CLAT Counselling 2026: Registration, NLU Wise Seat Allotment and Freeze Float Exit

CLAT 2026 counselling was the centralised seat allocation process conducted by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) for admissions to 5-year integrated LLB and LLM programmes across 26 NLUs. All five allotment rounds concluded in May 2026, completing the CLAT 2026 admission cycle.

• The Consortium of NLUs managed counselling through 5 allotment rounds (December 2025 – May 2026) for both UG and PG law programmes via consortiumofnlus.ac.in.
• Approximately 4,092 UG seats and 1,599 PG seats were available across 26 NLUs and IIULER Goa.
• Students could submit up to 15 NLU–programme preferences for UG and 5 for PG during the choice-filling window.
• The counselling registration fee was ₹30,000 for General category students and ₹20,000 for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD students.
• Each allotted student chose to Freeze (accept and exit), Float (accept and remain eligible for an upgrade), or Exit (withdraw from the process entirely).
• The 5th and final allotment list was released on May 15, 2026, with 492 fresh allotments across all participating NLUs, marking the end of CLAT 2026 admissions.

Reservation of Quotas for CLAT 2026 Counselling

Seats at all 26 Consortium NLUs were allocated under several reservation categories mandated by Government of India guidelines and individual state Acts. Vertical reservations (SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS) are applied separately, while PwD reservation is applied horizontally — meaning PwD seats are carved out across all categories, not as a standalone vertical pool. The domicile quota varies significantly by NLU and can dramatically change closing ranks at specific institutions.

Key point on OBC-NCL reservation: Not all NLUs implement OBC-NCL reservation at 27%, because some NLUs are established under state Acts that do not mandate OBC reservation in that proportion. Students from OBC-NCL backgrounds should verify the seat matrix of each preferred NLU before filling choices — the allocation at your allotted NLU depends on what that specific NLU’s governing statute allows.

Key point on domicile quota: The domicile quota creates two separate competition pools at each NLU — one for home-state domicile students and one for all-India (non-domicile) students. At NLUs with high domicile reservation (above 40%), a student with a domicile certificate for that state competes in a much smaller pool and can secure admission at a rank that would otherwise not qualify in the all-India pool. Always upload your domicile certificate during registration if you are domiciled in a state where an NLU with high domicile reservation is located.

How to Apply for CLAT 2026 Counselling?

The CLAT 2026 counselling was conducted entirely online through the official Consortium portal. Five steps were involved, each with a strict deadline. Missing any one of these steps — especially the registration fee payment or document upload — automatically excluded a student from the allotment process. No offline applications or late submissions were accepted.

Step 1: Online Registration

Students visited consortiumofnlus.ac.in and logged in using their CLAT 2026 Application Number and password. First-time counselling users activated the counselling dashboard via OTP sent to their registered mobile number or email. On the dashboard, students filled in personal, academic, and contact details, confirmed their programme type (UG or PG), and verified the category under which they wished to be considered. Registration was open from December 17 to December 27, 2025. Students who did not complete registration by December 27 were ineligible for all five allotment rounds.

Step 2: Counselling Fee Payment

After registration, students paid the one-time counselling registration fee online through the portal. Accepted modes included net banking, debit/credit card, and UPI. The fee was ₹30,000 for General category students and ₹20,000 for SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD students. Payment had to be completed within the registration window to unlock the choice-filling module — an incomplete payment meant the student’s preference list could not be submitted. A payment confirmation receipt was generated on the portal, which students were advised to download.

Step 3: Choice Filling (NLU Preferences)

After fee payment, students accessed the Choice Filling module and added their preferred NLU–programme combinations in ranked order. Fill all 15 available choices for UG (or the maximum allowed) to maximise your chances across all five rounds. For PG, up to 5 choices were allowed. Students ranked NLUs from most preferred at the top to least preferred at the bottom — the allotment system moved down the list and stopped at the first choice for which the student’s rank was within the closing rank for that NLU, category, and domicile combination. Choices could be revised and re-saved as many times as needed until the window closed (December 27, 2025). The last saved preference list was treated as final.

