What makes up NGO registration fees
Separate the real cost into four buckets: government/statutory charges, stamp or portal charges, professional work, and NGOGrant preparation/coordination. There is no honest single “NGO registration fee” for all India.
Still choosing between a society, a trust and a Section 8 company? Start with our guide to NGO registration in India, then come back here for the costs.
NGO registration cost: the practical answers
Short answer: There is no single NGO registration fee for all of India. The cost has four parts: government or registrar fees, stamp duty and portal charges, any professional work, and NGOGrant’s own preparation fee. A fair quote shows each one separately. Society and trust charges depend on your State or UT and, for a trust, on any property being settled. For a Section 8 company, MCA’s SPICe+ FAQ says companies with authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh pay no filing fee, but State stamp duty still applies.
- Who this page is for
- Founders who have chosen, or nearly chosen, a structure and want to understand what they will pay and what a quote should show.
- Who should start elsewhere
- Still choosing a structure: NGO registration in India and society vs trust vs Section 8. Need the document list: documents required for NGO registration.
- What to prepare
- Your chosen structure, State or UT, the number of founders, trustees or directors, whether you own or rent the office, and whether a trust will hold land or a building.
- What happens next
- Ask for an itemised quote, then check the government charge on the live official payment screen before paying. Fees change, and the official screen prevails.
Useful next links
- Society registration · Trust registration · Section 8 company registration.
- NGO Registration Preparation and First 90 Days.
- Complete NGO Documentation Toolkit.
- Trust deed format – free preparation sample.
- Documents required for NGO registration.
- All registration services.
Last verified 22 Oct 2026. Section 8 figures: MCA SPICe+ FAQ (V3, 22 Jan 2023), already cited on this page; check the live MCA challan. General information only, not legal advice.
The four parts of NGO registration cost
1. Government / statutory
Registrar, MCA or other authority filing charges fixed by the applicable law or portal.
2. Stamp / portal / incidental
Stamp duty, user charges, name reservation, notarisation, DSC or similar transaction-specific items where applicable.
3. Professional work
CA, CS, advocate, deed drafting, certification or other professional work where required or chosen.
4. NGOGrant assistance
Preparation, checklist review, document organisation and filing coordination should be quoted separately from government charges and any independent professional fee. NGOGrant does not publish one national flat fee because the scope and State route differ.
NGOGrant professional fees (government fees extra, where they apply)
| Service | Our professional fee | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Society registration | ₹11,999 + GST | Society registration → |
| Trust registration | ₹4,999 + GST | Trust registration → |
| Section 8 company registration | ₹2,999 + GST | Section 8 company registration → |
| NGO Darpan registration | ₹1,000 professional fee (GST included) | NGO Darpan registration → |
| 12A + 80G registration (both) | ₹9,999 | 12A and 80G registration → |
| CSR-1 registration | ₹5,999 | CSR-1 registration → |
| FCRA new registration / prior permission | ₹14,999 + GST / ₹9,999 + GST | FCRA assistance → |
| NGO annual compliance | ₹3,999 + GST per year | NGO annual compliance → |
These are our professional fees only, as shown on each service page. Government fees (where they apply), stamp duty and DSC are extra at actual cost. Registration or approval is decided by the authority.
Society registration: State fees are different
Society registration is State/UT specific. The examples below show why a national fixed price would be misleading.
The 1860 Act itself lets each State set its own fee, and some States have changed it by amendment, so an old figure from a central-Act copy is not a safe guide to what you will pay today.
| State / UT | Official fee found | Other charge / note | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Check the State portal | Fee not re-verified on 20 Oct 2026; confirm on the official Assam portal before paying. | Assam Finance Department notification |
| Delhi | Check the State portal | Fee not re-verified on 20 Oct 2026; confirm on Delhi e-District before paying. | Delhi e-District |
| Maharashtra | Check the State portal | Fee not re-verified on 20 Oct 2026; confirm on the Charity Commissioner portal before paying. | Maharashtra Charity Commissioner |
| Odisha | Check the State portal | Fee not re-verified on 20 Oct 2026; confirm on the IGR Odisha fee page before paying. | IGR Odisha |
| Nagaland | Check the State portal | – | – |
| Karnataka | Check the State portal | – | – |
| Tamil Nadu | Check the State portal | – | – |
| West Bengal | Check the State portal | – | – |
| Uttar Pradesh | Check the State portal | – | – |
Public charitable trust: there is no single India-wide registration price
The cost of forming or registering a public charitable trust can depend on the State/UT, the deed, stamp duty, whether immovable property is being settled, document-registration requirements and any separate public-trust registration regime. A generic ₹X “trust registration fee” should therefore not be quoted without identifying the jurisdiction and transaction.
