Stamp Duty in Bihar 2026: Land and Flat Rates, Women, and the New MVR
Bihar's base rate is 6% stamp duty plus a 2% registration fee, so 8% of the higher of your price and the government's minimum value register (MVR). Gender moves it: a woman buying from a man pays 5.7% duty, and a man buying from a woman pays 6.3%. The bigger change is the MVR itself, revised from 1 April 2026 for the first time in a decade.
Key takeaways
- Budget 7.6% to 8.4% in total. Where you fall depends on the buyer's gender and, in the more detailed guides, the seller's too.
- The new MVR took effect on 1 April 2026. Urban rates had been fixed since 2016 and rural rates since 2013; some areas rose by 80% to 90%, others by three to four times.
- Gandhi Maidan, Boring Road, Dak Bungalow, Fraser Road and Exhibition Road now carry minimum values of up to Rs 2.5 crore a kattha.
- A family partition deed costs Rs 100 in all: Rs 50 stamp duty and Rs 50 registration fee.
- In November 2025 the Supreme Court struck down the rule that let registrars refuse a sale unless the land's jamabandi was in the seller's name.
Why the seller's gender matters in Bihar
Most states give women buyers a discount and stop there. Bihar's scheme, as the detailed guides describe it, looks at both sides of the deal. The standard rate applies when a man sells to a man or a woman to a woman. A woman buying from a man gets a 5% cut on the rate, and a man buying from a woman pays 5% more.
| Seller to buyer | Stamp duty | Registration fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man to man | 6% | 2% | 8% |
| Woman to woman | 6% | 2% | 8% |
| Man to woman | 5.7% | 1.9% to 2% | 7.6% to 7.7% |
| Woman to man | 6.3% | 2% to 2.1% | 8.3% to 8.4% |
You'll see three other versions online. Many bank guides flatten the table into "men 6.3%, women 5.7%, joint 6%", ignoring the seller. One portal gives a 10% swing instead of 5% (5.4% and 6.6%). And the registration fee is shown as a flat 2% by some sources and adjusted to 1.9% or 2.1% by others. The rates above are the version most sources agree on, but the e-Nibandhan fee calculator decides what you actually pay, so run your deal through it before you draft. For other states, see our national stamp duty table.
Land, flats and the new MVR
The same percentages apply to a residential plot, farmland or a flat. What differs is the value they're charged on. Duty runs on the MVR or the deed price, whichever is higher. Our explainer on circle rate vs market rate covers why the two diverge.
With urban values untouched since 2016 and rural since 2013, deeds were routinely registered well above the MVR. The revised register, in force from 1 April 2026, closes that gap and changes how land is classed. Urban land is now graded by frontage: principal road, main road, branch road and industrial area, with separate residential and commercial rates. Rural land gets new highway, main road and industrial categories.
Reported Patna figures after the revision:
- Up to Rs 2.5 crore a kattha in the costliest belt: Gandhi Maidan, Boring Road, Dak Bungalow, Fraser Road and Exhibition Road.
- Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh a kattha for residential land in the city's core areas, and Rs 10 lakh to Rs 35 lakh for commercial land.
- Rises of 80% to 90% in some areas; reports ahead of the revision spoke of three to four times in parts of Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.
Registrations fell sharply afterwards. The Patna Sadar office went from about 150 documents a day to between 35 and 45, a drop of close to 70%, though restrictions around the proposed greenfield satellite township also played a part. Our Patna real estate market study looks at what that means for prices.
What a Patna purchase costs: worked examples
A Rs 50 lakh plot, four ways
| Deal | Stamp duty | Registration fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man buys from a man | Rs 3,00,000 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 4,00,000 |
| Woman buys from a woman | Rs 3,00,000 | Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 4,00,000 |
| Woman buys from a man | Rs 2,85,000 | Rs 95,000 to Rs 1,00,000 | Rs 3,80,000 to Rs 3,85,000 |
| Man buys from a woman | Rs 3,15,000 | Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 1,05,000 | Rs 4,15,000 to Rs 4,20,000 |
The spread between the cheapest and dearest deal is up to Rs 40,000 on the same plot.
When the MVR beats your price
Say you agree Rs 45 lakh for a 2 kattha plot on a branch road where the new MVR is Rs 25 lakh a kattha. The official value is Rs 50 lakh, so duty runs on Rs 50 lakh, not Rs 45 lakh. At the standard 8%, you pay Rs 4,00,000 instead of Rs 3,60,000: Rs 40,000 more because of the revision.
