Form 25 vs Form 26 vs Form 15 Encumbrance Certificate — what each form actually is
Search engines and most online guides confuse these forms. Here is the definitive answer per the Inspector General of Registration, Odisha (igrodisha.gov.in) — the canonical source.
| Form | Official name | When issued | Stamp + fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 15 | Encumbrance Certificate (transactions) | When the property has any registered transactions (sale, mortgage, gift, lease, partition, settlement) within the search period | ₹25 (1st year) + ₹15 each additional year |
| Form 25 | NIL Encumbrance Certificate | When NO transactions are recorded during the search period (i.e., the property is encumbrance-free for that window) | Same fee structure |
| Form 26 | Used in some IGR Odisha legacy listings as an alias for the NIL EC; the active EC type is Form 15 / Form 25 | Confusion source — some commercial aggregators state EC is Form No. 26 but igrodisha.gov.in calls the issued document Form 15 (transactions) or Form 25 (NIL) | n/a |
The correct framing: Odisha issues either Form 15 (transactions exist) or Form 25 (NIL EC). The Form 26 reference is a label some legacy commercial guides use for a NIL EC; treat it as a synonym for Form 25, not a separate form.
Quick steps to get an EC online in Odisha
- Visit igrodisha.gov.in and click "Online EC".
- Pick the SRO (Sub-Registrar Office) that registered the property.
- Enter the property details (Khatian number / Plot number / Owner name).
- Set the search period — 30 years is the non-negotiable minimum for chain-of-title clearance.
- Pay the fee online (₹25 for the 1st year + ₹15 per additional year) and submit.
- The IGR office issues Form 15 (transactions) or Form 25 (NIL) within stipulated days under ORTPS.
- Download the certified PDF from the portal once approved.
When you need Form 15 vs Form 25
- Buying property → request Form 15 for the 30-year search; if NIL, the IGR office issues Form 25 instead.
- Bank home loan → lenders mandate Form 15 / Form 25 (whichever applies) covering 30+ years.
- Inheritance / probate → request both Form 15 and Form 25 to confirm clean chain on each successor.
- Litigation defence → Form 15 with the highest-encumbrance-likelihood window (typically 30-50 years).
The real EC red flags every buyer must check
- Mortgage entry not closed by a Reconveyance — the loan is technically still active; the property is encumbered.
- Multiple successive sales without intervening RoR mutation — chain-of-title break.
- Gift settlement to a relative in the EC followed by a sale by the gifted relative — verify the gift was unconditional.
- Partition deed in the EC but only one co-owner sells — confirm the share being sold matches the partition entry.
- Power of Attorney execution noted in the EC — verify the granting principal was alive and competent at execution.
Section 22-A bar (tribal land safeguard)
Odisha's Section 22-A of the OLR Act, 1960 + Regulation 2 of 1956 prohibit certain ST-to-non-ST transfers. The EC will show the historical chain but won't flag the Section 22-A bar — verify separately for any plot in 13 Scheduled-Area-affected Odisha districts.
Run a BhoomiScan title verification — auto-reconciles your Sale Deed chain against the EC line-by-line. Talk on WhatsApp for a verified advocate referral.