Download the free Trust Deed preparation sample and adaptation guide.
Section 8 company: MCA charges are structured differently
MCA’s SPICe+ guidance states that incorporation filing fee is linked to authorised capital. Companies incorporated through SPICe+ with authorised capital up to ₹15 lakh continue to receive the zero filing fee concession, but applicable State stamp duty remains payable. MCA’s FAQ also states that separate reservation of the proposed name through SPICe+ Part A attracts ₹1,000, and the consolidated incorporation challan includes PAN and TAN charges. MCA — SPICe+ and linked filings FAQ.
For Section 8 companies, MCA has integrated the application for licence and incorporation into the SPICe route rather than treating incorporation as a completely separate old-style INC-12 process. MCA — SPICe+ ease-of-doing-business note.
| Section 8 cost component | What to expect |
|---|---|
| SPICe+ filing fee | Depends on authorised capital; MCA states zero filing fee concession up to ₹15 lakh authorised capital. |
| State stamp duty | Variable by State and incorporation structure; check the live MCA challan. |
| Separate name reservation | ₹1,000 when SPICe+ Part A is filed separately for name reservation, according to MCA FAQ. |
| PAN / TAN | Included in the consolidated incorporation payment; MCA’s published FAQ lists PAN ₹66 and TAN ₹65 in the relevant guidance. |
| DSC / professional certification | Not a universal government registration fee; cost depends on provider and professional scope. |
What an itemised NGO registration quote should show
| Line item | Who receives it | How it should be shown |
|---|---|---|
| Government filing / registration fee | Government / registrar / MCA | Separate exact or current-estimate line, with source or portal basis. |
| Stamp duty / portal / user charge | Government / portal | Separate and marked State/transaction-specific. |
| Professional drafting / certification | CA / CS / advocate / other professional | Separate professional fee and scope. |
| NGOGrant assistance | NGOGrant | Separate preparation/coordination fee; never presented as a government fee. |
| Optional extras | Third party | DSC, notarisation, courier, translation or other actual extras only if needed. |
Which structure is cheapest?
The lowest government fee is not automatically the lowest total cost or the right structure. Society and trust costs depend heavily on State rules and drafting/registration needs. Section 8 incorporation has a central MCA route but can involve DSC and professional/company-law work. Structure should be chosen for governance, activities, funding plans and compliance—not only the initial filing charge.
NGO registration fees: frequently asked questions
How much does NGO registration cost in India?
There is no single national amount. First choose society, public charitable trust or Section 8 company, then identify the State/UT and required professional scope. General information only, not legal advice.
Is the government fee the same as a consultant fee?
No. Government/statutory fees should be separated from NGOGrant assistance and from any CA, CS, advocate or other professional fee.
Why is trust registration not given one fixed price?
Because stamp duty, deed registration, property and public-trust registration requirements can differ substantially by State and transaction. General information only, not legal advice.
Is Section 8 registration free?
Not necessarily. MCA provides a zero filing fee concession for eligible SPICe+ incorporations up to the stated authorised-capital threshold, but State stamp duty and other applicable costs can still arise. General information only, not legal advice.
Can NGOGrant give an exact quote?
Yes, after the structure, State/UT, current stage and required professional work are identified. The quote should itemise government charges separately.
Get an itemised quote
Before requesting a quotation, compare society, trust and Section 8 structures, review the registration document checklist, and check the available registration assistance. These explain different decisions; none is a substitute for your State’s current filing requirements.
Send the proposed NGO structure, State/UT, number of founders/trustees/directors, registered-office status and whether you need only preparation or end-to-end coordination.
Get an itemised registration quote on WhatsApp
Template: NGO Registration Preparation & First 90 Days
Headings and links updated 20 October 2026. Legal content last checked against official sources: 7 October 2026.
Source check: 7 October 2026. Government charges and portal rules can change. Current official payment screens and notifications prevail. General information only, not legal advice.