Circular No. 9114/CS1/18, Page Endorsement Clarification, 23 February 2018
The Head of the Registration Department issued Circular No. 9114/CS1/18 dated 23 February 2018 to discontinue the separate Page Endorsement procedure from 25 February 2018. From 26 February 2018, every sheet of a document, including the separately prepared endorsement certificate, must instead carry the required Sheet Endorsement, registering officer's signature and office seal.
What the circular changes
Registration Department Circular No. 9114/CS1/18 dated 23 February 2018 changes how registered documents are marked before scanning. The separate Page Endorsement procedure, which had been introduced to show the total number of pages, is discontinued from 25 February 2018.
From 26 February 2018, the Sheet Endorsement required under Rule 86 must be placed on the front of every sheet. This includes the separate endorsement certificate prepared through the registration software and attached at the end of the document.
The Registration Department explains that the former Page Endorsement became unnecessary after photographs and fingerprints stopped being placed on the back of document sheets. Under the later procedure, the endorsement certificate is produced separately and added as the final sheet, so the number of sheets and pages no longer differs where the backs of sheets contain no writing or certification.
Required details and placement
Before scanning, registration staff must number every sheet that is to be scanned. The Sheet Endorsement must record:
- The total number of sheets.
- The number of the individual sheet.
- The document number.
- The year.
The stamp must not cover any content in the document. It must be placed at the lower left of the front of each sheet, below the document parties' signatures. The office seal must be placed at the lower right, also below the signatures. The registering officer must sign the Sheet Endorsement and apply the office seal.
For a document prepared in Tamil, the Sheet Endorsement stamp must be in Tamil. For a document prepared in English, it must be in English.
Who is affected
Registration Department Circular No. 9114/CS1/18 applies directly to Sub-Registrars and registration office staff. It also affects property buyers, sellers, document writers and advocates because documents must leave enough space below the parties' signatures for the Sheet Endorsement and office seal.
The same procedure applies to copies. For copies, scanning only the separately prepared endorsement certificates is stated to be sufficient. Sub-Registrars must verify that the stamp details are correct before scanning and must inform the public, document writers and advocates about the space requirement.
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Common questions
Does my registered document still need a Page Endorsement?
No. Registration Department Circular No. 9114/CS1/18 discontinues the separate Page Endorsement procedure from 25 February 2018.
What marking must appear on each sheet from 26 February 2018?
Each sheet must carry a Sheet Endorsement on its front, showing the total sheets, individual sheet number, document number and year. It must also carry the registering officer's signature and the office seal.
Should I leave blank space when preparing a sale document?
Yes. The document should leave space below the parties' signatures for the Sheet Endorsement at the lower left and the registration office seal at the lower right.
Will the Sheet Endorsement be in Tamil or English?
The stamp must be in Tamil when the document is prepared in Tamil, and in English when the document is prepared in English.
