E-Stamp Paper: How to Buy Online, Verify It, and Get a Refund

E-stamp paper is an electronic certificate showing that stamp duty has been paid. In 25 states and union territories it is issued through Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL), online at shcilestamp.com or at authorised collection centres. Maharashtra uses its own GRAS and e-SBTR system instead. You check any SHCIL certificate free on the same website using its number, state and issue date.

Key takeaways

• SHCIL is the Central Record Keeping Agency for e-stamping. It says it issued 21.14 crore certificates worth Rs 68,718 crore of duty in 2025-26.
• Maharashtra pays duty through GRAS challans and e-SBTR bank receipts, not SHCIL. Kerala runs e-stamping through its own treasury and registration systems.
• An e-stamp has no expiry date for use. The six-month limit in section 54 of the Indian Stamp Act applies to refunds, not to using the paper, though Maharashtra and Gujarat treat it differently.
• An unused e-stamp can be refunded by the Collector, usually within six months and minus 10% of the value.
• Denominations are set by each state: for an affidavit, anywhere from Rs 10 (Delhi, UP) to Rs 500 on paper in Maharashtra.

Which states use SHCIL, and which don't

Stamp duty is a state subject, so each state chooses how it collects it (property rates by state are in our stamp duty and registration charges table). SHCIL's network reached 25 states and union territories when it launched in Goa in March 2025, and its 2025-26 annual report also records a launch in Sikkim and an appointment by Lakshadweep.

For property sale deeds, duty is usually paid online at the time of registration; see our guides to stamp duty in UP and stamp duty in Maharashtra. E-stamp paper matters most for smaller instruments: rent agreements, affidavits, indemnity bonds and agreements to sell.

How to buy an e-stamp on SHCIL

Online

1. Go to shcilestamp.com and choose your state. Online purchase isn't offered in every state; where it isn't, the site points you to a centre.
2. Enter the first party (who pays), the second party, the article or type of document, the consideration and the duty amount.
3. Pay by net banking, UPI or card.
4. Download the certificate and print it, or collect a printed one from the chosen centre, depending on the state.

At a counter

Most buyers still use an authorised collection centre: a bank branch, stamp vendor or licensed agent. Fill the application with the same details, pay, and the centre prints the certificate on the spot. Centres add a small service charge on top of the duty, which varies by state and agent.

Maharashtra's different route

In Maharashtra you generate a challan on the GRAS portal and pay online or through a listed bank, which gives a Government Reference Number (GRN). The sub-registrar verifies it in the iSARITA system and marks it "defaced" so it can't be reused. For a printed paper, listed banks issue an e-SBTR on security stationery that looks like old stamp paper; older descriptions put its minimum at Rs 5,000. Smaller amounts can go on franking or physical stamp paper.

How to check that an e-stamp is genuine

1. On shcilestamp.com, open the verification page, or use SHCIL's mobile app.
2. Select the state and enter the certificate number, stamp duty type and issue date, plus the session code shown.
3. Check the result against the paper: party names, amount, purpose and date should all match.
4. Or scan the QR code printed on the certificate.

For a GRAS payment in Maharashtra, search the challan by GRN on the GRAS portal. Always verify an e-stamp a broker or landlord hands you before signing anything on it. A certificate whose names or purpose don't match your document is a warning sign even if the number is real.

How much e-stamp you need: worked examples

A Mumbai leave and licence agreement

Maharashtra charges 0.25% on the rent for the whole period plus 10% of the refundable deposit for each year. Take an 11-month licence at Rs 40,000 a month with a Rs 2,00,000 deposit:

• Rent: Rs 40,000 x 11 = Rs 4,40,000
• Deposit component: 10% x Rs 2,00,000 x 1 year = Rs 20,000
• Duty: 0.25% x Rs 4,60,000 = Rs 1,150, plus a Rs 1,000 registration fee

Section 55 of the Maharashtra Rent Control Act, 1999 requires every leave and licence agreement to be registered, even an 11-month one, so this is paid through GRAS at registration, not on a pre-bought paper.

