Aadhaar Verification to Strengthen Property Registration

 

By The Realty Times | Real Estate News Services

Mumbai : According to Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the new system is intended to reduce cases involving impersonation, fake parties and fraudulent witnesses during property registration.

The Registration and Stamps Department, which handles registration of immovable property documents, will use Aadhaar-based verification to establish the identity of people involved in transactions. The government has said the measure is also expected to reduce human intervention and improve transparency in the registration process.

The move follows concerns over the misuse of identity documents and gaps in the existing property-registration process. Earlier, Aadhaar linkage was optional, allowing registration officials to proceed without Aadhaar authentication in certain cases.

The new provisions also provide an alternative process for people who do not yet have an Aadhaar number.

Such applicants can submit proof of Aadhaar enrolment, along with another government-issued identity document and documents establishing their relationship with the relevant person involved in the transaction. The registration will be completed only after the submitted identity and supporting documents are verified.

Special provisions have also been included for children and certain eligible categories. For individuals below 18 years of age, Aadhaar enrolment can be initiated with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. The government has clarified that eligible persons should not be denied registration solely because an Aadhaar number is not available.

The new requirement means that buyers, sellers and other parties involved in covered property-document registrations will need to prepare for Aadhaar-based identity verification.

For homebuyers and property owners, the change is particularly relevant when registering sale deeds, purchase documents, mortgage documents and partition deeds. Property buyers are likely to need to ensure that their Aadhaar and supporting identity details are ready before visiting the registration office.

The government expects the system to create a stronger identity-verification trail and reduce the possibility of fraudulent registrations carried out using fake identities.

Maharashtra is one of India's largest real-estate markets, with a large volume of property registrations taking place every year. Strengthening identity verification at the registration stage could therefore have a significant impact on the state's property-registration ecosystem.

The new Aadhaar requirement represents a shift towards greater digital identity verification in property transactions. Its implementation will be closely watched by homebuyers, property owners, developers, lawyers and registration professionals across Maharashtra.

With Aadhaar authentication now mandatory for 63 categories of immovable property document registrations, property buyers and sellers in Maharashtra will need to factor the new identity-verification requirement into their registration process from October 1, 2026.