How to check a company borrower's records on the MCA V3 portal, and how to get the bank's charge registered with the Registrar of Companies on time. Includes a ROC search report generator and a CHG-1 deadline & fee calculator.
A ROC search is a check of the records a company has filed with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) portal. Banks do it at two points:
Many banks get the search done by an empanelled Company Secretary, Chartered Accountant or advocate, who issues a ROC search report. Branch officers can also do the basic search themselves on the MCA portal.
| Document | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| MOA & AOA (incorporation and later changes) | Objects cover the business being financed; borrowing powers; any restriction on borrowing or creating charges |
| AOC-4 (financial statements) | Latest audited accounts as filed; compare with what the borrower gave you |
| MGT-7 / MGT-7A (annual return) | Shareholding pattern, directors, indebtedness |
| CHG-1 / CHG-9 filings with instruments | Exact assets covered by existing charges, and their terms |
| DIR-12 | Appointment and resignation of directors |
| MGT-14 | Special and board resolutions filed (for example, borrowing approvals of public companies) |
| SH-7, PAS-3, INC-22 | Changes in authorised capital, share allotments, registered office |
Outside the ROC, also check the IBBI and NCLT records for insolvency or winding-up proceedings, CERSAI for existing security interests on the assets offered, and the borrower's credit reports (see our CIBIL report generation guide).
| Check | Where | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Master data | Exact name, CIN and registered office match the loan documents and KYC |
| Status | Master data | "Active". Treat strike off, under process of striking off, under liquidation, dormant, amalgamated or "Active non-compliant" as red flags |
| Directors | Master data, DIR-12, director master data | The people signing your documents are current directors or authorised signatories; DINs are active |
| Capital | Master data, SH-7, PAS-3 | Authorised and paid-up capital agree with the balance sheet |
| Existing charges | Index of charges, CHG-1 filings | No open charge on the assets you're taking, or a pari passu / NOC arrangement from the existing charge holder. Satisfied charges actually show as satisfied |
| Objects & borrowing powers | MOA, AOA | The activity financed is within the objects; AOA has no unmet restriction on borrowing or charging assets |
| Approvals | Board resolution, MGT-14 | Board resolution to borrow and create the charge (Section 179(3)). For public companies, a special resolution under Section 180(1)(c) if borrowings exceed paid-up capital + free reserves + securities premium, and under 180(1)(a) where the whole or substantially the whole undertaking is charged. Private companies are exempt from Section 180 (MCA notification of 5 June 2015) |
| Compliance | Master data, AOC-4, MGT-7 | Annual accounts and returns filed for recent years; long gaps are a warning sign |
| Guarantees | Board / special resolutions | If the company is a corporate guarantor, approvals under Section 186 where its limits are exceeded |
Fill in what you found and answer the checklist. You'll get a ready ROC search report (Word or PDF) for the loan file. Everything stays in your browser.
The summary updates as you answer.
If a practising Company Secretary or Chartered Accountant certifies the report, ask for their UDIN, as their institutes require. For CA documents you can check it with our UDIN verification page.
Section 2(16) of the Companies Act, 2013 defines a charge as an interest or lien created on the property or assets of a company or any of its undertakings, or both, as security, and it includes a mortgage. Every charge a company creates must be registered with the ROC, whether the property is in India or outside, and whether it is tangible or intangible (Section 77).
| How security is created | Typical assets | Usual document |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothecation | Stocks, book debts, vehicles, plant & machinery | Deed of hypothecation |
| Equitable mortgage | Land and buildings | Deposit of title deeds, recorded in a memorandum of entry |
| Registered mortgage | Land and buildings | Mortgage deed registered with the sub-registrar |
| Pledge | Goods, shares, securities | Pledge agreement with delivery of possession |
| Assignment | Receivables, contracts, insurance claims | Deed of assignment |
A fixed charge attaches to specific assets (a building, a machine). A floating charge covers a changing class of assets (stocks, book debts), which the company can deal with in the normal course of business until the charge crystallises.
The date of creation is normally the date the instrument is executed. For an equitable mortgage it is the date the title deeds are deposited. The 30-day clock starts from that date.
Since 14 July 2025, CHG-1 can be filed only as a web form on the MCA V3 portal. The company files it; the bank signs it as charge holder.
