Certified Copy explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Regulations 19 to 23 cover what happens around a case rather than inside the hearing: how Commissions report their disposal, how long records are kept, how a party gets a copy of an order, what inspection and certified copies cost, and who files a criminal complaint on the Commission's behalf.
They form part of the Consumer Protection (Consumer Commission Procedure) Regulations, 2020, made by the National Commission under section 103 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This article takes them as amended up to 3 October 2026 (no amending regulations traced). Later amendments should be checked on the website of the National Commission or the Department of Consumer Affairs.
A Commission is expected to dispose of the maximum number of cases every month, with monthly returns going from District Commissions to the State Commission and from the State Commission to the National Commission. Complaint records are kept for five years and appeal or revision records for three years from disposal. A copy of the final order is given without charge; an extra certified copy costs rupees twenty. Inspecting records costs ten rupees.
Anyone preparing an appeal or a fresh complaint can ask for consumer complaint filing help to check which copies and records are needed.
Regulation 19: disposal and monthly returns
- 19(1) says a Consumer Commission "is expected to dispose of maximum number of cases every month so as to keep the pendency to a bare minimum". It is a statement of expectation, not a fixed target.
- 19(2) requires District Commissions to send a periodic monthly return of institution and disposal of cases to the State Commission.
- 19(3) requires the State Commission to submit a similar monthly return to the National Commission.
- 19(4) allows the President of the National Commission, notwithstanding the rest of the regulation, to call at any time for any return or information about functioning from a State Commission or District Commissions.
The quarterly return that State Commissions furnish under the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions Rules is a separate requirement, explained in the article on rules 13 to 18 of those rules.
Regulation 20: how long records are preserved
| Record | Period | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint: main file with original order sheet | five years | 20(1) |
| Appeal and revision petition records | three years from the date of disposal | 20(2) |
| Extra sets after disposal | at least one month for collection, then weeded out | 20(3) and 20(5) |
Regulation 20(1) does not say from what date the five years run; read as printed, it speaks of "a period five years". Regulation 20(2) is more specific for appeals and revisions: three years from the date of disposal of the appeal or revision.
Regulation 20(3) is practical. Immediately after a complaint, appeal or revision is disposed of, extra sets are given to the parties, who may use them to file an appeal or revision. In that case the need to summon the record from the Commissions below "can be dispensed with". Under 20(4), the Registrar informs the parties, while forwarding the certified copy of the final order, that they should arrange to collect the extra sets if they did not appear in person at the final disposal. Under 20(5), at least one month is given for collection, and in default the extra sets are weeded out.
An invented example: Kavita Traders loses a complaint before a District Commission and does not attend on the last date. The Registrar's covering letter with the certified order tells it to collect its extra sets. If Kavita Traders ignores the letter beyond the month given, the sets can be weeded out, and the appeal papers will have to be arranged afresh.
Regulation 21: certified copies
Regulation 21 sets out what a party gets and what a further copy costs. Note that the sub-regulations are numbered (1), (2), (3), (4) and then (6): there is no sub-regulation (5) in the printed text, and this article follows the numbering as printed.
- 21(1): a copy of the final order is given to the parties without charge, "as required under the Act and the rules made thereunder".
- 21(2): if a party requires an extra copy, it is issued duly certified by the Registry on payment of rupees twenty irrespective of the number of pages.
- 21(3): a certified copy of an order must clearly specify the date on which the copy without charge was issued, the date of application, the date when the copy was made ready and the date when it was delivered. These dates are what a party relies on when counting time for an appeal.
- 21(4): any party wanting a certified copy of any document on the file may get it on payment of a certification fee of twenty rupees per copy. The proviso adds that if the document is over and above five pages, an extra rupee per page is charged over and above the rupees twenty.
- 21(6): a certified copy of any miscellaneous order is supplied on payment of rupees five per copy.
These amounts are those printed in this regulation. They are separate from the fee for filing a complaint, which is dealt with in the article on rule 7 of the CDRC Rules.
Regulation 22: inspection of records
Parties or their agents can inspect the records of a matter filed by them by filing an application on payment of ten rupees as fee. The regulation covers matters "filed by them", so it is a right of the parties and their agents rather than of the public.
Regulation 23: criminal complaints
Where the Consumer Commission is required to file a complaint under sub-section (10) of section 38 of the Act, it may authorise its Registrar to file it. Section 38(10) is part of the procedure on admission of a complaint; see section 38 of the Act. The offences that can follow from disobeying a Commission order are in sections 71 to 73, and enforcement of orders is covered in section 71. The regulation names no penalty; any penalty is under the Act.
Where the fees go
Regulation 26(5), explained in the article on regulations 24 to 26, says the fees collected for inspection of documents and for certified copies are deposited in the account kept for depositing the fee for filing a complaint, as prescribed by the Central Government by rules.
A short checklist for parties
- Collect the copy of the final order without charge and check the four dates under regulation 21(3).
- Ask the Registry for any extra certified copy, and pay the amounts printed in regulation 21.
- Collect extra sets within the month the Registrar allows.
- Apply to inspect records under regulation 22 where needed.
- Note the retention periods before assuming an old file can be traced.
Need help getting your Consumer Commission record in order?
If you need a certified order, a complete set of papers for an appeal or help with a pending complaint, it is worth checking the dates and copies before a limitation period is counted. Our consumer complaint filing service can review the file with you and list what is missing.
Key takeaways
- Commissions are expected to dispose of the maximum number of cases every month, with monthly returns up the chain.
- Complaint records are preserved for five years; appeal and revision records for three years from disposal.
- The final order copy is given without charge; extra certified copies and inspection carry the fees printed in regulations 21 and 22.
- Regulation 21 skips sub-regulation (5) in its numbering; the article follows the text as printed.
- The Registrar may file the criminal complaint the Commission is required to file under section 38(10).
Read next
- Regulations 15–18: review, consumer organisations, ex parte orders and final orders
- Regulations 24–26: practice directions, parcha yaddasht and miscellaneous
- Section 38: procedure on admission of a complaint
- Consumer complaint draft template
Disclaimer: Based on the rules, regulations and guidelines named above as published in the Gazette of India or on the CCPA website, with the amending notifications the article names (consulted on 3 October 2026). Later amendments, the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provisions referred to, State rules and CCPA advisories should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.