Section 60 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.
Section 60 tells the registering officer to endorse a certificate on a document once the earlier steps are complete. The certificate carries the word "registered" and the number and page of the book in which the document has been copied. As per the text of the Act consulted, a certificate that is signed, sealed and dated is admissible to prove that the document has been duly registered and that the facts in the endorsements occurred as mentioned.
After the applicable parts of sections 34, 35, 58 and 59 have been complied with, the officer endorses a certificate containing the word registered together with the number and page of the book in which the document has been copied (section 60(1)). The certificate is signed, sealed and dated and is then admissible to prove that the document was duly registered and that the facts in the section 59 endorsements occurred as stated (section 60(2)).
Where section 60 fits in the process
Section 60 is a closing step. It begins with a condition: the certificate follows "After such of the provisions of sections 34, 35, 58 and 59 as apply to any document presented for registration have been complied with". The words "as apply" show that not every one of those sections applies to every document. Those sections cover:
- section 34, the enquiry by the registering officer before registration (see our article on enquiry before registration);
- section 35, the procedure on admission and denial of execution;
- sections 58 and 59, the endorsements and their dating and signing (see endorsements on a document admitted to registration).
Registration is run by the States, and your State may have amended section 60 or made rules; this article explains only the central text, so check the State position and any later amendment. If you want your registered documents and their certificates reviewed as part of a purchase, our legal due diligence service does that.
Section 60(1): what the certificate contains
The sub-section requires the officer to "endorse thereon a certificate containing the word registered, together with the number and page of the book in which the document has been copied". The copy consulted prints the word registered without quotation marks, but the sense is that this exact word appears on the certificate.
| Element | What section 60(1) requires |
|---|---|
| The word | The word registered |
| The book | The number of the book in which the document has been copied |
| The page | The page of that book |
The book number and the page link the original paper to its copy in the registration office. A person holding the original deed can find the copy in the office's book from those two particulars, which is how the certificate lets a reader compare the paper in hand with the record. Which book holds which kind of document is set out in section 51 of the Act.
Section 60(2): signed, sealed, dated and admissible
Sub-section (2) says the certificate "shall be signed, sealed and dated by the registering officer". It then becomes "admissible for the purpose of proving", and the section names two things it can prove:
- that the document has been duly registered in the manner provided by the Act; and
- that the facts mentioned in the endorsements referred to in section 59 have occurred as therein mentioned.
The second limb is easy to miss. The endorsements under section 58 record who admitted execution, who was examined and what payments or admissions of consideration were made before the officer. Once they are dated and signed under section 59, the section 60 certificate can be used to prove that those facts occurred as the endorsements state.
The wording is "admissible for the purpose of proving". The section does not say the certificate is the only proof, and the text consulted says nothing more about the weight a decision-maker must give it.
What section 60 does not say
- It does not say when the registration is complete. That is stated in section 61, which says that once the endorsements and certificate are copied into the margin of the register-book, the registration is deemed complete. See our article on return of document, translations and oaths.
- It does not say what registration does to the rights under the document. Our existing post on the effect of registration, section 47 covers that section.
- It prescribes no form of words beyond "registered", the book number and the page, and it states no fee.
Practical use of the certificate
When you receive a registered document back, read the certificate. Check that it carries the word registered, the book number and the page, and that it is signed, sealed and dated. If one of these is missing, or the book number and page do not match the office record, take the matter up with the registration office and, where needed, with a lawyer.
If a dispute arises about whether a document was duly registered, the certificate under section 60(2) is the document the Act itself names as admissible to prove that.
An example
Farhan and Gita sign a sale deed for a flat in favour of Hari. After the officer has completed the enquiry, taken the admissions and made the endorsements, he endorses the certificate on the deed: the word registered, with the number of the book and the page in which the deed has been copied, and his signature, seal and date. Months later, when a neighbour asks whether Hari's deed was duly registered, Hari produces the deed with this certificate. Under section 60(2) the certificate is admissible to prove that the deed was duly registered and that the admissions and payments endorsed before the officer took place as endorsed.
Need help with checking a registered document?
A certificate on the back of a deed tells you when and where the document was copied, but a purchase decision needs more than that. Our legal due diligence team can examine the registered documents in a chain of title and tell you what each shows.
Key takeaways
- The certificate follows the applicable parts of sections 34, 35, 58 and 59.
- It contains the word registered, the book number and the page.
- It is signed, sealed and dated by the registering officer.
- It is admissible to prove that the document was duly registered and that the section 59 endorsements are as mentioned.
- Completion of registration is dealt with in section 61, and the legal effect of registration in section 47.
- Check your State's amendments and rules and any later amendment.
Read next
- Endorsements on a document admitted to registration: sections 58 and 59
- Return of document, translations and oaths: sections 61 to 63
- Effect of registration: legal consequences, section 47
- Endorsement and copying of documents: sections 52 to 62
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.