘Net Banking’ for a smoother payment experience.
Note: There have been reports of issues with UPI, debit cards, and credit cards, where the amount gets debited from the user’s bank account even though the payment fails.

Save a copy

Once you submit the RTI application online, please save a soft copy of your RTI application for future reference.

Tracking RTI application status

You can check the status of your RTI application on the RTI portal. Click ‘View Status’ then ‘Online Request’. Use the email address and phone number provided during the application process to access the status updates.
After submitting your application, it is routed to the appropriate Public Information Officer (PIO). You may see an update such as:”REQUEST TRANSFERRED TO OTHER PIO as on 15/07/2025. Note: You are advised to contact the above mentioned officer (email and phone number are provided) for further details.”
- This is not the final status; it simply indicates that your RTI has been forwarded to the relevant authority. Contacting them usually doesn’t help. Please wait for 30 days from the date of transfer, and then file an appeal if no response is received.

Appeal Process

If the response to your RTI application is unsatisfactory, you can file two levels of appeal through the RTI portal. Both appeals are free of charge.
First Appeal:
- Click ‘Submit First Appeal’ on the RTI portal
- This appeal is sent to the appellate authority within the same public authority. For example, if you filed an RTI with the Department of Stamps & registration for EC, and are dissatisfied with the response, your first appeal will be handled by the same department.
- In some cases, the First Appellate Authority may arrange an online meeting, while in others, you will need to be physically present at the public authority’s office during office hours for each appeal. This depends on the officer in charge.
- There is no fee for filing a first appeal under the RTI Act
Second Appeal
- If you’re still unsatisfied after the first appeal, you can appeal to the Central Information Commission or the State Information Commission, depending on the case. This is an offline process.
- To file a second appeal in Karnataka after exhausting the first appeal process under RTI, you need to submit it to the Karnataka Information Commission.
- The appeal should be filed within 90 days from the date of the first appellate authority’s decision.
- You’ll need to provide a detailed background statement, specific grounds for dissatisfaction, and any supporting documents.
- In some cases, the Second Appeal meeting may be arranged online, while in others, you will need to be physically present at the public authority’s office during office hours for each appeal. This depends on the officer in charge.

Miscellaneous

Draft EC

There is no charge for viewing the draft EC online. If you’re checking whether any transactions were registered on your property without your knowledge, viewing the draft EC is sufficient.

However, if you need to submit the EC as proof to a bank, court, or share it with a prospective buyer, you should get a certified copy, namely Form 17 or Form 15.

In the dashboard beside my EC application, I see an option to ‘View Form 22’. What is Form 22?

Form 22 is the draft version of the Encumbrance Certificate. It’s the document the SRO will digitally sign and then make available on the portal for you to download.

Challan

A challan is an official payment receipt used to make government payments in Karnataka. You first generate the challan on the portal, then use it to make the payment. It remains valid for 90 days; if payment isn’t made within that time, a new challan must be generated.

What does the ‘Verify Challan’ option on the dashboard next to my EC application mean?

“Verify Challan” is a feature to check if a generated challan has been paid. This feature is useful if you’ve made a payment but aren’t sure it went through, as you can confirm its status.

Chargeback

What is a chargeback? I’m being asked to agree to conditions like: “I understand that my transaction is not eligible for a chargeback” and “I accept that a chargeback is not automatic, and any refund request must be made directly to the concerned government department.”

A chargeback refers to a refund initiated by your bank or card issuer when you dispute a transaction. It’s typically used when a payment was unauthorized, duplicated, or if goods/services weren’t received.

In the context of these statements, you’re agreeing that you can’t request a refund through your bank for this payment. If you want a refund, you must directly contact the relevant government department.

Khajane

Khajane is the online financial and payment platform launched by the Government of Karnataka

CAPTCHAs when searching for a property

When searching for a property, you don’t need to enter the CAPTCHA each time. As long as you don’t switch between ‘Search by Name’ and ‘Search by Property’, the CAPTCHA remains valid.

For how long will the digitally signed EC be available on the portal?

There’s no time limit; you can return to the portal and download the EC again at any time.

Obtaining an Encumbrance Certificate in Karnataka