A Bengaluru rent agreement

Karnataka's Article 30(1)(i) charges a residential lease of up to one year at 0.5% of the annual rent plus deposit, capped at Rs 500. For rent of Rs 30,000 a month and a Rs 3,00,000 deposit: Rs 3,60,000 + Rs 3,00,000 = Rs 6,60,000 x 0.5% = Rs 3,300, so the cap applies and the duty is Rs 500. Most city leases hit the cap.

Whether to register or only notarise a rent agreement is a separate question, covered in our comparison of registered and notarised rent agreements.

Affidavits

Affidavit duty ranges from Rs 10 in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal to Rs 20 in Karnataka and Telangana, Rs 50 in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and Rs 100 in Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra raised affidavit duty to Rs 500 by an ordinance of 14 October 2024, but on 30 October 2024 its stamp department told government offices to keep accepting affidavits on Rs 100 paper, and that many can be filed on plain paper.

Validity, refunds and mistakes

Does an e-stamp expire?

No. The Indian Stamp Act sets no expiry date, and the Supreme Court held in Thiruvengada Pillai v. Navaneethammal (2008) that stamp papers don't have one. The six months in section 54 limits when you can surrender unused paper for a refund. Some states take a stricter line, and one guide notes that Maharashtra and Gujarat treat six months as a validity period, so buy close to signing there.

Getting a refund

Apply to the Collector of the district, on the form the district publishes, with the original certificate, an affidavit that it wasn't used and your ID. Delhi and UP refunds carry a 10% deduction, which the Delhi High Court has upheld. The usual window is six months from purchase, but the Delhi High Court has also held that a refund can be sought later where the buyer didn't know within six months that the paper would go unused. A spoiled paper, such as one with a misprinted name, falls under sections 49 and 50 and must be claimed within six months of spoiling. Expect several months for the money to arrive.

Common mistakes

• Buying in the wrong state. Duty is owed to the state where the document is executed or the property sits.
• Wrong article or amount. Under-stamped documents can be impounded and charged a penalty before a court accepts them.
• Party names not matching the document.
• Printing the agreement on a certificate bought for another purpose.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy e-stamp paper online in Maharashtra?

Not through SHCIL. Maharashtra collects stamp duty through its own GRAS portal, where you pay online and get a challan with a GRN, and through e-SBTR receipts printed by listed banks. Registered documents such as leave and licence agreements have duty paid through GRAS at registration. For small instruments, franking and physical stamp paper are still used.

How do I verify an e-stamp certificate?

Go to shcilestamp.com or SHCIL's mobile app, choose the state and enter the certificate number, stamp duty type and issue date. The result should match the names, amount and purpose on your paper. You can also scan the QR code on the certificate. In Maharashtra, search the GRAS challan by its GRN on the GRAS portal instead.

What is the validity of e-stamp paper?

There is no expiry date for using it. The Supreme Court held in 2008 that stamp papers have no validity period, and the six-month limit in section 54 of the Stamp Act applies only to refunds of unused paper. Some states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat by one account, treat six months as a validity period, so use it promptly there.

Can I get a refund for an unused e-stamp?

Yes, from the Collector of the district where it was bought. Submit the original certificate, an affidavit that it was never used and ID proof, normally within six months of purchase. Delhi and Uttar Pradesh deduct 10% of the duty. The Delhi High Court has allowed later claims where the buyer only learnt after six months that the paper would go unused.

How much e-stamp paper is needed for a rent agreement?

It depends on the state and the rent. Delhi guides quote Rs 50 or Rs 100 for an 11-month agreement. Karnataka charges 0.5% of annual rent plus deposit, capped at Rs 500. Maharashtra charges 0.25% of total rent plus 10% of the deposit per year, so an 11-month Mumbai licence at Rs 40,000 a month with a Rs 2 lakh deposit needs Rs 1,150.

If you are signing a rent agreement or an agreement to sell and want the stamping checked first, Realty Hunting can help you get it right.