Kewala Copy Bihar: Get a Certified Sale Deed Copy (Patna 2026)

Where to get your kewala copy: it depends on the year

The split comes from Bhumijankari's own notice. Its data covers deeds up to 15 December 2024. Deeds registered after 16 December 2024 are in e-Nibandhan's Certified Copy module.

How to get a certified copy from e-Nibandhan

Deeds registered on the computer system, or already digitised, are copied online. This is the e-Certified Copy, digitally signed by the officer.

1. Open enibandhan.bihar.gov.in and click "Certified Copy". You need a citizen account on the portal and must log in.
2. Fill in the deed number, the date and year of registration and the registry office. Add the seller's (Executant) and buyer's (Claimant) names, and say who you are: seller, buyer or another person.
3. Pay the fee online. The portal shows the total when you apply.
4. The digitally signed copy is issued online. Portal helpdesk: 14544 / 0612-3522300.

An online copy and a copy handed over at the office count the same.

Source: Bihar Registration Rules 2026 (Gazette No. 759).

Don't know the deed number? Search Bhumijankari

bhumijankari.bihar.gov.in, the Registration Department's older portal, has three searches. None needs a login:

1. Advance Search: pick the period: "Online Registration (2016 To Till Date)", "Post Computerisation (2006 To 2015)" or "Pre Computerisation (Before 2005)". Choose the registry office and dates. Then fill in what you know: circle, mauza, khata number, plot (khesra) number, deed number, party name, father's/husband's name, area.
2. Search By Party Name: type the seller's (Executant) or buyer's (Claimant) name in English and pick the years. Start from the beginning of the name, spelt as in the deed. Results show the office, circle, mauza, khata, khesra and party name.
3. Search By Serial No.: if you know the deed number, pick the registry office and year.

"View Web Copy" on the same portal shows a scanned deed if one is available. Enter the office, year and deed number. On 20 October 2026 one deed we tried returned "Pdf File Not Available". A web copy is for viewing only. For any official or legal use, get a certified copy.

How to get an old kewala (before 2006) from the registry office

Old deeds still kept on paper in the record room are copied by hand at the registry office. The copy carries the registry officer's signature and seal.

1. Find out which registry office registered the deed. It is on the deed's seal and on the registration page (endorsement).
2. File the search-and-copy form (Form-I) at that office. Give the deed number, year, office and the names of seller and buyer.
3. Pay the searching and copying fees and keep the receipt. Ask when the copy will be ready.

No deed number? Go with the rough year and the seller's and buyer's names. The search fee is charged per name and per year (see below). An old rent receipt or jamabandi at home gives you the khata-khesra.

Bhumijankari lists these registry offices in Patna district (with codes): Patna (2800), Patna City (2801), Danapur (2802), Barh (2803), Bikram (2804), Masaurhi (2805), Phulwarisharif (2806), Bihta (2808), Fatuha (2809), Sampatchak (2810).

What does a certified copy of a sale deed cost in Bihar?

The Form-I receipt shows a searching fee and a copying fee separately. The department's fee chart (December 2020, still its latest published chart on 20 October 2026) lists:

For an online application, the total shown on the portal is final.

Why anyone can get a copy, and what it is used for

A kewala is the registered sale document for land or a house. It is also called the sale deed, bainama or vikray patra. The buyer gets a copy. The record stays with the registry office for good, in Register Book No. 1.

The Registration Act lets any person who pays the fee see Book No. 1 and get certified copies. So a buyer does not need the seller's permission to pull the seller's deed. A copy signed and sealed by the registry officer can prove what the original deed says.

• Original deed lost or damaged: the certified copy proves what it said. For a bank loan or a court matter, ask that bank or your lawyer what else they need.
• Dakhil-kharij (mutation): the form asks for the deed number and date, and you upload the deed. See our dakhil-kharij online guide.
• Before buying a plot: take a photocopy of the seller's deed. Pull the certified copy of the same deed yourself. Compare names, khata, khesra, area and boundaries line by line. Any mismatch, stop the deal.
• To complete the chain of title: pull every sale deed in the chain. Start from the raiyat in the khatiyan and end at today's seller. Khatiyan: how to get a Bihar khatiyan.

Source: Registration Act 1908.

What should you do? (Our advice)

• Get certified copies of all family deeds now, especially old ones that are tearing. Old records take longest to trace, just when you need them fast.
• Before buying a plot, pull the certified copy of the seller's deed yourself. Don't rely on a "copy" from the seller or a broker.
• Also get an Encumbrance Certificate (EC). It shows whether an earlier sale or mortgage of the same land is on record.
• The full checklist: plot buying guide for Patna and how to avoid land fraud in Patna.
• Living outside Bihar and can't visit offices? We can pull the deed copies and check the whole chain for you.

Kewala copy: frequently asked questions

1. I registered recently. Where is my kewala PDF?

   As soon as a deed is registered, a printed copy is handed over. A link to its PDF may also be sent to the parties' registered mobile or e-mail. Don't delete that message. Download the PDF and keep it safe.

2. My kewala doesn't show on Bhumijankari. What now?

   First check whether it was registered after 16 December 2024; then it is on e-Nibandhan. The portal is slow and often times out. For "No Records Found", try the other period (Pre/Post Computerisation) or another spelling of the name. Still nothing? Apply at the registry office where the deed was registered.

3. I got the online copy. Can I also get one from the office record?

   Yes. Where the paper record exists, the office gives a copy from it too, for a fee. You rarely need it, because both copies count the same.

4. Can I get a copy of someone's will the same way?

   No. Wills sit in a different register book, and the rules for copies are stricter. The "anyone can get a copy" rule is for sale deeds and other documents in Book No. 1.

Written on 20 October 2026 from the Bihar Registration Rules 2026 (Bihar Gazette No. 759), the Registration Act 1908, the Registration Department's fee chart, and the e-Nibandhan and Bhumijankari portals. Portal menus and fees can change; go by what the portal or office shows when you apply.