Step 4: Document Upload

Alongside choice filling, students uploaded scanned copies of all required documents to the counselling portal. Documents were verified online against the student’s application data. A student whose uploaded documents were found deficient — for example, an expired category certificate, a blurry scan, or a name mismatch — risked having their allotment cancelled during the verification stage. All documents had to be in the prescribed format (PDF or JPEG) and within the portal’s file-size limits. Category certificate details (SC/ST/OBC caste certificate number, EWS certificate issue date, etc.) also had to match the information provided during the original CLAT 2026 application.

Step 5: Seat Allotment and Confirmation

After each round’s allotment list was released, students logged into the portal to check their allotted NLU and programme. Students with an allotment then chose one of three options within the confirmation window: Freeze (accept the current seat and withdraw from all further rounds), Float (accept the current seat but remain eligible for a higher-preference NLU in subsequent rounds), or Exit (decline the allotment and withdraw from counselling). Students who chose Freeze or Float also paid the ₹20,000 non-refundable confirmation fee during the same window to hold their seat. Students who did not respond within the confirmation window were automatically considered to have chosen Exit for that round.

How to Lock Your NLU Choices (Step-by-Step Guide)

In CLAT 2026 counselling, submitting your preference list before the choice-filling deadline constituted final locking — no separate "Lock" button was required. The last saved version of your list at the close of the window became your final preference order for all five allotment rounds. The steps below describe how to access, fill, and finalise your NLU choices on the portal.

Step 1: Log Into the Counselling Portal

• Visit consortiumofnlus.ac.in and click on the Counselling login link.
• Enter your CLAT 2026 Application Number and password.
• Confirm your identity via OTP sent to your registered mobile or email, if prompted.

Step 2: Access the Choice Filling Module

• On the counselling dashboard, click "Choice Filling" or "NLU Preferences."
• The module is locked until the counselling registration fee is confirmed as paid — ensure Step 2 (fee payment) is complete before proceeding.

Step 3: Add NLUs in Order of Preference

• Search for NLUs by name, state, or programme type (BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Sc. LLB for UG; LLM for PG).
• Add each NLU–programme combination to your preference list.
• Use the drag-and-reorder function to arrange choices from most preferred (top) to least preferred (bottom).
• If an NLU has a home-state domicile quota and you have uploaded the relevant certificate, the quota seat and the open seat at that NLU appear as separate entries — add both if you want to be considered under both pools.

Step 4: Review and Save Your Choices

• Review your full preference list carefully before saving — check NLU name, programme name, and the order of choices.
• Click "Save Choices." You can revise and re-save until the choice-filling window closes.
• Download or screenshot your saved preference list for your records each time you update it.

Step 5: Final Submission Before Deadline

• Your last saved preference list at the moment the choice-filling window closes (December 27, 2025) is treated as your final submitted list for all rounds.
• No changes are permitted after the window closes — not even between rounds.
• Do not wait until the last hour to save — portal congestion near deadlines can cause delays.

CLAT 2026 Counselling Documents Required

Students had to upload the following documents during online registration and produce originals at the time of in-person document verification at the allotted NLU. Any discrepancy between your uploaded documents and the information in your CLAT application — such as a name spelling difference, an invalid category certificate, or a mark sheet not meeting the minimum percentage — can result in cancellation of admission even after the allotment is confirmed. Prepare all documents in advance to avoid last-minute issues.

