Waqf and endowment land under 22A in Andhra Pradesh: what G.O.Ms.444 (2026) means for buyers in Vizag, Vijayawada

Official pages read on 23 Oct 2026 · Not legal advice · Government websites change, so re-check before you rely on a step.

Short answer: in Andhra Pradesh, endowment and wakf lands are listed under section 22A(1)(c) of the Registration Act, and a Sub-Registrar refuses to register them. G.O.Ms.No.444 dated 22.07.2026 says in urban areas only Government, Local Body, Endowment and Wakf lands may be included in the prohibited list, and only after notice. Separately, section 51(1A) of the Waqf Act makes a transfer of waqf property void. Before paying, search the IGRS prohibited property list, ask the Endowments Department and the A.P. State Wakf Board in writing about the survey number, and ask the seller for link documents from before 20-06-2007.

What G.O.Ms.No.444 (22.07.2026) says about endowment and wakf land

Situation	What the G.O. says	What to do before paying
The plot is in a city or town	Only Government, Local Body, Endowment and Wakf lands may be listed in urban areas, after notice. Registration is not denied where the vendor has link documents from before 20-06-2007.	Ask for the pre-2007 link documents and have your lawyer check them.
Endowment land listing	Para 4.3.A: the Commissioner of Endowments de-duplicates and verifies endowment entries against Webland within 6 months.	An entry may be corrected during this exercise. Re-check the list just before registration.
Wakf land listing	Para 4.3.B: the same verification with the CEO of the Wakf Board.	Same: re-check close to the registration date.
Whole survey number listed, but only part is endowment or wakf	Registration is allowed for the other sub-divisions.	Make sure the deed names your sub-division, and ask for its correction if the list shows the whole number.
Temple or wakf land bought at a lawful auction	Para 5.7: endowment or wakf lands auctioned and bought by private parties in accordance with law are removed from the list.	Ask for the auction proceedings and sale certificate, then the removal order.
Adding or removing an entry	Para 7.1: the RDO or Sub-Collector decides, and for 22A(1)(c) only after consulting the Endowments Department or the A.P. State Wakf Board. Para 7.3: at least 15 days' notice, then a speaking order. Para 7.4: above 1 acre of agricultural or 1000 sq yd of non-agricultural land, the Government decides.	The seller should obtain the order before you pay; budget time for it.
Registration refused	Para 12: the Sub-Registrar must give a written refusal stating the survey number, sub-division, extent and 22A category.	Ask for the written order; it tells you which category blocked the deed.
Order against the owner	Para 8: appeal to the Joint Collector within 60 days (up to 120 with cause), decided within 60 days. Para 9: revision to Government within 90 days.	Note the dates; missing them can close the route.

Source: G.O.Ms.No.444, Revenue (Registration-I) Department, 22.07.2026, read on 23 Oct 2026 from a copy on apsdw.in, which is not the official G.O. portal. To verify on goir.ap.gov.in. The Hindu (22 Jul 2026) reported the same reform, including removal of "legally auctioned temple and Waqf lands subject to Supreme Court orders". Its report of the notice period (30 + 14 days) differs from the 15-day minimum we read in the G.O., so the exact period is to verify.

The national Waqf Act on top of 22A

The 22A list controls registration in Andhra Pradesh. The Waqf Act goes further for wakf land: its section 51(1A) (text read on an India Code-based mirror, official text to verify) treats a sale or other transfer of waqf property as void from the start, so a deed that somehow gets registered may still be challenged. Since 08.04.2025 the amended Act runs a central registration portal called UMEED (launched 06.06.2025), with Collector-level inquiry where government or disputed land is involved, according to the Rajya Sabha answer of 11.08.2025 and the Lok Sabha answer of 11.02.2026. The Bill as passed by Lok Sabha also brings the Limitation Act, 1963 into waqf property claims (s.107) and requires 90 days' newspaper notice before waqf mutation (s.5(3), s.37(3)). Our Telangana guide sets these changes out in a table. Supreme Court proceedings on the amendment (W.P.(C) No. 276 of 2025) are pending per the LS answer, so the current position is to verify.

Seven waqf and endowment checks before you buy in Andhra Pradesh

Get the full description: survey or LP number, sub-division, village, mandal, and the door number for a city property, from the 1-B, Adangal and the seller's deed.
Search IGRS: run the prohibited property search on the Urban or Rural tab and save a dated screenshot.
Read the category: if the number is listed, find out whether it is under 22A(1)(c) (endowment or wakf) or another category; a refusal order under para 12 must state it.
Check the link documents: in urban areas, ask for documents from before 20-06-2007, and for auction land ask for the auction papers and sale certificate.
Write to the authorities: send a written enquiry with the survey number to the Endowments Department and the A.P. State Wakf Board, and keep the reply.
Let the seller clear it: removal goes through the RDO or Sub-Collector after consultation (para 7.1). Do not pay the balance until the order is issued and the IGRS entry has changed.
Put it in the agreement: have your lawyer add a seller declaration that the land is not waqf or endowment land, with refund of advance if registration is refused under 22A.

Common mistake: paying a large advance on a promise that "the 22A entry will be removed next week". Removal needs notice, enquiry and a speaking order, and larger extents go to the Government. Tie your payments to the order, not to the promise.

Related guides

Buying in Telangana? See the Telangana waqf and endowment land guide.

Not legal advice. This page summarises official documents read on 23 Oct 2026. Whether a particular plot is waqf or endowment land is decided by the authorities, Tribunals and courts, not by a website. Have a lawyer check the title, and re-check each step because rules and court orders change.

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FAQ

Is endowment or wakf land in the AP 22A list?

Yes. G.O.Ms.No.444 of 22.07.2026 refers to endowment lands and wakf lands under section 22A(1)(c), and says that in urban areas only Government, Local Body, Endowment and Wakf lands may be listed.

Can temple land bought at an auction be registered?

Para 5.7 of G.O.Ms.No.444 says endowment or wakf lands auctioned and purchased by private parties in accordance with law are removed from the list. Ask for the auction papers and the removal order.

Who removes a 22A(1)(c) entry in AP?

The RDO or Sub-Collector, only after consulting the Endowments Department or the A.P. State Wakf Board, after notice and a speaking order. Above 1 acre agricultural or 1000 sq yd non-agricultural, the Government decides.

What if the Sub-Registrar refuses registration?

Para 12 of the G.O. requires a written refusal order naming the survey number, sub-division, extent and 22A category. Appeals go to the Joint Collector within 60 days.

Official sources

Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.