Plot documents to check before buying in Tamil Nadu
Process as publicly described by CMDA, DTCP and the Tamil Nadu revenue and registration departments · Last reviewed
Before paying an advance on a Tamil Nadu plot, pull and match: patta and chitta in the seller's name, a fresh encumbrance certificate (EC) covering at least 30 years, the mother deed and every link deed, the approved layout with your plot released, the FMB sketch checked on the ground by a surveyor, any land-use conversion, and current tax receipts. You can pull most of them online; a property lawyer reads them.
A plain-language description of a public process, not legal advice. Procedures, forms, fees and timelines change — confirm each step on the official portal, and have a property lawyer and a licensed architect or engineer handle your actual file.
Each document — what it proves, where to get it
Patta and chitta
Patta is the revenue record naming the land holder for a survey number; chitta (with adangal) records the land's classification and extent. The name and extent must match the seller and the sale deed.
Where: Tamil Nadu revenue department's online patta-chitta service (eServices), or the taluk office.
Track “Khata / Patta in seller's name” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Encumbrance certificate (EC)
Every registered sale, mortgage and lien on the property over the period searched. Ask for a fresh EC covering at least 30 years, searched by the correct survey number.
Where: TNREGINET, the registration department's portal, or the sub-registrar's office.
Track “Encumbrance Certificate (EC), 30+ years” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Mother deed and link deeds
An unbroken chain of ownership from the earliest deed to the current seller. A missing link deed is a missing owner who may still have a claim.
Where: Certified copies from the sub-registrar's office; a property lawyer reads the chain.
Track “Mother deed & 30-year title chain” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Patta transfer (mutation) after each sale
That the revenue record followed each sale. A patta still in a previous owner's name is a gap to close before you pay, not after.
Where: Revenue department's online services or the taluk office.
Track “Mutation / RTC entries updated” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Approved layout and plot release
That the layout was approved by CMDA or DTCP and that your plot number is in the released list. Without it, building plan approval is routinely refused.
Where: The approval letter and plan from the seller, verified on the authority's own list.
Track “Layout sanction & plot release” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
FMB sketch and boundary survey
The Field Measurement Book (FMB) sketch shows the survey number's shape and dimensions in the revenue record; a licensed surveyor then checks the ground against it and against the deed.
Where: FMB sketch from the revenue department's online services; the survey on site by a licensed surveyor.
Track “Boundary survey matches the deed” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Land-use conversion, if it was farmland
That agricultural land was lawfully converted for residential use before it was plotted.
Where: The conversion order from the seller; the layout approval usually refers to it.
Track “DC conversion / NA order (ex-agricultural land)” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Property-tax and dues receipts
That no tax or charge is outstanding on the plot — dues follow the property, not the seller.
Where: The local body's tax portal or office; latest receipts from the seller.
Track “Property tax paid up to date” in the report's due-diligence checklist →
Who checks what
- You: pull patta, chitta, FMB and EC online, and match names, survey numbers and extents across them.
- A property lawyer: the title chain, the EC entries, conversion orders and a written title opinion.
- A licensed surveyor: the boundary on the ground against the FMB sketch and the deed.
The full 25-point list, with red flags for each, is the plot buying checklist. Once the papers are clean, the building plan approval guide covers what comes next.
Frequently asked questions
What documents should I check before buying a plot in Tamil Nadu?
At minimum: patta and chitta in the seller's name, a fresh encumbrance certificate covering at least 30 years, the mother deed and every link deed, the approved layout with your plot in the released list, the FMB sketch with a surveyor's check on the ground, the land-use conversion if it was ever farmland, and current tax receipts.
What is the difference between patta and chitta?
Patta names who holds the land for a survey number. Chitta records the land's classification and extent, held with the adangal. Both are revenue records; you match them against the sale deed's name and measurements.
What is an FMB sketch?
The Field Measurement Book sketch is the revenue department's drawing of a survey number — its shape, boundaries and dimensions. A licensed surveyor uses it to check that the plot on the ground matches the record and the deed.
Where can I check patta and EC online in Tamil Nadu?
Patta, chitta and the FMB sketch are on the Tamil Nadu revenue department's online services; the encumbrance certificate is on TNREGINET, the registration department's portal. Pulling them yourself is free or cheap — reading them is where a property lawyer earns their fee.
Is a registered sale deed enough to prove ownership?
No. Registration records the transaction; it does not certify that the seller had clear title. That is what the title chain, the EC and a lawyer's opinion are for.
More before-you-build guides
- Building plan approval in Chennai — the steps — Who approves a house plan, who files it, the documents, the online application and what happens after the permit.
- CMDA vs DTCP approval — which one applies to your plot — The two planning authorities in Tamil Nadu, where each one's area ends, and how to tell which approved a layout.
- Layout approval check — approved vs unapproved plots — How to verify a layout approval number, confirm your plot is released, and why an unapproved layout is the costly mistake.
- Chennai setback rules, FSI and height limits — the numbers themselves, computed from TNCDBR 2019.
- Plot buying checklist — every due-diligence check, its red flags and who verifies it.