• CLAT 2026 Admit Card — downloaded from the official CLAT portal.
• CLAT 2026 Rank Card / Scorecard — official rank card issued by the Consortium after result declaration.
• Class 10 Mark Sheet and Passing Certificate — for proof of date of birth and secondary education completion.
• Class 12 Mark Sheet and Passing Certificate (for UG students) — must reflect marks meeting the minimum eligibility threshold (45% for General/OBC/EWS; 40% for SC/ST). Class 12 students appearing in 2026 boards could submit a provisional document initially, with the final mark sheet produced at the NLU reporting stage.
• LLB Degree Certificate and All Semester Mark Sheets (for PG/LLM students) — minimum marks must be 50% (General/OBC/EWS) or 45% (SC/ST/PwD).
• Transfer Certificate (TC) / Migration Certificate — from the last institution attended.
• Character / Conduct Certificate — issued by the head of the last institution attended (school or college).
• Valid Government-Issued Photo Identity Proof — Aadhaar Card, Passport, or Voter ID.
• Recent Passport-Size Photographs — matching the photo on the CLAT 2026 application form.
• Caste Certificate (SC/ST/OBC) — issued by the competent authority of your home state, in the prescribed format.
• Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) Certificate — mandatory for OBC students claiming OBC-NCL reservation; must be valid for the current financial year.
• EWS Certificate — issued by the competent authority, valid for the current financial year, for students claiming EWS reservation.
• Domicile / Residence Certificate — required if claiming a seat under the home-state domicile quota of any NLU; issued by the relevant state authority.
• PwD Certificate — issued by a government hospital or notified authority, for students claiming Persons with Disabilities reservation.
• NRI Certificate or NRI-Sponsorship Letter (if applicable) — for students applying under the NRI or NRI-Sponsored quota.
• Kashmiri Migrant / Kashmiri Pandit Certificate (if applicable) — issued by the appropriate state or central government authority.
• Defence / Ex-Serviceman Dependent Certificate (if applicable).

Note: Documents uploaded online during counselling registration are used for provisional verification only. Every NLU conducts its own in-person document verification when you report to campus for enrolment. You must bring original copies of every document along with self-attested photocopies. Failure to produce originals at the NLU can result in cancellation of admission even after the seat has been confirmed and fees paid.

How Much Money is Needed for CLAT 2026 Counselling?

The cost of CLAT 2026 counselling involved two payments to the Consortium: the counselling registration fee (paid upfront at registration) and the seat confirmation fee (paid only if allotted and choosing to accept). Beyond these, students who completed admission also paid annual tuition and hostel fees directly to their allotted NLU — these vary considerably across institutions and are not collected by the Consortium.

Non-Refundable Fees

The following fees were not refunded once paid or were forfeited under the stated conditions:

Refundable Fees

The counselling registration fee was refundable under specific conditions. The distinction between "before Round 4" and "after Round 4" exit is critical to the refund amount:

If you withdrew after choosing Freeze or Float and paying the ₹20,000 confirmation fee, that confirmation fee was not refunded. The counselling registration fee may have been refunded (partially, if after Round 4), but the ₹20,000 confirmation fee was permanently forfeited. This structure was designed to ensure that students who accepted a seat followed through with NLU admission rather than blocking seats for other students.

CLAT 2026 Round-Wise Seat Allotment

CLAT 2026 counselling had 5 allotment rounds. Rounds 1–3 (January–February 2026) were primary rounds covering the large majority of available seats. Rounds 4 and 5 (May 2026) were vacancy-filling rounds, conducted specifically for seats that became available after students who had accepted allotments in Rounds 1–3 failed to pay the university fee by April 24, 2026. The 5th and final allotment list was released on May 15, 2026, resulting in 492 fresh allotments — 282 of which were at newer NLUs — before the CLAT 2026 admission cycle formally closed.

NLU-wise closing ranks varied significantly across rounds. NLSIU Bengaluru (National Law School of India University) consistently had the highest closing ranks (i.e., lowest rank numbers, meaning only the top-scoring students qualified), followed by NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, and NUJS (National University of Juridical Sciences), Kolkata. Newer NLUs had comparatively more seats available in the later rounds, making Rounds 4 and 5 particularly relevant for students who had not secured a seat in the primary rounds.

