CLAT 2026 counselling: With the CLAT 2026 results declared on December 16, 2025, the Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLUs) has opened the admissions counselling process for five-year integrated Undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) law programmes. All eligible candidates who have qualified in CLAT 2026 have been invited to participate in the centralised counselling process conducted by the Consortium.Candidates will receive counselling invitations through email, SMS, and notifications on their CLAT 2026 candidate portal. The counselling process will be conducted entirely online through the official Consortium website.
CLAT 2026 counselling registration dates
The registration window for CLAT 2026 admissions counselling has opened today.
- Registration starts: December 17, 2025, at 6:00 PM
- Last date to register and pay counselling fee: December 27, 2025, by 10:00 PM
Only candidates who complete registration, preference filling, and fee payment within the stipulated timeline will be considered for seat allotment
How to register for CLAT 2026 counselling
Eligible candidates must complete the following steps to participate in the counselling process:Step 1: Login and update NLU preferences
- Log in to the CLAT 2026 candidate portal.
- Click on the “Update NLU Preferences” option.
- UG candidates must fill a minimum of 15 preferences, while PG candidates must fill at least 5 preferences.
- Candidates will be considered only for NLUs listed in their preference order.
- Preferences can be edited multiple times until the registration deadline, but no changes will be allowed after December 27, 2025
Step 2: Pay counselling registration feeCandidates must pay the counselling registration fee online through the portal:
- General category: Rs 30,000
- SC/ST/OBC/BC/EWS/PWD categories: Rs 20,000
- The counselling registration fee is refundable, subject to conditions outlined by the Consortium
CLAT 2026 counselling rounds and seat allotment
The CLAT 2026 admissions counselling process will be conducted in five rounds. Seat allotment will be based on CLAT 2026 rank, NLU preferences, and seat availability.
After the fifth round, the centralised counselling process conducted by the Consortium will close.
Freeze, Float, and Exit options explained
Candidates allotted seats during counselling must choose one of the following options in each round:
- Freeze: Accept the allotted seat and exit further rounds. Candidates must pay the confirmation fee within the specified timeline.
- Float: Accept the allotted seat while remaining eligible for a higher-preference NLU in subsequent rounds. The float option is available only until the fourth round.
- Exit: Withdraw from the counselling process. The allotted seat will be forfeited and reallocated to another candidate.
Candidates who fail to exercise any option within the given timeline will be treated as not interested and removed from the counselling process
Fee payment and admission deadlines
Candidates who choose the Freeze option must pay the remaining university fee after adjusting the counselling registration and confirmation fees.
- For first to third rounds: University fee payment deadline is April 24, 2026
- For fourth and fifth rounds: University fee payment deadline is May 30, 2026
Failure to pay fees within the deadline will result in seat cancellation.
Documents required for CLAT 2026 counselling
Candidates must keep scanned copies of mandatory documents ready for upload, including:
- CLAT 2026 admit card
- Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets
- Category, domicile, and PWD certificates (if applicable)
- Character and transfer certificates
- For PG candidates, LL.B. degree and marksheets
Items marked mandatory by the Consortium must be submitted during counselling and admission verification
Important note for candidates
Seat allotment through CLAT 2026 counselling is provisional and subject to document verification by the allotted National Law University. Candidates are advised to regularly check their registered email ID, SMS alerts, and the official CLAT portal for updates related to counselling rounds, fee payment windows, and admission formalities.
