Registry Charges in Patna 2026: Stamp Duty, Fees and MVR
Short answer: registering a sale deed (kewala) for land, a house or a flat in Patna — or anywhere in Bihar — usually costs 6% stamp duty + 2% registration fee = 8%. When a man sells to a woman, it is 5.7% + 1.9% = 7.6%. When a woman sells to a man, it is 6.3% + 2.1% = 8.4%. The percentage is charged on the price in the deed or the MVR value (the government minimum value), whichever is higher.
Most Patna buyers settle the price of a plot or flat first and only work out the registry cost in the final week — and then discover they need several lakh rupees more. This guide uses the government's own table to show what each charge is, who pays less, and how to work out your cost before you pay a token amount.
How much does a registry cost in Patna? (sale deed / kewala)
| Seller → buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man → woman | 5.7% | 1.9% | 7.6% |
| Woman → man | 6.3% | 2.1% | 8.4% |
| Every other case (e.g. man → man, woman → woman) | 6% | 2% | 8% |
The same rates apply to land, houses and flats, and they are the same in Patna city and in rural blocks such as Bihta, Naubatpur or Punpun. What changes from place to place is the MVR.
Buying in joint names (e.g. husband and wife): the government table lists only the three cases above. Ask your sub-registry office which rate applies to a joint purchase, and get it in writing before you finalise the deal.
What is MVR and how does it decide your registry cost?
MVR (Minimum Value Register) is the government rate for each area below which stamp duty cannot be charged. People in Patna often call it the circle rate.
- If the price in your deed is higher than the MVR value → duty and fee are charged on the deed price.
- If the price in your deed is lower than the MVR value → duty and fee are charged on the MVR value.
So the old advice to "write a lower price on paper to save stamp duty" doesn't work. Under rule 9(2) of the Bihar Registration Rules, 2008, if a deed carries less stamp duty than the MVR requires, the registering officer refers it for valuation under Section 47-A of the Stamp Act. And understating the real price hurts you later when you sell, take a loan or calculate tax.
Watch the MVR in 2026: there have been news reports in 2026 of MVR increases across Bihar, including Patna. So don't trust old figures, videos or private online calculators. Ask the sub-registry office where the deed will be registered for today's MVR for your mauza, khata-khesra or flat, and get the full calculation in writing before you pay any token amount.
Worked example: registry cost on a ₹40 lakh plot
Say you agree to buy a plot in Patna for ₹40 lakh, and its MVR value is lower than that (so the charges are worked out on ₹40 lakh):
| Case | Stamp duty | Registration fee | Total government charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man → man (6% + 2%) | ₹2,40,000 | ₹80,000 | ₹3,20,000 |
| Man → woman (5.7% + 1.9%) | ₹2,28,000 | ₹76,000 | ₹3,04,000 |
| Woman → man (6.3% + 2.1%) | ₹2,52,000 | ₹84,000 | ₹3,36,000 |
The scanning fee (below) is added on top. If the same plot's MVR value were ₹50 lakh, everything would be worked out on ₹50 lakh — ₹4,00,000 in the man → man case.
Registering in a woman's name: buying from a male seller saves about ₹16,000 on a ₹40 lakh deal. But don't pick the name only to save stamp duty — the person named in the deed is the legal owner. Think about the home loan, inheritance and your family situation first.
What else do you pay besides stamp duty and the fee?
| Charge | How much |
|---|---|
| Scanning fee (government) | By total pages of the document, including endorsement and photo pages: 1–10 pages ₹250, 11–20 pages ₹500, over 20 pages ₹1,000 |
| Rebate for the online registration process | The government table lists a 1% rebate on the stamp duty payable, up to ₹2,000 (ask the registry office whether it applies to your case) |
| Deed writer (katib) or lawyer | Not a government fee — agreed privately. Ask and get it in writing up front. |
| Home loan mortgage deed | For retail housing loans in favour of banks/financial institutions: stamp duty capped at ₹20,000 and registration fee capped at ₹5,000 |
There is no government fee for dakhil-kharij (mutation) after the registry. See our dakhil-kharij online guide.
Gift, partition, release and power of attorney: what do they cost?
Many Patna property papers are family transfers, not sales. According to the government table:
| Document | Stamp duty | Registration fee |
|---|---|---|
| Gift deed | Same as a sale: man → woman 5.7%, woman → man 6.3%, others 6% | 1.9% / 2.1% / 2% |
| Partition of inherited/family property | ₹50 | ₹50 |
| Release of a share in ancestral property executed by or in favour of the releasing person's brother/sister, father/mother, spouse, or children of a predeceased son (or their legal heirs) | 3% of the share's MVR value | ₹1,000 |
| Release — any other case | 6% (same as a sale) | ₹1,000 |
| Settlement deed in favour of family members | 3% | 2% |
| Power of attorney to a non-family member to sell property in Bihar | 6% (on the MVR value) | ₹10,000 |
| Power of attorney to a family member (as defined in the table: father, mother, spouse, son, daughter, brother/sister, daughter-in-law, and children of a son or daughter) | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000 |
Note that in Bihar, a gift within the family pays the same rate as a sale — the table gives no separate concession for it. The conditions for partition and release (which relations count, what counts as ancestral property) depend on each case, so have someone who knows the rules look at yours before the deed is drafted.
