Checked 29 September 2026. Built on the CLAT 2026 counselling instructions (17 Dec 2025) and the revised fourth and fifth round notice. The CLAT 2027 counselling notification had not been issued on 29 September 2026; the FAQ says counselling is in "December 2026/January 2027".
A CLAT rank does not give you a seat. The seat comes from the Consortium's centralised counselling: you register, pay a fee, list at least 15 NLU preferences for UG (5 for PG), and are then offered seats over five allotment lists. After each allotment you must choose — Freeze, Float or Exit — or you lose the seat. The CLAT 2027 rules are not out yet, so this guide sets out exactly how the process worked for CLAT 2026, from the Consortium's own instructions, including what happened when two court cases moved its dates. The fee and option rules below applied to UG and PG alike; the court-driven date changes of 2026 were UG-only, and are labelled as such.
CLAT 2026 counselling instructions, 17 December 2025.
Step 1: registration and the fee
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Registration window (2026) | 6:00 PM, 17 Dec 2025 to 10:00 PM, 27 Dec 2025, including fee payment |
| Counselling Registration Fee | ₹30,000 General; ₹20,000 ST, SC, OBC, BC, EWS and PwD — refundable under the rules below |
| Preferences | At least 15 for UG (5 for PG); you are considered only for NLUs you list; can be edited until registration closes |
| Direction of movement | You can only move up to higher preferences, never down |
| Confirmation Fee | Paid to the Consortium to Freeze or Float; non-refundable; adjusted against the NLU's fee if you join. The instructions do not state the amount |
| Late payment | Not accepted after the registration deadline |
Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the CLAT 2026 counselling instructions.
Two rules decide most outcomes. First, list more NLUs than you think you need: the instructions give the example of a candidate who lists only fifteen: they are considered only for those fifteen, not for any other NLU, even if it has vacancies their merit would have reached. Second, order matters and cannot be undone: allotment only ever moves you up your own list.
Step 2: the three options after an allotment
| Option | What it means | What you pay | When allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze | Accept the seat and leave the process | Non-refundable Confirmation Fee in the window, then the balance University Fee to the NLU | Any list, 1 to 5 |
| Float | Hold the seat and stay in for a higher preference; if one comes up you move automatically and cannot go back | Non-refundable Confirmation Fee in the window | Lists 1 to 4 only; not if the seat is already your top preference |
| Exit | Leave counselling; the seat goes to someone else and you are never allotted again | Any Confirmation Fee already paid is forfeited | Any time after registration |
| No action | Treated as "Not Interested": seat lost, name removed, not considered in later lists | — | — |
Paragraph 2 of the CLAT 2026 counselling instructions.
Float is the option that makes the later lists work. A candidate who floats from a lower-preference NLU to a higher one frees the lower seat for the next candidate. That is why, in 2026, the General cut-offs of mid-table NLUs moved by hundreds of ranks between list 1 and list 5 while the top NLUs barely moved (see the closing-ranks guide in this series). At the end, a floater must Freeze or Exit: list 5 is final and has no Float.
Step 3: what you get back
| Situation | Counselling Registration Fee |
|---|---|
| No seat allotted by the end of list 5 | Full refund |
| Never chose Freeze or Float, then Exit | Full refund |
| Chose Freeze or Float up to list 4, then exercised Exit before the cut-off time | Full refund (cut-off: 1:00 PM, 8 May 2026 in the instructions; for UG only, moved to 2:00 PM, 14 May 2026 by the revised fourth and fifth round notice) |
| Same, Exit after the cut-off time | Refund minus ₹5,000 |
| Found ineligible by the NLU on document verification | Refund minus ₹5,000 |
| Froze, took admission, withdrew after 30 May 2026 | Refund minus ₹5,000; Confirmation Fee forfeited |
| First allotted in list 5, then Exit or no admission | Full refund |
| Froze but did not pay the balance University Fee by the date | Treated as Exit: seat and Confirmation Fee forfeited, refund minus ₹5,000 |
Paragraphs 4 and 6 of the CLAT 2026 counselling instructions, and note 2 of the revised UG fourth and fifth round notice. Not completing admission is not an Exit before the cut-off: paragraph 6.1 treats a candidate who Froze and did not pay the University Fee as having exited, with ₹5,000 deducted (last row). Refunds go only to the account the fee was paid from.
Deduction from the registration fee only, from the refund table above. Separately, a Confirmation Fee already paid is forfeited on Exit, on non-payment of the University Fee and on withdrawal after admission; its amount is not stated in the instructions.
