Sale deed in Punjab and Chandigarh: duty, registration and papers
A sale deed is the registered paper that moves ownership of a freehold property from the seller to the buyer; paying the price, taking possession or signing a notarised paper does not.
In Punjab it costs 7.25% of the higher of the price and the Collector rate, with 3% instead of 5% on the duty itself for a woman buyer, plus a registration fee of 1% capped at Rs 2,00,000; in Chandigarh the published schedule says 5% but we are still confirming it, so ask us or the Sub-Registrar before you buy stamp.
Present the deed within four months of signing it, to the Sub-Registrar of the place where the property lies, with every seller, every buyer and two witnesses.
Checked on against the Punjab Revenue Department’s published fee table and the Chandigarh Administration’s published schedule, as our sale deed page states them. Neither table carries a notification number on its face, so confirm each figure at the Sub-Registrar’s counter before you buy stamp. Guide updated .
What is a sale deed, and when do you need one?
A sale deed (bainama, or “registry”) is the conveyance itself: the paper that moves ownership from seller to buyer. Our free sale deed is for a built, freehold residential property sold outright, with the whole price paid on or before registration.
Until it is stamped and registered, ownership has not moved, however much has been paid, and an unregistered sale deed cannot even be used as evidence of the sale.
A deal usually starts with an agreement to sell, which is only a promise to sell. If the owner is really passing the property to a child, grandchild, brother or sister, a sale deed is the wrong and expensive paper; see our gift deed guide.
What does a sale deed cost in Punjab?
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty, cess and fees | 7.25% of the higher of the price and the Collector rate: 5% duty, 1% cess, 1% Board fee and 0.25% Special Infrastructure Development Fee |
| Registration fee | 1% of the same value, minimum Rs 50, maximum Rs 2,00,000; pasting fee Rs 200 |
| Facilitation charges | Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, by price band |
Writing a lower price does not lower the duty: an undervalued deed can be referred to the Collector, who can demand the deficit with penalty and interest years later. See our Punjab stamp duty guide.
What does a sale deed cost in Chandigarh?
Either way there is no concession for a woman buyer and none of Punjab’s cess or fees. The registration fee is 1%, maximum Rs 10,000 (confirm the cap when you book), plus a Rs 20 pasting fee.
Check the tenure first: the same schedule charges a transfer of lease rights by way of sale at 3%, so a freehold deed on a leasehold site pays too much and recites the wrong tenure. Value the property from the Collector Rates schedule effective 1 April 2026, not the online calculator, which lags behind it. See our Chandigarh stamp duty guide.
How is a sale deed registered?
Registration is compulsory, at the Sub-Registrar of the sub-district where the property lies, never a notary. Present the deed within four months of signing; the Registrar may accept it within a further four months on a fine of up to ten times the registration fee, and after eight months it cannot be registered at all.
- Punjab: book a slot and generate the challan on Easy Registry, pay against it, and attend with all sellers, all buyers and two witnesses. Registration is a one-day notified service. Buy the e-stamp in a party’s name and not far ahead: one left unlocked for more than four months is locked. The Mohali registration guide has the steps.
- Chandigarh: the Sub-Registrar, UT Chandigarh, 30 Bays Building, Sector 17. Documents are presented between 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm and registered between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm. A freehold sale deed goes in triplicate.
Who has to sign and attend?
- Every recorded co-owner must join as a seller, or first release their share by a registered release deed. A sale by fewer transfers only the signers’ shares.
- Two witnesses attend. In Chandigarh the first must be a Lambardar, Sarpanch or Member Panchayat, or a councillor, gazetted officer or advocate. In Punjab practice is settled locally, so ask the tehsil office whom it accepts.
- A seller who cannot attend may sign through an attorney, under a power of attorney that is registered, not merely notarised, and expressly authorises the sale. See our power of attorney guide.
Which papers should you carry?
Tick these off with our free registration presentation checklist:
- The stamped deed in the copies the office needs, and the original title deeds with the chain behind them
- PAN (or Form 60), Aadhaar and passport photographs for every party
- The latest property tax receipt, and the Form 26QB acknowledgement where the price is Rs 50 lakh or more
- Punjab: the current jamabandi or fard and the non-encumbrance certificate. Chandigarh sector site: the Estate Office No Dues Certificate and the buyer’s affidavit-cum-indemnity bond
What happens after the deed is registered?
In Punjab the mutation (intkal) does not happen by itself: an uncontested one is a 45-day notified service, and it moves the revenue entry without conferring title. In Chandigarh a sector site is mutated automatically from the registered deed, so the buyer’s affidavit-cum-indemnity bond goes in with the deed.
What mistakes do people make with a sale deed?
- Budgeting 5% in Punjab and missing the levies that bring it to 7.25%.
- Relying on a notarised paper: there is no such thing as a “notarised registry”.
- Registering without every recorded co-owner.
Questions people ask
Does ownership pass as soon as the sale deed is signed?
No. Ownership passes only once the deed is properly stamped and then registered at the Sub-Registrar’s office. Paying the full price, or the buyer moving in, does not by itself transfer anything, and an unregistered sale deed cannot even be used to prove the sale.
What is the stamp duty on a sale deed in Punjab?
7.25% of the higher of the price and the Collector rate: 5% stamp duty, a 1% cess, a 1% Board fee and a 0.25% Special Infrastructure Development Fee. A woman buyer pays 3% instead of 5% on the duty itself. Registration is a further 1%, capped at Rs 2,00,000. These figures were checked on 6 September 2026; confirm them at the Sub-Registrar’s counter before you buy stamp.
Is stamp duty on a sale deed in Chandigarh 5% or 6%?
The Chandigarh Administration’s own published schedule and calculator say 5%, not the 6% repeated on property websites, but we have not traced the notification that fixed the rate, so we do not state it as settled. Ask us, or confirm the figure at the Sub-Registrar before you buy stamp. There is no concession for a woman buyer.
Can one co-owner sign the sale deed for the whole family?
Not by signing for the others. Every recorded co-owner must join as a seller, or first give up their share by a registered release deed. A deed signed by fewer transfers only the shares of those who signed, and the buyer ends up a co-owner with the rest of the family.
How long do you have to register a sale deed?
Four months from signing. After that the Registrar may accept it within a further four months on a fine of up to ten times the proper registration fee, and after eight months it cannot be registered at all.
This guide explains the rules as our document pages state them. It is not legal advice about your own situation; for that, speak to somebody who has heard your facts.