ROC Search Report
An ROC search report is a signed summary of everything a company or LLP has filed with the Registrar of Companies: its status, capital, directors, charges and filing history. Banks and NBFCs ask for it before sanctioning a loan, and buyers and investors use it before they sign. We inspect the records on the MCA portal and deliver a report in your lender’s format.
What it is
An ROC search report tells you, in a few pages, what the public record says about a company. Who runs it. Whether its assets are already pledged to another lender. Whether it is up to date with its annual ROC filings. A practising professional reads the filed documents and puts the findings in one dated, signed report.
The right to look comes from Section 399 of the Companies Act, 2013: any person may inspect documents kept by the Registrar by electronic means, on payment of the prescribed fee. In practice the search is done through the View Public Documents service on the MCA V3 portal, with certified copies ordered where a lender needs them.
Who it applies to
Banks and NBFCs
Before sanctioning a term loan, working capital limit or renewal, a lender wants to see existing charges on the borrower’s assets and confirm the people signing are directors on record.
Investors and buyers
Say you are buying a private company that owns a warehouse in Palwal. Before money moves, you want its capital history, shareholding and any charge on that warehouse.
Suppliers, landlords and partners
Before extending large credit or signing a long lease, a quick search confirms the company is active and not under strike-off or liquidation.
Why it matters
Registered charges bind you
Under Section 80, anyone who acquires property carrying a registered charge is deemed to know of it from the date of registration. Not checking is no defence.
Problems surface before sanction
Pending annual returns, a struck-off status or a director who has left show up on the record. Each is easier to deal with now than after the money is out.
You get a dated record
A signed report fixes what the register showed on a given date, which protects the lender’s credit file and the professional who relied on it.
What a search report covers
| Area | What we check | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and status | Name, CIN or LLPIN, date of incorporation, registered office, ROC, active or struck-off status, past names | Company master data, incorporation documents |
| Capital | Authorised and paid-up capital, recent allotments and increases | Master data, SH-7, PAS-3, annual return |
| Management | Current directors and signatories with appointment dates | Master data, director records |
| Charges | Every open and satisfied charge: charge-holder, amount, date of creation, modification and satisfaction | Index of charges, CHG-1, CHG-4, CHG-9 |
| Filings and financials | Last AGM, latest balance sheet filed, key figures, auditor | AOC-4, MGT-7 or MGT-7A, ADT-1 |
| Constitution | Main objects and any limits on borrowing in the MoA and AoA | Memorandum and articles |
Take a Faridabad forging unit applying for a cash credit limit against its stock and machinery. The bank’s first question is whether the machinery already secures an older term loan. The index of charges answers that in minutes, and the CHG-4 filings show which old loans have been closed.
Some things are not on the public record. Unsecured loans do not appear as charges. Personal details attached to director forms such as DIR-12 are not open through View Public Documents. A search report tells you what has been filed, not everything that has happened, so it works best alongside the borrower’s own declarations.
Documents required
About the company searched
- Exact name, CIN or LLPIN
- Purpose of the search: loan, purchase, investment
- Any specific charge, property or period to focus on
From the lender, if any
- The bank’s prescribed search report format
- Sanction letter or list of assets to be charged
- Whether certified copies must be attached
Nothing from the company itself
- Section 399 lets any person inspect, so the company’s consent is not needed
- Borrowers often share their own papers anyway, which speeds up cross-checking
How it works
Confirm the scope and format
We agree what the report must cover and in which format, since many banks have their own template.
Inspect the public documents
We pay the inspection fee on the MCA V3 portal and download the master data, charge documents, annual filings and constitution of the company or LLP.
Read and reconcile the filings
In practice this is where the real work lies. We match each charge with its satisfaction, check the latest annual filings and flag anything that does not add up.
Sign and deliver the report
You get a dated, signed report with our observations, and certified copies where the lender asks for them.
