Statutory registers: the records every company must maintain
Statutory registers are records a company must keep at its registered office, such as the register of members, directors, charges and contracts.
Short answer
Statutory registers are the records every company must maintain at its registered office under the Companies Act, 2013 and its rules. They include the register of members, the register of directors and key managerial personnel, the register of charges and the register of contracts with related parties. They must be kept up to date and are open to inspection.
- Kept at
- Registered office (or other approved place)
- Format
- Physical or electronic, as permitted by rules
- Inspection
- Members, and for some registers any person, on request
Main registers and their forms
The registers a company needs depend on what it does, but most private companies keep the following. Forms are prescribed in the relevant rules, and the section number tells you which requirement applies.
- Register of members (section 88, Form MGT-1)
- Register of directors and KMP and their shareholdings (section 170)
- Register of charges (section 85, Form CHG-7)
- Register of contracts with related parties (section 189, Form MBP-4)
- Register of loans, guarantees and investments (section 186, Form MBP-2)
- Register of significant beneficial owners (section 90, Form BEN-3)
- Registers of share transfers, sweat equity and ESOPs, where applicable
How registers are maintained
Entries must be made within the time limits in the rules, usually within a few days of the event, such as an allotment, a transfer or the creation of a charge. Registers can be kept electronically if the company follows the security and authentication requirements in the Companies (Management and Administration) Rules, 2014.
The register of members is especially important because it is the legal record of who owns the company's shares. Disputes about ownership are decided by reference to it, and section 59 allows the tribunal to rectify it.
Why it matters for startups
Investors' lawyers check statutory registers during every due diligence exercise, and gaps such as missing allotment entries or unsigned transfers can delay a closing. Update registers immediately after each allotment, transfer, director change or loan, and reconcile them with your MCA filings and cap table at least once a year.
Related services
Sources
Written by the Refogo Editorial Team from the official sources above and checked on 2026-10-31. Laws, rates and due dates change, and authorities often extend deadlines, so confirm your own case with a qualified professional. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Read our editorial policy or report an error to support@refogo.com.
Common questions
Are statutory registers filed with the ROC?
No. They are kept by the company, but the information in them feeds into ROC filings such as the annual return.
Can statutory registers be kept online?
Yes. The rules permit electronic maintenance with proper security, authentication and backup.
Who can inspect the register of members?
Members, debenture holders and other persons can inspect it during business hours, subject to reasonable restrictions in the articles.