Name Correction in Land Records: Fix a Spelling Mistake Fast
Wrong spelling or father's name in your land record? How to apply to the tehsildar for correction, papers that prove it, a sample application and the NRI route.
By the PlotPehra Land DeskUpdated 7 min read
Fix the spelling in records
On this page
- Why does my name not match the land record?
- Is it a correction or a name change?
- Who corrects a name in the land record?
- What documents prove the correct name?
- How do you apply for name correction, step by step?
- Sample application for name correction in land records
- How do you correct a name from abroad?
- What if the correction is refused or disputed?
To fix a name spelling mistake in a land record, apply in writing to the tehsildar (or the revenue officer your state names) for correction of a clerical error, with proof that the wrong name and your real name are the same person. That proof is usually your title deed, an older copy of the record, your ID and a one-and-the-same-person affidavit. NRIs can do all of it from abroad with a notarised and apostilled affidavit and a relative or lawyer to file it.
This guide is about wrong spellings and details. If your name has disappeared from the record altogether, read name removed from land record instead.
Why does my name not match the land record?
Because Indian land records were handwritten for decades, then typed into computers, often by someone transliterating from Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi or another script. Small differences crept in, and they matter when you try to sell, mutate or prove ownership.
The usual mismatches:
| Mismatch | Example | Common cause |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling of the first name | Gurpreet in the passport, Gurprit in the record | Transliteration from the local script |
| Surname missing or different | Rajinder Singh vs Rajinder Singh Sandhu | Old records often used no surname |
| Father's or husband's name | Son of Karam Singh vs Karam Chand | Copying error, or a nickname used locally |
| Initials vs full name | S. K. Patel vs Suresh Kantilal Patel | Abbreviation in the register |
| Name after marriage | Maiden name in the record, married name in the passport | A real change, not a mistake |
| Digitisation error | Letters swapped, a word dropped | Data entry when the record went online |
NRIs hit this most often, because their passport spelling was chosen abroad, years after the land record was written.
Is it a correction or a name change?
It is a correction if the record got your name wrong. It is a name change if you now use a different name. The difference decides your papers.
- Correction of a clerical error: the record misspelt, shortened or mixed up a name. You prove the right name from documents that already exist.
- Name change: you changed your name by marriage, deed poll or another route. You must show the change itself, usually with a gazette notification of the change of name, or a marriage certificate. In some states the officer treats this as a mutation instead of a correction.
If the dispute is really about who owns the land, not how a name is spelt, it is neither. That goes to a mutation appeal or a civil court; see how to challenge a wrong mutation.
Who corrects a name in the land record?
Usually the tehsildar, on a report from the village revenue official, such as the patwari or talathi. Every state's land revenue law has some provision for correcting errors in the record of rights, but the section numbers and the officer's title differ.
Two examples from the law itself:
- Maharashtra: clerical errors in the record, including the 7/12, are corrected under Section 155 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966.
- Telangana: under the Bhu Bharati (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2024, a person affected by an entry in the record of rights may apply for rectification to the prescribed officer, who decides after an inquiry.
In Punjab and Haryana, the clerical correction of a jamabandi entry is commonly called a fard badar. Elsewhere you will hear "durusti", "rectification" or simply "correction". The tehsildar of the tehsil where the land is will tell you the local form and fee.
What documents prove the correct name?
You need papers that show one person under both names, and papers that show the correct spelling came first. The more independent sources agree, the faster the order.
Your checklist
Papers for a land record name correction
Ticks are saved in this browser only.
The property document checklist gives a printable list for your wider land file.
How do you apply for name correction, step by step?
Pull the record and find the exact error
Download the current record by khasra or survey number, not by name, since a misspelt name may not show up in a name search. Our land record finder shows the portal for your state.Find out the local process
Check whether your state portal takes correction applications online. If not, the tehsil or a citizen service centre takes them on paper.Swear the affidavit
Sign the one-and-the-same-person affidavit before a notary or oath commissioner in India, or abroad as explained below.File the application with copies
Submit the application, affidavit and self-attested copies to the tehsildar. Get a dated receipt or an application number.Answer the inquiry
The patwari or talathi usually checks the record and reports. If anyone else's interest is affected, the officer may give them notice and hear them.Get the order and check the record
Ask for a copy of the correction order. Then check that the online record actually shows the new spelling; orders are sometimes passed but not entered.
