Sections 19 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.
Sections 19 and 20 deal with two ways a deed can be turned back at the counter: it is in a language the registering officer does not understand, or it carries blanks, overwriting or changes that nobody has signed against. This article reads both as per the text of the Act consulted. Careful drafting is the cure for both; our agreement drafting service is built around deeds that go through the registration counter on the first presentation.
If a document is in a language the registering officer does not understand and which is not commonly used in the district, he shall refuse to register it unless it comes with a true translation into a language commonly used in the district and a true copy (s.19). If a document has an interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration, the officer may in his discretion refuse it unless the persons executing it attest the change with their signatures or initials (s.20(1)). If he registers it, he notes the change in the register (s.20(2)).
Section 19: a language the officer does not understand
Section 19 applies to a document "duly presented for registration". The conditions are two together: the document is in a language which the registering officer does not understand, and which is not commonly used in the district. If both are true, he "shall refuse to register the document, unless it be accompanied by a true translation into a language commonly used in the district and also by a true copy".
Four points follow from the wording.
- "Shall refuse" is mandatory. There is no discretion where both conditions are met.
- Two things are needed, not one: a true translation and a true copy.
- The translation must be into a language commonly used in the district. The text of section 69(1)(b) allows the Inspector General to make rules declaring what language is deemed to be commonly used in each district, so the rule for your district should be checked.
- A document in a language that the officer understands, or that is commonly used in the district, is not caught by this section.
The section does not say who must prepare or certify the translation or what "true" is judged by, and the copy is silent on that. State rules may fill the gap; check the rules where you register.
Section 20: interlineations, blanks, erasures and alterations
Sub-section (1). The registering officer "may in his discretion refuse to accept for registration" any document in which any interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration appears. The exception is that the persons executing the document "attest with their signatures or initials" such interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration. So a correction that is signed or initialled by the executants is acceptable; an unsigned correction can be a ground for refusal.
Sub-section (2). If the officer registers such a document, he must, "at the time of registering the same, make a note in the register of such interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration". That note is how a later reader can see that the alteration existed at the time of registration.
Notice the difference in tone. Section 19 uses "shall refuse" while section 20 says "may in his discretion refuse". A blank space or an overwritten figure does not make registration impossible, but it invites the risk of a refusal, and a refusal triggers the remedies discussed in our article on section 71 and the post on refusal to register.
Side by side
| Point | Section 19 | Section 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Language not understood by the officer and not commonly used in the district | Interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration in the document |
| Officer's power | "Shall refuse" | "May in his discretion refuse" |
| What cures it | True translation into a language commonly used in the district, plus a true copy | Executants attest the change with signatures or initials |
| If registered | Not stated | Officer notes the change in the register |
Practical examples
Language. Kavita executes a gift deed in a regional language that the Sub-Registrar of her sub-district does not understand and which is not commonly used in the district. She must bring a true translation into a language commonly used in the district, and a true copy of the deed. Without both, section 19 says the officer shall refuse.
Alterations. Rohan and Imran sign a sale deed in which the price in figures has been overwritten and a blank was left in the schedule for the survey number. If each change is attested by the executants' signatures or initials, section 20(1) removes the reason for refusal. If not, the officer may refuse. Even where he registers, section 20(2) means a note is made in the register.
How to avoid problems
- Draft in a language that is commonly used in the district where you will present, or arrange the translation and a true copy in advance.
- Print the final deed again rather than correcting by hand. If a correction is unavoidable, make sure every executant signs or initials against it.
- Do not leave blanks that are to be filled later; blanks are one of the four things section 20 names.
- Where a deed is a compulsorily registrable one under section 17 or an optional one under section 18, the cost of a refusal is a second visit and possibly a missed time limit, which we explain in the post on section 23.
The next provisions, sections 21 and 22, deal with how property must be described in the document. For the common reasons a counter turns documents back, see common reasons for rejection.
Need help getting a deed ready for presentation?
A deed that is clean, complete and in the right language usually clears the counter on the first visit. Our agreement drafting team prepares and reviews deeds with these two sections in mind. Your State may have amended these sections or made rules on language and translation, so confirm them before presenting; later amendments should also be checked.
Key takeaways
- Section 19: refusal is mandatory for a document in a language the officer does not understand and which is not commonly used in the district, unless a true translation and a true copy come with it.
- Section 20: the officer may refuse a document with an interlineation, blank, erasure or alteration unless the executants attest it with signatures or initials.
- If a document with such a change is registered, a note is made in the register.
- The Inspector General may declare the commonly used language of each district by rule.
- State rules on translation and format are not in the copy and should be checked.
Read next
- Sections 21 and 22 of the Registration Act, 1908: description of property, maps and plans
- Section 16 and 16A of the Registration Act, 1908: register-books, fire-proof boxes and electronic records
- Common Reasons for Rejection of Document Registration
- Documents Compulsorily Registrable -- Section 17
Disclaimer: Based on a print of the Registration Act, 1908 marked as last updated on 9 July 2020, as consulted on 2 October 2026. State amendments and rules, later amendments, registration fees and stamp duty are not covered and should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.