EC by Survey Number, Door Number or Document Number: Which States Allow Which Search
Last verified 28 Oct 2026 against the official registration portals of Andhra Pradesh (registration.ec.ap.gov.in), Tamil Nadu (tnreginet.gov.in), Karnataka (Kaveri 2.0), Telangana (registration.telangana.gov.in), Maharashtra (freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in), Kerala (PEARL), Odisha (igrodisha.gov.in), Uttar Pradesh (igrsup.gov.in), Bihar (bhumijankari.bihar.gov.in) and Delhi (ngdrs.delhi.gov.in).
You can get an EC by survey number, door number or document number, but not every state offers all three, and the search you pick decides what the EC finds. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu let you search online by document number, by survey number and by house or flat details. Karnataka and Kerala start from the property's survey details. Maharashtra's free eSearch works by property number or document number. Telangana's office application form asks for door, plot and survey numbers together.
The rule that matters most: an EC lists only the registered documents that match the details you enter. If a deed describes the property with a different number, the EC can come back "nil" even though the deed exists.
Quick answer: which search does each state allow?
| State | Survey number | Door / house / flat | Document number | Name | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Yes (revenue village, optional plot no.) | Yes (house no., apartment, flat) | Yes (with year and SRO) | Not on the public page | registration.ec.ap.gov.in |
| Tamil Nadu | Yes ("Survey Wise") | Yes ("Plot Flat Wise", "Ward Block Wise") | Yes (current and previous document no.) | No | tnreginet.gov.in |
| Karnataka | Yes (Survey No. and Hissa No.) | Khata No. and Plot No. | Not listed in the EC FAQ | Yes, by executant name (Form 17) | kaveri.karnataka.gov.in |
| Telangana | Yes, on the EC application form | Yes (door no., plot no., ward, block) | Yes, on the form | No | registration.telangana.gov.in |
| Maharashtra | Yes (Survey / CTS / Gat / Plot / Milkat no.) | Via Milkat (property) no. | Yes | After you enter a property number | freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in |
| Kerala | Yes (resurvey no. with block, and old survey no.) | No | Previous documents are a reference | No | pearl.registration.kerala.gov.in |
| Odisha | Plot and khata | No | No | No | igrodisha.gov.in |
| Uttar Pradesh | Khasra no. in e-Search | No | Registration no. in e-Search | Yes, in e-Search | igrsup.gov.in |
| Bihar | Advance search | No | Serial no. | Yes (party name) | bhumijankari.bihar.gov.in |
Each row comes from the state's own portal, checked on 28 Oct 2026. Portal menus change, so confirm the options on the official site before you pay.
What do "survey number", "door number" and "document number" mean?
- Survey number (also Sy. No., khasra, gat, CTS or resurvey number): the revenue department's number for a piece of land. It is best for agricultural land, plots and old properties.
- Door number (also house number, municipal number or Milkat number): the local body's address number. It is best for houses and flats in towns, but it changes when wards are renumbered.
- Document number: the number the Sub-Registrar Office (SRO) gives a deed when it registers it, always with the year and the SRO name. You find it on the registration endorsement of the sale deed.
Use the search that matches how the deeds describe the property, not how you describe it today.
Andhra Pradesh: three search options online
The AP Registration Department's "EC For Information Only" page (registration.ec.ap.gov.in) offers three ways to search:
- Document number: document number, year of registration and the SRO where it was registered.
- Property address: house number, old house number or apartment name in a city, town or village, with optional flat number and colony. The page suggests entering house numbers as Ward - Block - Door No / Bi No.
- Survey number: survey number in a revenue village, with an optional plot number.
District and SRO are mandatory for every option. The online data covers transactions from 1 January 1983. For older years, the page tells you to approach the SRO.
The page also says results come from a probabilistic search, so you may see several matching entries and must pick the right one. If it says "Data Not Found", it asks you to confirm with the SRO. For an ink-signed certificate, the page tells you to go to the SRO. A signed EC is also a separate service on the portal. For the full process, see our Andhra Pradesh EC guide.
Tamil Nadu: survey, flat, ward-block or document number
TNREGINET's Search Encumbrance Certificate screen splits searches into two groups:
| Property-details search | Document-number search |
|---|---|
| Survey Wise | Document Number Wise |
| Plot Flat Wise | Previous Document Number Wise (data from 13-2-2018 onwards) |
| Ward Block Wise |
For a survey-wise search you choose the zone, district and SRO, then the registration village, survey number and subdivision. You enter an EC start and end date, and the portal sends the EC to the email ID you give.
One detail trips up many people: the form asks for the registration village, which can differ from the revenue village on the patta. Pick the village the SRO uses. Our Tamil Nadu EC guide covers the rest.
Karnataka: survey number first, or the owner's name
Kaveri 2.0's own FAQ says you fill in the district, taluk, hobli or town and village, then property details such as Survey No. and Hissa No., Khata No., Plot No., and the search period. Online EC covers the period from 1 April 2004 to date. For earlier periods, you apply offline to the Sub-Registrar in Form No. 22.
