Sections 66 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.
The Register of Firms is a public record. Section 66 says it is open to inspection by any person on payment of the prescribed fee, and that the statements, notices and intimations filed are open to inspection on prescribed conditions and fee. Section 67 says the Registrar must, on application and payment of the prescribed fee, furnish a certified copy of an entry or part of it. To check a firm's registration or obtain a copy, our partnership firm registration service can help.
The Register of Firms is open to inspection by any person on payment of the prescribed fee (66(1)). All statements, notices and intimations filed under Chapter VII are open to inspection, subject to prescribed conditions and fee (66(2)). The Registrar, on application and payment of the prescribed fee, furnishes any person with a copy, certified under his hand, of an entry or portion of an entry in the Register (s.67). Fees and conditions are set by State rules, not by the central Act.
Section 66(1): the register is open to inspection
| Element | Text |
|---|---|
| What | The Register of Firms |
| Who may inspect | Any person, so no interest or reason need be shown on the text |
| Condition | Payment of such fee as may be prescribed |
The words "any person" make the register a public record. A supplier, a bank, a prospective partner or a litigant can look at it. The text does not say how, where or in what hours; those are matters for the Registrar's office and the State's rules.
Section 66(2): the filed documents
All statements, notices and intimations filed under this Chapter shall be open to inspection, subject to such conditions and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.
This extends inspection from the register to the underlying papers: the original statement filed under section 59 and later notices and intimations filed under sections 60 to 63. Compare the two sub-sections:
| 66(1) | 66(2) | |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The Register of Firms | Statements, notices and intimations filed |
| Condition | Prescribed fee | Prescribed conditions and prescribed fee |
Only 66(2) mentions "conditions". The central text does not say what they are. They could include, for example, how requests are made, but the Act does not list them and this article does not guess.
Example. A supplier is about to extend credit to Patel & Co and wants to know who the partners are. It applies to the Registrar's office and pays the prescribed fee to inspect the entry in the Register of Firms. It also asks to inspect the statement filed under section 59 and any notices of change. The supplier sees the partners' names and the date each joined, which are among the six particulars required by section 58(1).
Section 67: certified copies
The Registrar shall, on application, furnish to any person, on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, a copy, certified under his hand, of any entry or portion thereof in the Register of Firms.
| Element | Text |
|---|---|
| Who may ask | Any person |
| What | A copy of an entry, or a portion of it, in the Register of Firms |
| Form | Certified under the Registrar's hand |
| Condition | Application and prescribed fee |
| Registrar's duty | He shall furnish it |
Note what is covered: an entry or portion of an entry in the Register. The text of section 67 does not mention copies of the filed statements, notices and intimations. Inspection of those is under 66(2); whether copies of them can be obtained is not stated in section 67 and depends on the State's rules. (The copy consulted has a typing slip in section 67, "of and entry", read by sense as "of any entry".)
Why a certified copy matters
Section 68(2) provides that a certified copy of any entry relating to a firm in the Register may be produced in proof of the fact of the registration of the firm and of the contents of any statement, intimation or notice recorded or noted in it; see section 68. So a certified copy is the usual way of proving registration in a suit. This also bears on section 69, where a suit by a partner depends on the firm being registered and the person suing being shown in the register as a partner; see section 69.
Example. A partner is about to sue under the partnership contract. Before filing, she applies for a certified copy of the firm's entry, pays the prescribed fee, and receives it certified under the Registrar's hand. The copy shows the firm is registered and that she is shown as a partner. She can produce it in proof, as section 68(2) allows.
At a glance
| Section | Who | What | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66(1) | Any person | Inspect the Register of Firms | Prescribed fee |
| 66(2) | Any person (text says "open to inspection") | Inspect filed statements, notices, intimations | Prescribed conditions and fee |
| 67 | Any person | Certified copy of an entry or portion of an entry | Application and prescribed fee |
What can the deed change?
Nothing. Sections 66 and 67 are about a public register and the right of any person to see it, so partners cannot agree to keep it private. A deed can only say who in the firm will apply for copies when needed.
Practical points
- Check a firm's entry before dealing with it, if the dealing is significant.
- Check your own entry from time to time against your deed.
- Order a certified copy before you sue or when a bank or authority asks for proof of registration.
- Ask your State's Registrar for the current fee and conditions, because the central Act leaves them to State rules.
- Our guide to the procedure for registration of a firm covers the general steps.
Need help getting a copy or checking an entry?
If you need to inspect a firm's entry, obtain a certified copy, or correct what the register shows, we can handle the steps with the Registrar. Our partnership firm registration team knows how to match the register against the deed and the filed papers. Share the firm's name and the Registrar's area.
Key takeaways
- The Register of Firms is open to inspection by any person on payment of the prescribed fee (66(1)).
- Filed statements, notices and intimations are open to inspection, subject to prescribed conditions and fee (66(2)).
- The Registrar shall furnish a certified copy of an entry or portion of an entry, on application and payment of the prescribed fee (s.67).
- Fees and conditions come from State rules.
Read next
- Sections 64 and 65: rectification of mistakes and amendment by Court
- Section 68: rules of evidence
- Section 69: effect of non-registration
- Registration of a partnership firm: why and how
Disclaimer: Based on the text of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 as consulted on 1 October 2026. Several States have amended the registration chapter and make their own rules, forms and fees for the Registrar of Firms. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text and your State's rules before acting.