Buying land is one of the biggest things a family does. This guide explains it in very simple words, so that even a student can understand every step. Wherever you can check something yourself, the official website is given.
Can a child buy land?
A person under 18 cannot sign an agreement on his or her own. The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (Section 11) says only a person who has reached the age of majority can make a contract. So if land is to be bought for a child, a parent or guardian handles the deal. Take legal advice before buying land in a child's name.
First, learn these words
- Seller: the person who owns the land and is selling it.
- Buyer: the person who is buying the land.
- Khata and Khesra: the numbers the government uses to identify a piece of land, like a house number.
- Jamabandi: the government register that shows whose name the land is in.
- Registry / Kewala / Sale deed: the paper that moves the land from the seller to the buyer. It is made at the registry office.
- Sub-Registrar: the officer at the registry office who registers the sale deed.
- Stamp duty and registration fee: money paid to the government when the sale deed is registered.
- Bayana (advance): part of the price paid before the registry, usually with a written agreement.
- Mutation / Dakhil-kharij: changing the name in the jamabandi from the seller to the buyer after the registry.
- Rent receipt (Lagan rasid): the receipt for the land tax paid to the government.
8 easy steps
- Decide the budget and the place. Keep extra money aside for stamp duty, registration fee and other costs.
- See the land with your own eyes. Walk around it, see the boundary and the road, and ask the neighbours who owns it.
- Check the seller's name online. Open https://emutation.bihar.gov.in/biharBhumireport/ViewJamabandi.aspx and see that the jamabandi is in the seller's name. Then do all the 10 checks before buying land.
- If it is a plot in a project, check RERA. See whether the project is registered at https://rera.bihar.gov.in/Background.aspx.
- Write down the deal. If you pay bayana, make a written agreement signed by both sides with witnesses, and pay through the bank so there is a record.
- Calculate the costs and book the registry. Use https://enibandhan.bihar.gov.in to find the government value of the land, calculate stamp duty and fees, and book a slot at the registry office.
- Do the registry. Buyer, seller and witnesses go to the Sub-Registrar with ID proof. A sale of land worth one hundred rupees or more must be made by a registered deed (Transfer of Property Act, 1882, Section 54; Registration Act, 1908, Section 17).
- Get your name in the records. After the registry, get mutation done: read how to get mutation done. Then pay land tax at https://www.bhulagan.bihar.gov.in/ and keep the receipt.
An example
This is an imaginary example to explain the steps; it is not a real case.
Aarav is 12. His father wants to buy a small plot near Patna, and Aarav helps him follow this guide.
- They visit the land and ask two neighbours who owns it. Both name the seller.
- At home, Aarav opens the jamabandi page with his father and finds the seller's name on the same khata and khesra.
- They do the 10 checks. The plot is not part of a project, so RERA does not apply.
- His father pays a small bayana by bank transfer and signs a written agreement with the seller and two witnesses.
- On eNibandhan they see the government value, calculate the stamp duty and book the registry. His father, the seller and the witnesses go to the Sub-Registrar.
- After the registry, they check the mutation status, the name changes in the jamabandi, and the first rent receipt comes in his father's name.
Because Aarav is under 18, the agreement and the registry are signed by his father, not by Aarav.
Papers to keep safe forever
- Original registered sale deed
- Agreement and bank record of every payment
- Mutation order and the new jamabandi
- Every rent receipt
Frequently asked questions
Can someone under 18 buy land?
A person under 18 cannot sign a contract (Indian Contract Act, 1872, Section 11). A parent or guardian handles the deal; take legal advice before buying land in a child's name.
Is a stamp paper agreement enough to buy land?
No. A sale of land worth one hundred rupees or more must be made by a registered deed (Transfer of Property Act, Section 54).
Where do I see the government value of land and the stamp duty?
On the eNibandhan portal of the Bihar Registration Department.
How do I know the seller really owns the land?
Check the jamabandi online, then do the 10 checks in our guide on checking land before buying.
What should I do after the registry?
Get mutation done so that the jamabandi shows your name, and then pay land tax and keep the receipt.
This article is general information in simple words and is not legal advice or solicitation, in accordance with the rules of the Bar Council of India. For any real purchase, consult an advocate.
Related on this site: 10 checks before buying land · How to get mutation done · Property & Title in Patna
Official sources (links checked 4 November 2026): Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Transfer of Property Act, 1882 · Registration Act, 1908 · eNibandhan Bihar · View Jamabandi · RERA Bihar · Bhu-Lagan Bihar
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