Timelines
Seven days of portal access
One payment of ₹100 on View Public Documents gives access to a company’s or LLP’s documents for seven days, for up to five entities per transaction.
A 30-day blind spot
A company has 30 days to file CHG-1 after creating a charge, and can file later with extra fees. A very recent charge may not be on record yet, so lenders often ask for a fresh search close to disbursement.
Reports are dated
A search report speaks only to the date it was made. Each lender decides how recent it must be, so check their policy before ordering.
What happens if you skip it
You lend behind another charge
If the asset is already charged to another bank, your security may rank behind theirs. A registered charge is notice to the world under Section 80.
You deal with the wrong people
A person signing as director may have resigned, or the company may have been struck off. The master data would have told you.
You miss compliance gaps
Years of unfiled annual returns suggest a company that may face penalties or strike-off action, a risk you inherit if you buy in.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ROC search report?
It is a signed report on a company or LLP based on the documents filed with the Registrar of Companies. It covers status, capital, directors, charges, filings and the main clauses of the constitution. Lenders use it to confirm existing charges before taking security. Because it is built from public filings, the company’s cooperation is not needed.
Who can prepare an ROC search report?
Any practising professional who can read company filings can prepare one, usually a Company Secretary or Chartered Accountant in practice. Section 399 lets any person inspect the Registrar’s records electronically on payment of the fee. Many banks keep a panel of professionals whose reports they accept, so check with your lender first. We prepare reports in the format the lender prescribes.
What is the government fee for inspecting company records?
The View Public Documents service on the MCA V3 portal costs ₹100 per company or LLP. One payment gives access for seven days, and you can add up to five entities in one transaction. Certified copies of particular documents are a separate service with their own fee. For a single company the government cost is small, and the professional work is the main part.
Is an ROC search report mandatory for a bank loan?
No law makes it compulsory for every loan, but most banks and NBFCs ask for one before creating security on a company’s assets. It sits alongside the legal and credit checks, and often next to a project report for the loan. Some also ask for a fresh search just before disbursement to catch charges filed in between. If your lender has asked for one, tell us the format and we will start right away.
Does the report show all loans of the company?
No, it shows registered charges, which are loans secured on the company’s assets. Unsecured loans, such as loans from directors or inter-corporate loans without security, do not appear as charges. The balance sheet filed in AOC-4 shows total borrowings, but only up to the last year filed. We combine both, which gives the clearest picture the public record allows.
Can a recent charge be missing from the search?
Yes. A company has 30 days to file CHG-1 after creating a charge, and can file for up to 60 more days with additional fees and then another 60 with ad valorem fees. A charge created last week may simply not be filed yet. That is why lenders ask for a declaration from the borrower and, often, a fresh search close to disbursement.
Can you do a search report on an LLP?
Yes. LLP filings are on the same MCA V3 portal, and View Public Documents covers LLPs at the same ₹100 per entity. The report covers the LLPIN, designated partners, partner contributions, charges and the annual Form 8 and Form 11 filings. For a lender, the questions are the same: who controls it, what it owes on security, and whether it is compliant.
Can I see a director’s personal details in the search?
Only to a limited extent. The master data shows the current directors, their DINs and appointment dates. But the attachments to director forms such as DIR-12, which hold personal details, are not open through View Public Documents. If a lender needs identity documents of the directors, those come from the borrower directly. The public record is enough to confirm who is on the board.
How is a search report different from the free MCA master data?
Master data is a one-page snapshot of current details, free to view on the MCA portal. A search report goes into the filed documents behind it: each charge instrument, satisfaction, allotment and annual filing, read and reconciled by a professional. It also records what the register showed on a stated date. For a quick check, master data is fine; for a lending or buying decision, get the full report.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
The government fee for View Public Documents on the MCA V3 portal is ₹100 per company or LLP, valid for seven days. Certified copies, where the lender asks for them, carry a separate fee.
Ready to begin?
Send us the company name and your lender’s format, and we will deliver a signed ROC search report you can put straight into the credit file.