What does registering a sale agreement (token / bayana) cost?
For an agreement to sell immovable property, the government table lists 2% stamp duty and a ₹1,000 registration fee. Many buyers hand over a token amount against a simple receipt with no registered agreement — that's risky. Ask the sub-registry office how the duty paid on the agreement is treated when the sale deed is registered.
Buying a flat? Under RERA, a builder cannot take more than 10% of the price without a registered agreement for sale. The full list is in our Patna flat-buying checklist.
What to check before the registry so your money is safe
- Is the property on the prohibited list? The registration department's portal enibandhan.bihar.gov.in has "View Prohibited Properties", searchable by registration office, circle, thana, khata and plot number.
- Is the seller's jamabandi online with the full area? If not, your mutation will get stuck after the registry. See how to check jamabandi, khatiyan and LPC online.
- Which Master Plan zone is the land in? Land in a green/agricultural zone or on a proposed road can still be registered, but building on it may be a problem. See Patna Master Plan 2031 explained.
- The full cost in writing: MVR, stamp duty, fee, scanning and deed writer — all added up before you pay a token amount.
- "Table of Stamp Duty & Registration Fee", Department of Prohibition, Excise & Registration (Registration), Government of Bihar — PDF (nibandhan.bihar.gov.in)
- Page 3, S.No. 19 (Article 23, Conveyance): 5.7%/1.9%, 6.3%/2.1%, 6%/2%
- Page 2, S.No. 15: "purchase price or value based on MVR, whichever is higher"
- Duty below MVR: Bihar Registration Rules, 2008 — rule 2(v) (MVR defined under the Bihar Stamp (Prevention of Under-valuation of Instruments) Rules, 1995) and rule 9(2) (referral under Section 47-A)
- Page 1, S.No. 5(b): sale agreement 2% + ₹1,000 · Page 4, S.No. 28: gift · Page 5, S.No. 34: mortgage (housing loan max ₹20,000 + ₹5,000)
- Page 6, S.No. 39: partition ₹50 + ₹50 · Page 7, S.No. 43: power of attorney · Page 8, S.No. 47 and 50: release, settlement
- Page 10: 1% rebate up to ₹2,000 for online registration (S.O. No. 10/2016) · Page 11: scanning fee
- "View Prohibited Properties" — enibandhan.bihar.gov.in
- Table and portal checked on 14.10.2026. This is the latest table published on the department's website; the 2026 MVR information is based on news reports — confirm your area's MVR with the registry office.
What should you do? (our advice)
- Budget a little more than 8% — besides stamp duty and the fee there is scanning, the deed writer and travel.
- Ask for the MVR first: as soon as the price is agreed, get today's MVR for that khesra or flat from the sub-registry office. If the MVR value is above the deal price, you pay on the MVR value.
- Don't agree to understate the price on paper. It doesn't take the duty below MVR, and it hurts you later.
- Buying in a woman's name saves a little — but decide ownership carefully.
- Apply for dakhil-kharij in the same week as the registry. The full plot checklist is in our Patna plot buying guide.
Patna registry charges: FAQs
- What are the registry charges in Bihar?
Usually 6% stamp duty plus 2% registration fee, a total of 8%. When a man sells to a woman it is 5.7% + 1.9% = 7.6%, and when a woman sells to a man it is 6.3% + 2.1% = 8.4%. The rate applies to the deed price or the MVR value, whichever is higher.
- How much stamp duty do women pay in Bihar?
When a woman buys from a male seller, stamp duty is 5.7% instead of 6% and the registration fee is 1.9% instead of 2%. On a ₹40 lakh deal that saves about ₹16,000.
- What are flat registration charges in Patna?
The same as for land: usually 6% + 2%, worked out on the flat's deed price or its MVR value, whichever is higher.
- Can a property be registered below the MVR in Bihar?
A lower price can be written in the deed, but stamp duty and the fee are charged at least on the MVR value, so writing a lower price doesn't save stamp duty.
- How do I find the MVR for my land in Patna?
MVR differs by area, and there have been reports of increases in 2026. Ask the sub-registry office where the deed will be registered for today's MVR for your mauza and khata-khesra.
- What does a partition deed of ancestral property cost in Bihar?
According to the government table, a partition deed of inherited/family property carries ₹50 stamp duty and a ₹50 registration fee.
- Is there a fee for dakhil-kharij after the registry?
No. Dakhil-kharij (mutation) has no government fee in Bihar. Apply online on the Bihar Bhumi portal within 90 days of the registry.
This article is based on the stamp duty and fee table published by the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department, Bihar, as of 14 October 2026. Rates and MVR can change — confirm with your sub-registry office before the registry.