The 2026 UG calendar: notified and actual
| Step | Notified (17 Dec 2025) | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Registration and fee | 17-27 Dec 2025 | As notified |
| List 1 | 7 Jan 2026, 10 AM; confirm by 15 Jan, 1 PM | As notified |
| List 2 | 22 Jan 2026; confirm by 29 Jan | As notified |
| List 3 | 5 Feb 2026; confirm by 12 Feb | Deferred on 5 Feb after the Allahabad High Court judgment of 3 Feb 2026. Reported: published 25 Feb 2026, confirm by 6 Mar; the UG list-3 PDFs carry a creation date of 24 Feb 2026. The revised third-round notice itself was not retrieved |
| University Fee, lists 1-3 | 24 Apr 2026, 5 PM | No revision found |
| List 4 | 2 May 2026; confirm by 8 May, 1 PM | 9 May 2026, 2 PM; confirm by 14 May, 2 PM |
| List 5 (final) | 15 May 2026; confirm by 20 May, 1 PM | 20 May 2026, 10 AM; confirm by 25 May, 2 PM |
| University Fee, lists 4-5 | 30 May 2026, 5 PM | 30 May 2026, 5 PM (unchanged) |
CLAT 2026 counselling instructions; Consortium notices of 5 Feb 2026 (Allahabad High Court) and the revised UG fourth and fifth round schedule, which is titled for UG only. The PG lists were not moved: the PG list-3, list-4 and list-5 PDFs carry creation dates of 4 Feb, 1 May and 14 May 2026 (file metadata, our reading), so PG ran on the original calendar.
The High Court directed a revision of the CLAT 2026 UG merit list by treating both options B and D of Question 9 in Booklet C (and its equivalents) as correct, without affecting candidates already allotted seats in round 1. The Consortium said it would appeal and deferred the third UG list. The outcome of that appeal is not stated in the Consortium notices retrieved for this guide; the revised fourth and fifth round notice says the seats allotted in lists 1 to 3 do not change. A year earlier, CLAT 2025 went through a Delhi High Court judgment (which the Consortium said on 24 April 2025 it would implement), a Supreme Court stay of that judgment (30 April 2025), and UG results and a counselling schedule published on 17 May 2025 under the Supreme Court's directions. Two cycles in a row, the calendar moved after it was published — keep checking the notifications page, and keep your bank account active for refunds.
| Cycle | Court event | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| CLAT 2025 | Delhi High Court judgment in WP(C) 4157/2025; Supreme Court stay on 30 Apr 2025 | UG results and counselling schedule published on 17 May 2025, pursuant to the Supreme Court's decision |
| CLAT 2026 | Allahabad High Court judgment of 3 Feb 2026 on Question 9, Booklet C | UG list 3 deferred; UG lists 4 and 5 moved to 9 and 20 May 2026 |
Consortium updates of 24 Apr, 30 Apr and 17 May 2025, and of 5 Feb 2026.
Documents to keep ready
UG uploads listed in the 2026 instructions
- Class 10 marks statement and CLAT admit card (mandatory).
- Class 12 marks statement, character or conduct certificate, and transfer or migration certificate.
- Caste, PwD or domicile/residence certificate if you are allotted a seat in that category (mandatory for that seat).
- Any other certificate for the category you claim, such as EWS or defence-ward certificates.
Freeze, Float or Exit: what each choice meant in 2026
Pick UG or PG, the round in which you were allotted a seat, whether it was your first (highest) preference, and what you want. The checker applies the Consortium's CLAT 2026 counselling instructions and, for UG only, the revised fourth and fifth round notice.
2026 rules (17 Dec 2025 instructions; UG list 4 and 5 dates and the UG refund cut-off revised in May 2026; PG kept the original schedule). The CLAT 2027 counselling notification had not been issued on 29 September 2026 — read it before you act.
Practise it, don't just read it
Counselling starts only after the rank. The rank starts with practice.
The ProSyllabus CLAT library has three quizzes today: reading-comprehension inference (English), international treaties and summits (current affairs) and constitutional-law principle application (legal reasoning).
What is the CLAT counselling fee?
For CLAT 2026 it was ₹30,000 for General and ₹20,000 for SC, ST, OBC, BC, EWS and PwD candidates, refundable under the Consortium's rules. The 2027 fee has not been notified.
Is the CLAT counselling fee refundable?
Yes in most cases. It is refunded in full if you get no seat or exit without choosing Freeze or Float; ₹5,000 is deducted in some late-exit and ineligibility cases.
What is the difference between Freeze and Float in CLAT?
Freeze accepts the seat and ends your counselling. Float holds the seat while you wait for a higher preference in later lists.
Can I Float in the last round of CLAT counselling?
No. Float is available up to the fourth list; the fifth list is final and allows only Freeze or Exit.
What happens if I do nothing after a CLAT allotment?
You are treated as "Not Interested": you lose the seat, your name is removed and you are not considered in later lists.
How many NLU preferences must I give in CLAT counselling?
At least 15 for UG and 5 for PG in 2026. You are considered only for the NLUs you list.
Is the Confirmation Fee refundable?
No. It is adjusted against the NLU's fee if you join and forfeited if you exit or fail to pay the University Fee.
When will CLAT 2027 counselling start?
The FAQ says December 2026/January 2027. The counselling notification had not been issued on 29 September 2026.
Sources
- official — Consortium of NLUs — Instructions for the Admissions Counselling Process, CLAT 2026 (17 Dec 2025)
- official — Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2026 schedule of UG 4th and 5th round counselling (revised dates)
- official — Consortium of NLUs — update on the Allahabad High Court judgment and counselling (5 Feb 2026)
- official — Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2025 updates of 24 Apr, 30 Apr and 17 May 2025 (Delhi High Court, Supreme Court stay, revised results)
- official — Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2026 fifth and final allotment list, per-programme PDFs with Cut-Off Rank Tables
- official — Consortium of NLUs — CLAT 2027 FAQs
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