If the tehsil goes quiet, an RTI asking for the status of your application and the file notings usually moves it. The RTI application generator drafts one for land records.
Sample application for name correction in land records
Adapt this to your state and case. Keep it short and factual, and attach everything you mention.
To,
The Tehsildar,
Tehsil ______________, District ______________
Subject: Application for correction of clerical error in name in the land record
Sir or Madam,
1. I, [your full name as in passport], son or daughter of [father's full name],
am a recorded co-owner of land in village ______________,
khasra or survey number ______________, khata number ______________.
2. In the current record, my name is written as "[name as wrongly recorded]".
My correct name is "[correct name]", as shown in the sale deed or
mutation order dated ______________, the older record of ______________,
and my passport number ______________.
3. Both names refer to me. This is a clerical error in writing my name and
does not change any share, area or right in the land.
4. I request that the entry be corrected to "[correct name]" and that a copy
of the order be given to me or my authorised representative.
Documents attached:
a. Copy of current record showing the wrong entry
b. Copy of title document showing the correct name
c. Copy of older record showing the correct name
d. Copy of passport and Indian ID
e. Affidavit that both names refer to the same person
f. Authority letter in favour of [name of representative], if filed through someone
I declare that the above facts are true to the best of my knowledge.
Place: ______________
Date: ______________
Signature: ______________
Name: ______________
Address and phone in India: ______________
Email: ______________
How do you correct a name from abroad?
You do not need to fly home. You need a valid affidavit, a person in India to file and follow up, and patience.
- Sign the affidavit abroad. Either sign it before a local notary and get an apostille, if your country is in the Hague Apostille Convention, or sign it at an Indian embassy or consulate. Our guide to power of attorney from abroad explains both routes and which countries use which.
- Send originals by courier to the person filing. Keep scans.
- Give a narrow authority letter, limited to filing this correction and collecting the order. Avoid a general power of attorney; a correction does not need one.
- Follow the status online where your state allows, or through your representative, and get the order copy scanned to you.
Ask the tehsil early whether it wants the affidavit on Indian stamp paper or stamped after it arrives. Practice varies by state.
What if the correction is refused or disputed?
Then it was probably not a simple clerical error in the officer's eyes. If someone objects, or the change would affect another person's share, the officer may decline to treat it as a correction.
Your options are an appeal to the next revenue officer within your state's time limit, or, if ownership itself is in doubt, a civil suit for a declaration. A local property lawyer can tell you which. Also check that nobody used the mismatch to move your land: compare the old and new record in the land record change checker.
PlotPehra checks the official land record every week in 19 states and flags any change in owners, shares, area or mutation entries, so you will see when your correction is entered, and you will also see a change you did not ask for. A real person explains it by email and WhatsApp. No power of attorney, ever.
This is general information, not legal advice. Correction procedures, forms and fees differ by state, so confirm the current process with your tehsil or a local property lawyer.
Questions people ask
Write to the tehsildar or the revenue officer your state names, asking for correction of a clerical error. Attach a copy of the wrong entry, your title deed, an older record or other papers that show the right spelling, your ID and an affidavit that both spellings refer to you. The patwari or talathi usually reports on it before the officer orders the correction.
In some states, partly. Several state portals take correction or rectification applications online, and others take them only at the tehsil or through a citizen service centre. Check your state's land record portal or ask the tehsil; the officer may still call for original documents.
Address it to the tehsildar of the tehsil where the land is. Give the village, khasra or survey number and khata number, quote the wrong entry exactly, state the correct name, explain how you know it is wrong, list the documents attached, and sign and date it. A sample is in this guide.
No. A correction fixes a mistake the record made, such as Gurpreet written as Gurprit. A name change records that you now use a different name, for example after marriage or by deed poll. A change usually needs proof such as a gazette notification or marriage certificate, and in some states it is handled as a mutation rather than a correction.
There is no single national timeline. A simple clerical correction with clear documents is often done in a few weeks to a few months, depending on the state and the tehsil's workload. Disputed cases take longer, because the officer may hear other people first.
About the PlotPehra Land Desk
Our team reviews satellite and land-record changes on NRI-owned land across India, and writes these guides from the questions families ask us. We’re not lawyers — for legal decisions, always speak to a local property lawyer. More about us · How we research our guides.
