School operations12 min read
TC format for school: CBSE transfer certificate fields and rules
A transfer certificate is often the only record that follows a child to the next school. One wrong date can hold up an admission. Holding it back over fees has been ruled out by High Courts, and for Classes 1 to 8 the RTE Act says to issue it immediately.
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CBSE defines a transfer certificate (TC) as the certificate a school issues to a student who is leaving to join another institution. Your school writes it from your admission register, and your Principal signs it. Between CBSE schools, nobody outside the school checks it before it leaves, so the format, the signature and the speed are all on you.
The short versionUse CBSE’s format exactly. Fill it from the admission register, not from memory. The regular Principal or Vice Principal signs, and there is no CBSE countersignature between CBSE schools. For Classes 1 to 8 the RTE Act says to issue it “immediately”. Do not use it to collect fees.
The CBSE TC format, field by field
CBSE prescribes the transfer certificate format in Annexure I of its Examination Bye-Laws. It has 23 numbered fields. Above them sits a heading with the school’s name and full address as CBSE’s affiliation records show it, the affiliation number, the school code and the seal. In October 2018 CBSE told schools the TC must be “strictly as per the Proforma”. On a state board, use your board’s format.
| TC field | What to write | The common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | Name and address exactly as in CBSE’s records, with “Affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education” and the affiliation number below | An old address, or no affiliation number |
| Book no., serial no., admission no. | The TC’s own serial number, and the admission number the child got on joining | A new admission number for a returning student, who should get the original one back |
| Names (fields 1–3) | Pupil, mother, and father or guardian, spelled as in the admission register | A spelling that differs from the register |
| Date of birth (4) | As in the admission and withdrawal register, in figures and in words | Figures and words that disagree, or a date taken from a later document |
| Date of first admission, with class (7) | When the child first joined your school, and into which class | This year’s promotion date |
| Class last studied (8) | The class the child was in, in figures and words | The class they are moving up to |
| Last exam, result and promotion (9, 10, 12) | Exam and year, result, any repeat of the class, and the class promoted to, in figures and words | “Passed” with no exam or year, or “Yes” with no class |
| Subjects studied (11) | The subjects this child took | The school’s full subject list |
| Dues paid up to; concession (13–14) | The month dues are paid up to, and any concession by name | Writing arrears on the certificate |
| Attendance, activities, conduct (15–19) | Working days and days present from the register; short, fair words for the rest | Totals that do not match the register, or “conduct” used to settle a dispute |
| Date of application and date of issue (20–21) | Both real dates | A long gap between them |
| Reason for leaving; remarks (22–23) | The parent’s reason in neutral words, such as “parent’s transfer” | Remarks about fees or disagreements |
| Signatures and seal | Class teacher; “checked by” with full name and designation; Principal with date; school seal | Signed by someone other than the regular Principal or Vice Principal |
| Duplicate | If the original is lost, a copy marked as a duplicate | Issuing a second “original” |
The fields, signatures and duplicate rule are CBSE’s. The mistakes column, and advice beyond CBSE’s wording, are ours.
How to issue a TC, step by step
Steps 3, 4 and 6 rest on rules: CBSE’s format and signatures, the RTE Act’s “immediately” for Classes 1 to 8, and CBSE’s instruction to put a scanned copy of every TC on your website. Steps 1, 2 and 5 are practice; library and other clearances are our suggestion, not a CBSE rule.
What the law says about issuing a TC
Section 5(3) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 says the head teacher or in-charge of the school where the child was last admitted “shall immediately issue the transfer certificate”. Two provisos follow:
- Admission cannot wait. “…delay in producing transfer certificate shall not be a ground for either delaying or denying admission in such other school”.
- Delay has a cost. A head teacher “delaying issuance of transfer certificate shall be liable for disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to him or her.”
The Act covers elementary education, which it defines as Classes 1 to 8. Section 5 gives a child the right to move to another school, other than an unaided school or a specified-category school such as a Kendriya Vidyalaya, and the education ministry’s explanatory note reads it as a right to move between government and aided schools. How far it binds a private unaided school is less clear, which is why the court rulings below matter.
Can a school withhold a TC for unpaid fees?
- CBSE’s rule. A leaving student receives the TC “on a payment of all dues”. But the Affiliation Bye-Laws (clause 7.4) allow dues only up to the month the child left, not the month the TC was asked for, unless your state says otherwise.
- Kerala High Court. In a case involving a CBSE school, reported on 14 October 2023, the court held that a TC cannot be withheld because fees are due. It ordered the TC issued and left the school free to sue for the money.
- Madras High Court. A Division Bench held that a TC “is not a tool for the schools to collect arrear fees”, as reported on 19 July 2024. It said fee entries on a TC stigmatise the child, and told the Tamil Nadu government to stop schools insisting on a TC at admission.
Our reading, not legal advice: issue the TC, charge fees only up to the month the child left, keep arrears off the certificate, and recover them separately.
Who signs a TC, and when it needs a countersignature
- Who signs. The note under CBSE’s format, as amended on 11 March 2015, says a TC is issued “only under the signatures of the regular Principal/Vice Principal”.
- CBSE school to CBSE school. No countersignature. CBSE dropped it in 2014 and reminded schools on 31 October 2025 that there is “no need of countersignature of any transfer certificate”. Instead, put a scanned copy of every TC you issue on your school website, where the admitting school checks it.