Students who froze their seat in Rounds 1–3 had to pay the NLU fee by April 24, 2026. Students who froze in Rounds 4 or 5 had until May 30, 2026. Failure to pay by either deadline automatically vacated the seat and returned it to the allotment pool — which is why Rounds 4 and 5 had seats available at all, despite Rounds 1–3 having nominally filled them.

Freeze vs Float vs Exit: Which Option to Choose?

After each allotment round, every student who received a seat had to choose one of three options within the confirmation window. This decision was the most consequential in the counselling process. The right choice depended on your current allotted NLU, how many higher-preference choices remained on your list, and your overall strategy for admission.

Float is almost always the better choice over Freeze when higher-preference NLUs remain on your list. Float and Freeze cost the same (₹20,000 confirmation fee) and both protect your current allotment. The only difference is that Float keeps you in the running for an upgrade — with no downside risk. A student who chose Freeze in Round 2 with higher preferences remaining permanently gave up the chance to move to a better NLU in Rounds 3, 4, or 5.

The Float-until-final-round strategy works as follows: Float in every round until Round 5 (the final round). In Round 5, Float and Freeze are functionally identical because no further round follows. Your seat at the highest-preference NLU available to your rank by then is confirmed.

If you withdrew after accepting a seat and paying the ₹20,000 confirmation fee, that fee was not refunded. Weigh this carefully before choosing Exit after having already chosen Freeze or Float in a prior round. If you are considering Exit because of an offer from another institution, confirm that other offer in writing before withdrawing from CLAT counselling — a premature Exit is irreversible within the CLAT 2026 cycle.

Reporting to Your Allotted NLU

After freezing a seat (or being automatically frozen in Round 5), students were required to pay the annual NLU fee and then report to the allotted institution for in-person document verification and enrolment. The timeline for these steps differed depending on which round the seat was frozen in — the Consortium ran two separate NLU fee deadlines to account for the gap between the primary rounds (Rounds 1–3) and the vacancy-filling rounds (Rounds 4–5).

Step 1: Pay the University Fee to Your Allotted NLU

• Students who froze their seat in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 had until April 24, 2026 to pay the annual tuition and hostel fee directly to the NLU.
• Students who froze in Rounds 4 or 5 had until May 30, 2026 to pay the NLU fee.
• The ₹20,000 seat confirmation fee already paid to the Consortium was adjusted against the NLU fee — you paid the NLU only the remaining balance (total NLU fee minus ₹20,000).
• Non-payment of the NLU fee by the deadline automatically vacated the seat, which was then added to the allotment pool for the next vacancy-filling round. The ₹20,000 confirmation fee was forfeited in this case.

Step 2: Report to the NLU Campus

• Each NLU set its own campus reporting date and orientation schedule independently. Visit your specific NLU’s official website for its reporting date and instructions — this was not communicated via the Consortium portal.
• Bring original copies of all required documents (the same list as the online upload) along with self-attested photocopies for in-person document verification.
• Class 12 students who received a provisional allotment and were awaiting board results were required to produce final mark sheets — meeting the minimum percentage — at this stage.

Step 3: Complete In-Person Document Verification

• NLU officials verified all original documents against the scanned copies uploaded during online counselling.
• Any discrepancy — name mismatch, invalid or expired category certificate, forged documents, or marks below the minimum eligibility threshold — led to immediate cancellation of admission.
• Students whose documents were found complete and correct were cleared to proceed to enrolment.

Step 4: Complete Enrolment at the NLU

• After document verification clearance, students completed campus enrolment formalities — biometric registration, student ID issuance, hostel allotment (if applied for separately), first-semester course registration, and collection of timetable and course materials.
• Fee payment receipts and the allotment letter from the Consortium portal were also submitted and retained on record by the NLU.

Note: Each NLU independently manages its campus reporting process, including reporting dates, additional forms, and hostel procedures. The Consortium handles allotment; everything from NLU fee payment onward is managed by the individual NLU. Always check the official website of your allotted NLU — not the Consortium portal — for campus-specific reporting instructions.