Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay-led government on Monday made online and presence-less registration compulsory for the first sale of plots and flats in the state in a move aimed to improve transparency and reduce the need for physical visits to sub-registrar offices.
The initiative was launched by the chief minister at the secretariat in Chennai. It is the first step in the registration department's shift to an advanced system, known as STAR 3.0, according to a press release.
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Online registration mandatory for first-sale plots and flats
Under the new system, documents related to the first sale of plots in layouts and apartments will have to be registered only through the online process in Tamil Nadu.
Notably, the first sale of a plot refers to the first time a newly developed plot of land or a flat is sold by the developer to a buyer.
{{/usCountry}}Notably, the first sale of a plot refers to the first time a newly developed plot of land or a flat is sold by the developer to a buyer.
{{/usCountry}}A statement from Vijay’s office read, “The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C Joseph Vijay, today (17.8.2026) at the Secretariat, on behalf of the Commercial Tax and Registration Department, launched the process of mandatory registration of first sale of land and first sale of house in apartments in Tamil Nadu only through online, presence-less registration.”
The move is aimed at “improving transparency and efficiency in the registration process and providing easier services to the public”, the press release said.
The new process removes the need for the concerned people to visit sub-registrar offices in person, the release said.
How it will work
Builders, developers and applicants will have to create login credentials on the registration department's TNREGINET portal before submitting the documents.
Meanwhile, executants, claimants and witnesses will need to upload their Aadhaar details and complete biometric authentication through fingerprint or iris verification. This eliminates their need to visit a sub-registrar's office.
Registering officers will have to process applications within 24 hours. They can approve an application, return it for corrections or reject it. Documents sent back for rectification can be submitted again within 30 days.
To prevent forgery, registered documents will carry the sub-registrar's digital signature, a dynamic five-colour endorsement, and a QR code on every page that contains the registration details.
After registration, the documents will be digitally signed by the sub-registrar and made available through the user account created for the registration.
Users will be able to download verified documents from their accounts for 60 days. After this period, members of the public can apply for a certified copy and obtain the registered document through the existing process.