CLAT 2026 Round 1 Counselling Confirmation Fee Window Remains Open Until January 15

The CLAT 2026 Round 1 counselling confirmation fee window is open. Candidates must complete the process by January 15 to secure seats at National Law Universities.

The first round of the CLAT 2026 admission cycle has reached a decisive phase as the window for payment of the confirmation fee remains open for thousands of law aspirants. Following the publication of the first provisional allotment list by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) on January 7, candidates have been actively engaging with the portal to secure their places in the 24 participating National Law Universities. The current window provides a final three-day buffer for candidates to finalize their choice before the first major deadline of the year.

Progress of the Round 1 Allotment Phase

Since the release of the seat allotment results, the Consortium's online portal has seen significant traffic from candidates who cleared the Common Law Admission Test held in December. Candidates are required to choose between three primary options: Freeze, Float, or Exit. To proceed with the Freeze or Float choices, the payment of a non-refundable confirmation fee is mandatory. This process ensures that the allotted seat is reserved for the candidate while the counselling process moves into its subsequent stages.

• Payment Requirement: The confirmation fee of ₹20,000 is required for all candidates opting to continue with their allotted seat or seeking an upgrade.
• Mandatory Documentation: Along with the fee, candidates must upload necessary documents, including Class 10 and 12 mark sheets and their CLAT 2026 admit cards.
• NLU Verification: Once the fee is paid, the respective National Law Universities begin the provisional verification of the candidate's digital records.

Key Deadlines and Fee Details

The Consortium has established a strict schedule to ensure the timely completion of admissions for the academic year. The following table highlights the critical milestones for the ongoing first round and the upcoming second round of the counselling process.

Status of National Law Universities Admissions

The competition for seats within the National Law Universities remains intense, with the first round typically covering the highest-ranking candidates. Aspirants who have not been allotted a seat in this round remain eligible for the second list, provided they successfully completed the initial registration in December. For those already holding a seat allotment, the failure to pay the confirmation fee by the January 15 deadline will result in the forfeiture of their current seat, and they will be excluded from any further rounds of the CLAT 2026 counselling.

• Seat Reservation: The current process is the only way to "lock" a seat or stay in the hunt for a better-preferred NLU.
• Automatic Cancellation: Candidates who do not exercise any option (Freeze, Float, or Exit) are treated as having withdrawn from the process.
• Support Services: The Consortium has kept its helpdesk active to assist with payment-related queries as the deadline approaches.

Conclusion

As the January 15 cutoff draws near, the first round of the CLAT 2026 admission process is expected to conclude with a high percentage of seat confirmations. The successful payment of the confirmation fee marks the end of the first engagement with the National Law Universities for this session. Following this, the focus of the counselling process will shift toward the second allotment list scheduled for later this month, which will address vacancies arising from the current round.

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