Sections 53-55 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 53 to 55 of the Registration Act, 1908 deal with how a registration office keeps its entries in order. Section 53 requires consecutive numbering, section 54 requires current indexes to be prepared, and section 55 names four indexes and says what each one must contain. As per the text of the Act consulted, these provisions are what make a registered document findable by the name of a person.
Every entry in every book of a registration office is numbered in one consecutive series that starts and ends with the year (section 53). Each office that keeps the books must also keep current indexes, filled in as far as practicable immediately after the officer copies a document or files its memorandum (section 54). Section 55 fixes four indexes, Index No. I to Index No. IV, and sets out whose names go into which. Section 56 is printed only as a heading and a repeal note.
Section 53: one numbered series, a fresh start each year
Section 53 is a single sentence. All entries in each book are to be numbered in a consecutive series. The series commences and terminates with the year, and a fresh series is commenced at the beginning of each year.
In plain terms, entry number 1 of a new year is the first entry of that year in that book, and the last number of the year is the last entry made in it. A reader who has a document's number and its year can therefore go straight to the right place in the right book. The section does not say which book is used for which document; that is dealt with where the books are listed, and our article on the books kept in a sub-registrar's office covers it.
Section 54: current indexes, made straight after copying
Section 54 applies to every office in which any of the books mentioned earlier in the Act are kept. Two duties follow.
- There must be prepared current indexes of the contents of those books.
- Every entry in such an index must be made, so far as practicable, immediately after the registering officer has copied, or filed a memorandum of, the document to which it relates.
The words "so far as practicable" matter. The Act sets an expectation of prompt indexing; it does not say what follows if an index entry is late, and the copy consulted is silent on any consequence. The practical effect is that the index should not lag behind the book. Registration is run by the States, and your State may have amended these sections or made rules under section 69, so check the State position; the paragraphs below explain only the central text. For a property purchase where the entries matter, our legal due diligence service reads the records for you.
Section 55: the four indexes and their contents
Sub-section (1) says four indexes are to be made in all registration offices, named Index No. I, Index No. II, Index No. III and Index No. IV. Sub-sections (2) to (5) then take them one by one.
| Index | What it covers | Source in section 55 |
|---|---|---|
| Index No. I | Names and additions of all persons executing and of all persons claiming under every document entered or memorandum filed in Book 1 | sub-section (2) |
| Index No. II | Such particulars mentioned in section 21 about every such document and memorandum as the Inspector-General from time to time directs | sub-section (3) |
| Index No. III | Names and additions of all persons executing every will and authority entered in Book 3, and of the executors and persons appointed under them; after the death of the testator or the donor (but not before) the names and additions of all persons claiming under the same | sub-section (4) |
| Index No. IV | Names and additions of all persons executing and of all persons claiming under every document entered in Book 4 | sub-section (5) |
Sub-section (6) adds that each Index shall contain such other particulars, and shall be prepared in such form, as the Inspector-General from time to time directs.
Reading the table
- Index No. I is the name index for Book 1. It lists both sides of a transaction: the executant and the person who claims under the document, for instance the buyer in a sale deed.
- Index No. II is the property index. It carries the particulars that section 21 requires in the description of immovable property (our article on description of property, maps and plans explains section 21). The Act leaves it to the Inspector-General to decide which of those particulars are carried.
- Index No. III is the will and authority index. Note the timing rule: the names of people claiming under a will or an authority are entered only after the death of the testator or the donor, not before. This keeps the beneficiaries of a living person's deposited will out of the index while he or she is alive.
- Index No. IV covers Book 4. Its content rule mirrors Index No. I: executants and those claiming under the document.
Section 69(1)(h) of the Act separately allows the Inspector General to make rules "declaring the particular to be contained in Indexes Nos. I, II, III and IV" (the copy prints the word "particular" in the singular). Our article on control by the Registrar and rules by the Inspector General lists that power.
Why the indexes matter to a buyer or lender
A person checking whether a seller's name appears against other documents, or whether a property has been dealt with before, works through the name index and the property index of the office concerned. Reading the entries and the chain of documents behind them is the core of a title check for a purchase or a loan.
Two limits are worth stating. First, the Act in these sections speaks of what the indexes must contain; it does not set out who may inspect them, which is a separate matter under section 57, taken up in our article on inspection of books and certified copies. Second, the text does not describe how the indexes are kept in practice today, whether in volumes or in electronic form; that is left to the Inspector-General's directions and State practice.
Section 56: repealed
Section 56 appears in the copy only as a heading ("Copy of entries in Indexes Nos. I, II and III to be sent by Sub-Registrar to Registrar and filed") followed by a note that it was repealed by the Indian Registration (Amendment) Act, 1929 (15 of 1929), section 2. The note has no closing bracket in the print. The section has no operative content to explain.
A short example
Meera sells a plot, described by the usual particulars, to Arjun. The deed is copied into Book 1. Under section 54 the officer prepares the index entries soon after copying. Index No. I will show Meera as executant and Arjun as the person claiming under the document; Index No. II will carry the property particulars that the Inspector-General has directed. A lender checking the plot later can look for both names and for the property.
Take a second case. Ravi deposits a will with the Registrar and is alive. Index No. III will carry his name as executant and the name of his executor, but the names of those claiming under the will can be entered only after his death.
Need help with checking registration records?
If a purchase or a loan turns on what the registration records show, a structured search of the index entries and the documents behind them saves surprises later. Our legal due diligence team can review the chain of title and the registered documents for you.
Key takeaways
- Section 53: entries in each book run in one consecutive series that starts and ends with the year; a fresh series begins each year.
- Section 54: current indexes must be prepared in every office keeping the books, with each entry made as far as practicable immediately after copying or filing.
- Section 55: Index Nos. I, II, III and IV; Index III names claimants under a will or authority only after the death of the testator or donor.
- Section 56 is a repealed section with no content.
- Your State may have amended these sections or made rules under section 69; check the State position and any later amendment.
Read next
- Books kept in a sub-registrar's office: sections 51 and 52
- Inspection of books, search and certified copies: section 57
- Endorsement and copying of documents: sections 52 to 62
- How to check a property encumbrance certificate online
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.