Documents required for property registration

Registering a property at the Sub-Registrar's office makes the sale legal. Both buyer and seller need to bring papers, and missing one means coming back another day.

Checklist · Last checked 2 November 2026

The short answer

Bring the sale deed on stamp paper (or e-stamp), proof that stamp duty and registration fee are paid, the title documents, the encumbrance certificate, recent tax receipts, and ID, PAN and photos of the buyer, seller and two witnesses.

Checklist

The deal

Property papers

Buyer and seller

Witnesses

How registration works

  1. Check the title and get the encumbrance certificate to make sure the property is free of loans or disputes.
  2. Work out stamp duty using your state's ready reckoner or circle rate, and pay it online or buy stamp paper.
  3. Draft the sale deed and get it checked by a lawyer.
  4. Book an appointment at the Sub-Registrar's office, often online.
  5. Buyer, seller and witnesses appear in person. Biometrics and photos are taken.
  6. Collect the registered deed. Then apply for mutation in the local records so taxes come in your name.

Things buyers often miss

  • Deducting TDS when the property price crosses the income tax limit, and filing the form for it.
  • Applying for mutation after registration.
  • Keeping the original chain documents, which banks and future buyers will ask for.
  • Checking that the seller's name matches across all papers.

Where to get each document

  • Encumbrance certificate: from the Sub-Registrar's office or your state's registration portal, often online.
  • Property tax receipts: from the municipal corporation or panchayat, many available online.
  • Land records and mutation extracts: from the tehsil, revenue office or municipal body, or your state's land records portal.
  • Circle rate or ready reckoner value: on your state's registration department website, used to calculate stamp duty.
  • Society or builder NOC: ask the society secretary or builder in writing.

Papers to keep for good

  • The registered sale deed and the full chain of earlier deeds.
  • Mutation certificate and latest land or municipal record extract.
  • Every property tax receipt, and the electricity and water connection transfer papers.
  • If you took a loan, the list of originals held by the bank, and everything returned when the loan closes.

Questions people ask

Who pays stamp duty?

Usually the buyer, unless both sides agree otherwise. Rates differ by state, and some states give a lower rate to women buyers.

Do both buyer and seller have to be present?

Yes, or someone holding a valid power of attorney. Two witnesses are also needed.

What is an encumbrance certificate?

A record from the Sub-Registrar's office showing whether the property has loans or other claims against it for a period of years.

Is registration the same as mutation?

No. Registration makes the sale legal. Mutation updates the local land or municipal records so taxes and future dealings are in your name.

Stamp duty, fees and forms are set by each state. Check your state's registration department website. Rules change; this page is general information, not legal advice. Kaagaz is not a government service.