For charges created or modified on or after 2 November 2018 (Section 77 as amended):
| Filed within | Small company / OPC | Other companies |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Normal fee | |
| 31โ60 days Registrar allows with additional fee | 3 ร normal fee | 6 ร normal fee |
| 61โ120 days Registrar may allow on application | 3 ร normal fee + ad valorem fee of 0.025% of the amount secured (max โน1 lakh) | 6 ร normal fee + ad valorem fee of 0.05% of the amount secured (max โน5 lakh) |
| After 120 days | The ROC cannot register it. The company must apply to the Central Government (Regional Director) in CHG-8 for condonation of delay under Section 87 | |
| Nominal (authorised) share capital | Fee |
|---|---|
| Less than โน1 lakh | โน200 |
| โน1 lakh to below โน5 lakh | โน300 |
| โน5 lakh to below โน25 lakh | โน400 |
| โน25 lakh to below โน1 crore | โน500 |
| โน1 crore or more | โน600 |
| Company without share capital | โน200 |
Penalty for not registering: โน5 lakh on the company and โน50,000 on every officer in default (Section 86). The bigger risk for the bank is Section 77(3): the unregistered charge doesn't count in liquidation or insolvency.
Enter the date the charge was created or modified to see every deadline and an estimate of the MCA fee on a given filing date.
Deadlines and the fee estimate appear here.
An estimate of the MCA filing fee only. Stamp duty and professional fees are extra. The fee MCA calculates at the time of filing is final.
If the company fails to register the charge within 30 days, the bank can apply itself in CHG-1, with the instrument creating the charge.
Any change in the terms or extent of a registered charge, such as an enhanced limit, additional security or changed terms, must be registered as a modification in CHG-1, with the same 30/60/120-day timelines. MCA issues a certificate of modification (CHG-3). If nothing in the charge changes, a plain renewal usually needs no filing; confirm with your bank's legal department.
ROC registration doesn't replace CERSAI. Both are needed for a company borrower:
| ROC (MCA) | CERSAI | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Companies Act, 2013 (Sections 77โ87) | SARFAESI Act, 2002 (Section 23 onwards) |
| Who files | The company (or the bank under Section 78) | The bank, as secured creditor |
| Time limit | 30 days, extendable to 120 days with fees | 30 days from creation of the security interest |
| If not done | Charge ignored by liquidator, IRP and other creditors (Section 77(3)) | The bank cannot enforce the security under SARFAESI (Section 26D) |
| On closure | CHG-4 within 30 days | Record satisfaction within 30 days |
| Form | Used for |
|---|---|
| CHG-1 | Registering creation or modification of a charge (other than for debentures) |
| CHG-2 | Certificate of registration of charge (issued by MCA) |
| CHG-3 | Certificate of modification of charge (issued by MCA) |
| CHG-4 | Intimation of satisfaction of charge |
| CHG-5 | Certificate of satisfaction of charge (issued by MCA) |
| CHG-6 | Notice of appointment or cessation of a receiver or manager |
| CHG-7 | Register of charges kept by the company at its registered office |
| CHG-8 | Application to the Central Government (Regional Director) for condonation of delay or rectification |
| CHG-9 | Charge for debentures, or its modification |
No. They aren't registered with the ROC. ROC search applies to companies (and LLPs, which have their own rules under the LLP Act). For firms and proprietors, rely on the Registrar of Firms (for registered partnerships), CERSAI searches on the property and the credit reports.
From the date the charge is created or modified, normally the date the security document is executed. For an equitable mortgage, the date the title deeds are deposited.
The company. If the bank files under Section 78, it can recover the fees from the company.
The officer must register as a Business User on the MCA portal and register their DSC against their PAN. Do this before the documents are executed, because the 15-day signing window and the 30-day deadline keep running.
Each instrument creating or modifying a charge must be registered. In consortium lending, the lead bank or security trustee usually co-ordinates the filing; follow the terms of the inter-creditor agreement and your legal department's advice.
For a quick check, yes. For sanction, most banks need the documents themselves (MOA, AOA, charge instruments, recent filings), which come from the paid View Public Documents service, plus a report from an empanelled professional if your policy requires one.
CIBIL report generation (consumer & CMR) • UDIN verification • Credit Appraisal Tools • Banker's Lobby. Questions? Ask in our Discussion forum.
This page is a practical guide, not legal advice. Check the current Act, rules and MCA notifications, and your bank's circulars, before acting.