Sale Deed Meaning and How to Get a Certified Copy Online

A sale deed is the registered document that transfers ownership of land or a house from a seller to a buyer. In North India people call it the bainama or simply the registry, and the official Hindi term is vikray patra. If your original is lost or too old to read, you can get a certified copy from the sub-registrar's office that registered it. Several states now let you apply online and send a digitally signed copy.

This guide explains what a sale deed is, how to get a certified copy in each major state, what to do if the original is lost, and how to check that a deed is genuine.

What is a sale deed, and what does it prove?

A sale deed is the final, registered proof that a property was sold. Under Section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, a sale of land or a building worth 100 rupees or more "can be made only by a registered instrument". In practice, that means every property sale.

It is not the same as an agreement to sell, which only promises a future sale and, under the same section, creates no interest in the property. A power of attorney or a notarised affidavit is not a sale either. Only a sale deed signed, stamped and registered before the sub-registrar transfers ownership.

A sale deed proves the transfer. It does not update the revenue record by itself. The buyer still has to get a mutation done at the tehsil so the new name appears in the land record. Our guide to who does what at the tehsil and registry explains the two offices.

Why can you always get a copy?

Because the registry keeps one. When a deed is registered, the sub-registrar copies it into the office's register books, and documents about immovable property go into Book 1. That copy stays in the office long after the original goes home with the buyer.

Section 57 of the Registration Act, 1908 says that Book 1 and its indexes are open to inspection, and that the office shall give certified copies of entries to anyone who pays the fee. The same section makes those certified copies admissible to prove the contents of the original document.

Lost, old, or need to check it? Start here

Your next step depends on why you need the copy. Three quick questions will point you to the right route.

How do you get a certified copy of a sale deed online?

You need three details: the document (registration) number, the year, and the sub-registrar office. With those, most states let you apply on the registration department's portal, pay online and get a copy without visiting.

1. 1

   Find the deed details

   Look on your copy, an old receipt, the mutation order or an encumbrance certificate. If you have nothing, search the registry by property or owner name where your state allows it.
2. 2

   Open your state's registration portal

   Type the address yourself. Land record portals like Bhulekh show the khatauni, not the deed; deeds live with the stamps and registration department.
3. 3

   Apply for the certified copy

   Choose the certified copy option, enter the document number, year and office, and pay the fee. Fees are set by each state and are usually charged per page or per document.
4. 4

   Collect or download it

   Some states issue a digitally signed copy online. Others tell you to collect it from the office, so a relative or lawyer may need to pick it up.

State by state

Portals change often, so treat this as a starting point. We checked each portal's own menu in October 2026.

Many registration portals refuse connections from outside India. If one times out from abroad, a relative in India can apply for you, or you can try again later.

What if your sale deed is very old?

Old deeds can still be copied, but usually only at the office. Most states have digitised recent years, while deeds from before computerisation sit in bound volumes, sometimes moved to the district registrar's record room.

The registry keeps indexes that make old deeds findable: one by the names of the parties and one by the property. Give the office the owner's full name, the father's name, the village and the approximate year, and ask for a search. A search fee is often charged for each year searched.

If the office cannot find the deed or will not reply, a written RTI request for a copy, or for the index entry, creates a dated record. Our guide to RTI for land records shows how NRIs file one.

What should you do if the original sale deed is lost?

Report the loss to the police, publish a public notice, and get a certified copy, in that order. The police report and notice are not legal requirements in every state, but buyers, banks and courts routinely ask for them, and they protect you if someone later produces the "lost" deed.

How do you check that a sale deed is genuine?

Compare it with the registry's own copy. A forged deed may look perfect on paper, but it will not match what the sub-registrar recorded, or it will not appear in the registry at all.

• Get a certified copy or online search result for the same document number and compare names, father's names, area, survey or khasra number, price and date.
• Check the encumbrance certificate for the period, to see every registered deed on the land and the order they happened in. Our encumbrance certificate guide covers each state.
• Check the land record. The seller should be the recorded owner, and the buyer should appear after mutation.
• Verify the stamp. E-stamp certificates can be checked by certificate number; UP's portal offers verification by number or QR code.
• Look at the photos and thumb impressions in the certified copy. They show who actually appeared at the registry.

If the registry's copy shows a sale you never made, read how to cancel a fake registry and act within days. If you are only worried, start with how to check if your land has been sold.

How do you stop someone misusing the deed?

Watch the land record, because that is where a forged or misused deed shows up first. A fraudster who registers a fake sale usually applies for mutation next, and that entry appears on the state portal before most owners notice.

PlotPehra checks the official land record every week in 19 states and flags a new owner, a new mutation or a changed share. It also watches the plot in satellite images for fencing, levelling or building. A real person reviews every alert and explains it by email and WhatsApp. No power of attorney, ever.

This is general information, not legal advice. Fees, portals and procedures differ by state and change often, so check with the sub-registrar's office, and talk to a local property lawyer before relying on a copy in a sale, loan or court case.