Home › Circulars › RBI/2011-12/469

Nomination Forms: Only Thumb Impressions Need Witnesses

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/469 · issued 26 Mar 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI clarifies that for nomination forms under the Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985, only thumb impressions require attestation by two witnesses; signatures of account holders do not need witness attestation.

What changed

RBI issued a clarification on March 26, 2012, following queries from banks. It reiterated that for all nomination forms (DA1, DA2, DA3 for deposits; SC1, SC2, SC3 for safe custody; SL1, SL1A, SL2, SL3, SL3A for lockers), only thumb impressions must be attested by two witnesses. Signatures of account holders do not require witness attestation.

What it means for you

Banks can simplify their nomination form processing by not insisting on witness attestation for signatures, reducing customer friction. This aligns with earlier instructions from March 2011 and ensures uniform compliance across all scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs). Lenders should update their internal procedures and staff training to reflect this rule.

Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.

What banks were required to do at the time

Who it affects

All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Branch operations teams handling nomination forms, Customers opening or updating deposit accounts, safe custody articles, or safety lockers

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

Do signatures on nomination forms need to be attested by witnesses?

No, as per RBI's clarification, only thumb impressions require attestation by two witnesses. Signatures of account holders do not need witness attestation.

Which nomination forms are covered by this clarification?

All forms under the Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985: DA1, DA2, DA3 for deposits; SC1, SC2, SC3 for safe custody; and SL1, SL1A, SL2, SL3, SL3A for safety lockers.

Does this apply to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)?

No, the circular is addressed to all scheduled commercial banks excluding RRBs.

📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed by RBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #1363: DBOD.No.Leg.BC.89/09.07.005/2011-12 — "The Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985 - Clarifications" dated March 26, 2012”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/469 DBOD.No. Leg.BC. 89/ 09.07.005/2011-12 March 26, 2012 All Scheduled Commercial Banks (Excluding RRBs) Dear Sir, The Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 1985 – Clarifications Please refer to para 1 of our Circular DBOD.No.Leg.BC.83/09.07.005/2010-11 dated March 30, 2011 on the captioned issue wherein we have clarified that signatures of the account holders in forms DA1, DA2 and DA3 need not be attested by witnesses. 2. In this connection, certain queries were received from banks and we further clarify that for the various Forms (DA1, DA2 and DA3 for Bank Deposits, Forms SC1, SC2 and SC3 for Articles left in Safe Custody, Forms SL1, SL1A, SL2, SL3 and SL3A for Safety Lockers) prescribed under Banking Companies Nomination Rules, 1985 only Thumb-impressions(s) shall be attested by two witnesses. Signatures of the account holders need not be attested by witnesses. 3. Banks are advised to ensure strict compliance of the instructions as per the clarification given above. Yours faithfully, (Deepak Singhal) Chief General Manager-In-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/469 · issued 26 Mar 2012. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7088&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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