Registry Scanned Copy Unreadable: What to Do Next

Reviewed on: 2026-05-30.

If registry scanned copy unreadable, collect the account, application, transaction, policy, property, employee, pension, scholarship or bill reference and send one precise written complaint to the office that can correct the record or release the money. Ask for a written reason if the request is refused or kept pending. Escalate with the same evidence bundle to sub-registrar, tehsil, revenue office, municipal office and state land-records helpdesk. Use RTI only for records held by a public authority: file movement, deficiency notes, dispatch records, sanction details, payment advice, inspection reports or reasons recorded on file.

Use the correct external forum. Use DILRMP or the other official source linked below where it fits the subject. For consumer-service disputes, consider National Consumer Helpline and e-Daakhil. For public departments, CPGRAMS, state grievance portals and RTI may help. For high-value or time-sensitive cases, take professional advice before limitation expires.

• DILRMP
• CPGRAMS
• RTI Online

• /practical-guides/
• /practical-guides/category/property-and-land/
• /practical-guides/fixed-deposit-lien-not-removed-after-settlement/
• /practical-guides/hospital-refuses-medical-records-reasonable-time/
• /practical-guides/life-insurance-maturity-payment-delayed/
• /practical-guides/employer-not-giving-salary-slip/

When the registered copy of your document (sale deed, will, agreement) is illegible or damaged, here is the complete guide:

1. Step 1: What is a registry scanned copy? (a) after registration, the sub-registrar scans the document and stores it digitally, (b) the scanned copy is the official record, © you can obtain a certified copy from the sub-registrar's office, (d) the scanned copy should be legible and complete.
2. Step 2: Common problems. (a) the scan is blurry or faint — making text unreadable, (b) pages are missing or partially scanned, © the scan is cut off at the edges, (d) the file is corrupted or will not open, (e) the ink on the original has faded and the scan is even worse.
3. Step 3: How to get a legible copy. (a) visit the sub-registrar's office where the document was registered, (b) apply for a certified copy using Form XII, © specify the registration number, book number, volume, page, and date, (d) pay the prescribed fee (varies by state, typically Rs 50-500), (e) request that the copy be re-scanned at higher resolution if the existing scan is illegible, (f) the sub-registrar must provide the copy within 7 working days.
4. Step 4: Online options. (a) many states offer online certified copy requests through the state registration portal (e.g., Maharashtra IGRMAR, Karnataka Kaveri, UP IGRSUP), (b) upload the registration details and pay online, © the copy is sent by post or available for download.
5. Step 5: If the original itself is illegible. (a) if the original document's ink has faded: the sub-registrar may not be able to produce a better copy, (b) you can request a “re-registration” of the document (if both parties are available), © you can file an affidavit before a notary stating the contents of the original (based on the parties' recollection), (d) for a sale deed: execute a rectification deed with legible text.
6. Step 6: RTI for registry records. File RTI with the Sub-Registrar's office asking for: (a) the certified copy of the registered document, (b) the registration details (book, volume, page, date), © the digital scan quality standards used by the office, (d) the procedure for obtaining a legible copy when the scan is unreadable.
7. Step 7: Legal remedies. (a) if the sub-registrar refuses to provide a copy: file a writ petition (mandamus) in the High Court, (b) if the illegible copy causes a property dispute: file a civil suit for declaration based on secondary evidence, © the court can accept secondary evidence (oral testimony, other documents) under the BNSS evidence provisions.

See Property Registry Mismatch and Find PIO.