Karnataka is one of the few states with a formal name-based EC. The same FAQ lists three formats:
| Format | When it is issued |
|---|---|
| Form 15 | Encumbrance Certificate |
| Form 16 | Nil Encumbrance Certificate |
| Form 17 | When the encumbrance is searched on the basis of the name of the executant |
A Form 17 search by the seller's name can surface deeds recorded under a wrong survey number. See Form 15 vs Form 16 and our Karnataka EC guide.
Telangana: give every number you have
Telangana's printed EC application form, published on registration.telangana.gov.in, asks for all of these at once: ward number, block number, door number, plot number, survey number, location, street, apartment name, extent, plinth area, undivided share and document number. Agricultural land has its own block for village, survey number, extent and classification. The form also asks for the boundaries and the period of search.
The department's FAQ warns: "if they give incomplete/inaccurate details, they may get a wrong EC." Its Citizen's Charter adds that the registration document showing the schedule property, and the pattadar passbook for farmland, help you enter the right numbers. Fill in every field you can. Read our Telangana EC guide for the online search.
Maharashtra: property number or document number
Maharashtra's free eSearch, run by the Department of Registration and Stamps, is a search of registered transactions rather than a signed certificate. It searches two ways:
- Property Details: year, district, village and a Property No. The field accepts Survey No., CTS No., Milkat No., Gat No. or Plot No.
- Document Number.
The page says a name-based search is available after you enter a property number. It also says data is updated in real time, and asks users to "check just before transactions to prevent frauds." See our Maharashtra EC guide.
Kerala, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
- Kerala (PEARL): the department's SOP says you enter survey details "as per the original document". If the survey number on the tax receipt is given, enter the resurvey number with block and the old survey number. Because of Kerala's resurvey, entering only the old or only the new survey number can return a wrong nil EC. See our Kerala EC guide.
- Odisha: the IGR Odisha EC guide asks for district, tehsil and village plus khata or plot details. See our Odisha EC guide.
- Uttar Pradesh: IGRSUP lists an online property e-Search by name, registration number and khasra, separate from its online Bhaar Mukti Praman-Patra (non-encumbrance certificate) application. See our Uttar Pradesh EC guide.
- Bihar: Bhumijankari offers Search By Serial No., Search By Party Name and Advance Search. Its own notice says registered-document data there runs only up to 15 December 2024. Later documents sit in the eNibandhan certified-copy module.
For Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal, see our Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana and West Bengal guides.
Which search should I use?
| You have | Best first search | Then also run |
|---|---|---|
| The seller's sale deed | Document number (with year and SRO) | Survey or door number for the full period |
| Only a patta, 7/12 or khata | Survey number with subdivision | Old and new survey numbers |
| A flat in an apartment | Flat or door number (TN, AP) | Survey number of the whole land |
| Only the owner's name | Name search (Karnataka Form 17, Maharashtra, UP, Bihar) | Survey number once you find it |
| A property renumbered after resurvey or ward change | Every old and new number | Document number of each link deed |
A document-number search finds that deed. A survey or door-number search finds everything else recorded against the property. You need both.
Red flags when you search by number
- Nil EC on a property you know was sold. The deed may use a different survey, subdivision or door number. Search each variant.
- "No data found" for a period. AP's page asks you to confirm with the SRO. The online data may not cover that year.
- Two owners in the results. AP and other portals use probabilistic matching, so a neighbouring property can appear. Check the schedule and boundaries in each entry.
- The seller's deed is missing from a survey search. The index may hold it under an old number. Run a document-number search on that deed.
- The period starts before online records. AP starts in 1983 and Karnataka in 2004. Apply at the SRO for older years.
A correct EC still lists only registered documents. It will not show pending court cases or most unregistered deals. Read why a clean EC is not enough and how to read an EC.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an encumbrance certificate by survey number online?
Yes, in many states. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala take survey details online. Maharashtra's free eSearch accepts a survey, CTS or gat number as the property number.
Can I get an EC by door number?
Yes in Andhra Pradesh (house number or apartment) and Tamil Nadu (plot or flat, ward or block). Telangana's office form also asks for the door number. In Maharashtra, enter the Milkat number.
How do I get an EC using the document number?
Enter the document number, the registration year and the SRO. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu offer this online. Tamil Nadu also searches the previous document number for data from 13 February 2018.
Can I search an EC by the owner's name?
Karnataka issues a name-based EC in Form 17. Maharashtra allows a name search after a property number. Uttar Pradesh e-Search and Bihar's Bhumijankari also search by name.
Why does my EC say "no data found" for a survey subdivision?
The deeds may use a different subdivision or an old survey number, or the period may predate online records. Try each variant, then confirm with the SRO.
Which number is most reliable?
No single number. Run a document-number search on the seller's deed and a survey or door-number search for the full period, then compare the two.
LegiScore runs these searches and reads each entry as part of its title search and legal opinion reports on legiscore.in.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Portal options and data periods change, so check the official portal before you rely on a result.
Related guides
- EC Download, Application Status and Correction: Track and Fix Errors
- Encumbrance Certificate Fees and Charges: State-Wise Table (2026)
- EC Online in Other States: Delhi, Bihar, Goa, Assam and More
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