Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Registration Department has introduced a five-stage system allowing buyers and sellers to register certain property documents without visiting a sub-registrar’s office or obtaining a queue token.
The facility functions through the department’s STAR 3.0 software and initially covers sale deeds for newly constructed apartments, houses and residential plots.
Memoranda of deposit of title deeds for housing loans, mortgage deeds and receipts confirming loan closure can also be registered through the online system. Since biometric equipment may not be available in individual homes, registration can be completed at designated facilities established in the offices of property developers and companies selling houses or plots.
Under the first stage, buyers must create an account on the Registration Department’s website and select the document to be registered. They must also choose a registration point equipped with fingerprint, iris-scanning and webcam facilities. Applicants must enter details of the property’s previous title deed and upload a digital copy. Names, addresses and identity particulars of the buyer, seller and witnesses must also be provided. The applicant must specify whether the property is a house or plot and enter details including the jurisdictional sub-registrar’s office, village, survey number, area, boundaries and other relevant remarks.
Information about the property’s transfer value, mode of payment, current possession and legal status, including pending litigation, must also be disclosed. Based on these details, the system will automatically generate a draft deed.
The portal will calculate and display the property value, stamp duty, registration fee, computer charges and contribution to the document writers’ welfare fund. After reviewing and uploading the draft, it will be saved under the “My Documents” section. The parties must then upload supporting documents, including identity proof, the site plan and photographs of the property.
In the second stage, the saved document must be submitted from the “My Documents” section. Aadhaar authentication must then be completed, followed by the recording of fingerprints, photographs and iris details of the parties.
The third stage involves the online payment of stamp duty and registration charges. In the fourth stage, after payment, the applicant must provide consent online for submitting the document for registration. This completes the applicant’s part of the process.
During the fifth and final stage, the jurisdictional registrar will examine the deed, supporting records and identity documents within 24 hours. If the documents comply with the requirements, the registrar will digitally sign the deed and complete registration. The registered document will subsequently become available for download through the applicant’s login, eliminating the need for a physical visit or token.
