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How to Verify an e-Stamp Paper Online in India

Check that an e-stamp certificate is genuine in a few minutes, and the red flags to look for.

By Anchit Tandon, updated 26 October 2026

An e-stamp certificate is the electronic replacement for old printed stamp paper. Stamp duty is paid electronically and you get a printed certificate with a unique certificate number. Because every certificate is recorded in a central database, you can check online whether the certificate in front of you really exists and matches your document.

In many states the database is run by the Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL), which acts as the Central Record Keeping Agency for e-stamping. Some states run their own systems, so always check where your certificate was issued.

Steps to verify an e-stamp certificate

1. Look at the certificate and note four things: the state, the certificate number (it starts with IN- followed by a state code), the stamp duty type and the issue date.
2. Open the official SHCIL e-stamping website (shcilestamp.com) and choose the option to verify an e-stamp certificate. If your state is not listed there, use your state stamp and registration department's own portal.
3. Select the state, type the certificate number exactly as printed, pick the stamp duty type and enter the issue date, then submit.
4. Compare every field the site returns with the paper in your hand: purchaser name, first party, second party, stamp duty amount, description of the document and date of issue.
5. Keep a screenshot or printout of the result with your copy of the agreement.

Red flags

• The site says the certificate number does not exist.
• The amount, names or document type on the site differ from the printed certificate.
• You are only shown a photocopy or a phone photo and never the original.
• Numbers that look overwritten, misaligned or in a different font from the rest of the certificate.
• Someone pressures you to sign before you can check.

Procedures and portals differ from state to state and change over time. For anything involving property or large amounts, check with the issuing centre or a lawyer before you rely on a document. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Why e-stamping exists

Printed stamp paper was easy to fake at scale, as the Telgi fake stamp paper scam showed. A central record that anyone can check makes a fake much harder to pass off.

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