Partition, gifts and other family deeds
Partition is the one family document Bihar has made almost free. The state cabinet fixed the charge for a family land partition deed at Rs 100: Rs 50 stamp duty and Rs 50 registration fee. It used to cost 5% (3% duty, 2% fee), and the government noted that families weren't registering partitions, so heirs sold more than their share and disputes followed. See our partition deed guide for drafting.
Gifts are where the sources split most. The e-Nibandhan fee chart, as quoted, treats a gift deed like a conveyance at 6%. Some legal-services sites give 3% duty and 2% fee for gifts to blood relatives, and others describe a full exemption with a Rs 1,000 fee. We could not reconcile them from published material, so confirm the rate at the registry for your specific relationship before you choose between a gift and a partition. Our sibling post on gift deed stamp duty compares the states that do give family concessions.
Registering on e-Nibandhan
Bihar's registration runs through nibandhan.bihar.gov.in. The steps:
- Create an account under e-services for registration, or log in with your mobile number or email.
- Enter the deed data: parties, property, khata and khesra, area, and the value, which the system checks against the MVR.
- Pay the stamp duty and registration fee online and keep the e-receipt.
- Book an appointment at the sub-registrar office for the buyer, the seller and two witnesses.
- Present the signed deed, the receipt, identity proofs and PAN for verification, biometrics and registration.
The document list is in our registration checklist. For buyers aged 80 and above, the state announced doorstep registration from 1 April 2026: apply on e-Nibandhan, pay a fixed Rs 400, and a mobile unit completes the registration at home within seven working days. Reports in early 2026 said parts of the service were delayed, so check whether it runs in your district.
The jamabandi rule the Supreme Court struck down
A 2019 amendment to the Bihar Registration Rules (Rules 19(xvii) and (xviii), notified on 10 October 2019) let registrars refuse any sale unless it showed the land's jamabandi or holding allotment in the seller's name. The Patna High Court upheld it on 9 February 2024. In November 2025 the Supreme Court, in Samiullah v. State of Bihar, set that judgment aside and quashed the notification. It accepted the aim of linking deeds to land records, but held that with mutation data still incomplete, blocking registration until the jamabandi was updated interfered with the right to buy and sell property.
For buyers this cuts both ways. Registration no longer stalls on a missing jamabandi, but the safety net that forced the check has gone. Check Register II, the khatiyan and the jamabandi yourself, using our sibling guide to Bihar Bhumi land records, and apply for mutation (dakhil kharij) as soon as the deed is registered.
Who should be careful with these numbers
- Buyers relying on a 2025 quote. Anything priced on the old MVR may now be undervalued, and the difference is payable in cash at registration.
- Families buying in a woman's name only for the rebate. The saving on a Rs 50 lakh plot is about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000. It is not worth a title that doesn't reflect ownership.
- Anyone planning a gift. Until the rate is confirmed, the difference between 6% and a nominal fee is too large to guess.
- Plot buyers who skip mutation. Without the 2019 rule, an unmutated seller can register a sale. Your due diligence is the only check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the stamp duty for a residential plot in Bihar?
The same as for any sale: 6% of the higher of the price and the MVR when buyer and seller are the same gender, 5.7% when a woman buys from a man and 6.3% when a man buys from a woman. Add a registration fee of about 2%. On a Rs 50 lakh plot the total runs from roughly Rs 3.8 lakh to Rs 4.2 lakh.
How much do women save on land registration in Bihar?
A woman buying from a male seller pays 5.7% stamp duty instead of 6%, and some calculators also cut her registration fee to 1.9%. On a Rs 50 lakh plot that is Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 less than a man buying from a man. A woman buying from another woman pays the standard rate.
When did the new MVR come into force in Bihar?
On 1 April 2026. It was the first revision since 2016 for urban land and 2013 for rural land. In Patna the costliest roads now carry minimum values of up to Rs 2.5 crore a kattha, and some areas rose three to four times, so check the new MVR for your plot before agreeing a price.
How much does a family partition deed cost in Bihar?
Rs 100 in government charges: Rs 50 stamp duty and Rs 50 registration fee, fixed by the state cabinet for partition of family land. Before that a partition cost 5% of the land's value. The low rate was meant to get families to register partitions so heirs stop selling more than their share.
Can I register land in Bihar if the jamabandi is not in the seller's name?
Yes. In November 2025 the Supreme Court quashed the 2019 rule that allowed registrars to refuse such deeds. Registration can go ahead, but the risk moves to you: verify the chain of title in Register II and the khatiyan, and file for dakhil kharij promptly after registering the deed.
If you're buying land or a flat in Patna and want the MVR and your registration bill checked before you commit, Realty Hunting can help you go through it.