- From a school on another board. The TC should be countersigned by a state or UT education officer not below the rank of District Inspector of Schools, Deputy Director of Education or Education Officer.
- Classes 10 and 12. These are the second year of two-year courses. A student who passed Class 9 or 11 on another board can join only if a parent is transferred or the family shifts, with the mark sheet and a TC countersigned by that board’s authorities. Your school then needs CBSE’s approval within one month.
- Classes 1 to 8. State rules and the RTE Act govern these admissions. A late TC is no reason to delay admission, so admit the child and let the TC follow.
Numbering and the admission register
- Admission numbers run in sequence. Each student keeps theirs throughout, and a returning student resumes the original. That is a CBSE rule.
- The register comes first. The admission register follows your state’s form. CBSE wants the incoming TC before a name is entered, and no child may join a class higher than their TC allows.
- One TC series, no gaps. Never reuse a TC number, keep spoiled forms marked cancelled, and write the TC number and date against the child’s entry when they leave. Our suggestion, not a CBSE rule.
Are a school leaving certificate and a TC the same?
- School leaving certificate. For admission, CBSE treats it as the same document: its bye-laws ask for “the School Leaving Certificate/Transfer Certificate” signed by the head of the last school. The name varies by state; the content and signature are what count.
- Migration certificate. A different document. CBSE, not the school, issues it to students who pass Class 10 or 12 and move to another board or university. From the 2025 exams it is digital, in DigiLocker; during the changeover a hard copy can be requested.
Transfer certificate application for school: a template
Parents often ask how to word the request. Share this, adapted to your school.
Template · adapt before sendingTo
The Principal
[School name and address]
Date: [date]
Subject: Application for transfer certificate
Respected Sir/Madam,
My [son/daughter/ward], [student’s full name], is studying in Class [class and section], admission number [number]. As [reason, for example: we are moving to another city], [he/she] will join [new school, if known] from [date].
I request you to issue [his/her] transfer certificate. [His/her] last day at school [was/will be] [date]. I will clear fees due up to that month and return library books and school property.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
[Parent’s name], [relationship to the student]
[Phone number]
How iVake handles it
In iVake, a TC is one of the certificates your office issues from the student record, alongside bonafide and character certificates. Names, dates, class, attendance and results come from the record the child has had since admission, so nobody retypes a date of birth. Each certificate carries a unique document number and a QR code for verification, and only staff you authorise can generate or release one.
Families request certificates in the app and follow each request. The fee, library and other clearances you choose are checked on request, so the office sees what is outstanding. A hold need not stop the TC: staff with permission can release it where your policy allows, and the override is logged.
Signatures are collected in the order you set: class teacher, checker, then Principal (confirm e-signing with your legal adviser). The signed copy is filed on the student’s record, and every request, override and issue is logged. For a new student, the TC from their last school is filed on their record by upload or from DigiLocker, and the office is told while it is missing.
See a TC generated from the record
Frequently asked questions
Are a school leaving certificate and a transfer certificate the same?
For admission, yes. CBSE’s bye-laws ask for “the School Leaving Certificate/Transfer Certificate” from the last school, treating them as one document. A migration certificate is different: CBSE issues it after Class 10 or 12 for a move to another board or university.
Where do I find the official CBSE TC format PDF?
It is Annexure I of CBSE’s Examination Bye-Laws, in the bye-law book on cbse.gov.in. It has 23 numbered fields under a heading with the school’s name, affiliation number and school code. Since 2014 CBSE has also asked for “Affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education” below the name and address.
Does a TC from a CBSE school need to be countersigned?
Not between CBSE schools. CBSE dropped countersignature in 2014 and repeated on 31 October 2025 that none is needed; put a scanned copy on your website instead. A TC from a school on another board still needs a state education officer’s countersignature.
Can a school refuse to give a TC if fees are pending?
CBSE links the TC to paying dues, but only up to the month the child left. The Kerala High Court in 2023 and the Madras High Court in 2024 held, as reported, that a TC cannot be used to recover fees. Recover arrears separately, and for Classes 1 to 8 issue the TC immediately, as the RTE Act requires.
How many days does a school have to issue a TC?
For Classes 1 to 8, the RTE Act says “immediately”, and a head teacher who delays can face disciplinary action. We found no fixed number of days in CBSE’s bye-laws for later classes. Two working days from a complete request is our suggestion, not a rule.
Sources
- India Code, Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: sections 2 and 5
- Department of School Education and Literacy, RTE Act: clarification on provisions, section 5 (PDF)
- CBSE Examination Bye-Laws, 2013 edition: definitions, rules 6–8 and Annexure I, format of transfer certificate (PDF)
- CBSE notification amending the Examination Bye-Laws, including the note below the TC format, 11 March 2015 (PDF)
- CBSE, Direct Admission: admission of students, transfer and migration
- CBSE circular on countersigning and uploading TCs, 31 October 2025, with the circulars of 26 November 2014, 1 October 2018, 14 October 2019 and 4 February 2020 (PDF)
- CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018, notified 18 October 2018: clauses 2.4.5, 2.4.9 and 7.4 (PDF)
- CBSE notification on the migration certificate for Classes 10 and 12, 4 September 2024 (PDF)
- LiveLaw, Kerala High Court on withholding a TC for fee arrears, 14 October 2023
- LiveLaw, Madras High Court on TCs and fee arrears, 19 July 2024
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