Section 28 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Which office should you go to for a sale deed, a gift deed or a lease of land? Section 28 is the answer: the Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property lies. This article reads the section as per the text of the Act consulted. Because the proper office decides whether your visit succeeds, a legal due diligence check of where the property sits, and under which sub-district, is worth doing before you book.
The documents named in section 28 shall be presented for registration in the office of a Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property to which the document relates is situate. It is a rule for land documents; other documents are in sections 29 to 31. The cross-references in the copy are broken by square brackets, and your State may have different rules, so check locally.
What the section says
"Save as in this Part otherwise provided, every document mentioned in section 17, sub-section (1), clauses (a), (b), (c) [,(d) and (e), section 17, sub-section (2), insofar as such document affects immovable property,] and section 18, clauses (a), (b), [(c) and (cc)], shall be presented for registration in the office of a Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property to which such document relates is situate."
A printing point. The brackets in the copy do not open and close cleanly. The cross-reference list reads "clauses (a), (b), (c) [,(d) and (e), section 17, sub-section (2), insofar as such document affects immovable property,]", and then "section 18, clauses (a), (b), [(c) and (cc)]". The text is quoted as printed. We read it as covering the section 17(1) documents in clauses (a) to (e), the section 17(2) documents so far as they affect immovable property, and the section 18 documents in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (cc), but the print is not clear and the current official text should be checked.
The documents the section catches
The section 17 and 18 clauses it names are, in broad terms, these (each is explained in our posts on section 17 and section 18):
| Reference | Broad subject, as printed |
|---|---|
| 17(1)(a) | Instruments of gift of immovable property |
| 17(1)(b) | Other non-testamentary instruments creating, declaring, assigning, limiting or extinguishing a right, title or interest in immovable property (at or above the value stated there) |
| 17(1)(c) | Non-testamentary instruments acknowledging receipt or payment of consideration for such a right |
| 17(1)(d) | Leases of immovable property from year to year, for a term exceeding one year, or reserving a yearly rent |
| 17(1)(e) | Non-testamentary instruments transferring or assigning a decree, order or award that creates such a right |
| 17(2) | Documents in the exempted list, so far as they affect immovable property |
| 18(a), (b), (c), (cc) | Optional documents of the same kind below the stated value, receipts, short leases and exempted leases, and assignments of decrees below the stated value |
Documents that deal only with movable property, and wills, are outside this table. For those, see sections 29 to 31 and the will provisions.
"Whole or some portion": property in more than one sub-district
The key phrase is "within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property to which such document relates is situate". It means the document can be presented at the Sub-Registrar's office of the sub-district where any part of the property lies. If a farm lies partly in two sub-districts, the text allows presentation in the office of a Sub-Registrar of a sub-district containing "some portion" of it. The Act deals separately with what happens when property is in several sub-districts or districts; see our later article on sections 64 to 66, which covers how the entries are copied across.
The sub-districts themselves are formed by the State Government and notified (section 5), a point covered in our article on sections 3 to 8. Where the property is, and not where the parties live or where the deed was signed, decides the office for these documents.
"Save as in this Part otherwise provided"
The section opens with a saving. Part V includes section 29 (other documents), section 30 (registration by Registrars in certain cases) and section 31 (registration at a private residence). So the Sub-Registrar of the sub-district is the rule, but a Registrar may in certain cases receive and register a document that a Sub-Registrar could register (section 30(1)), and a special cause can allow attendance at a residence (section 31). Only section 30(1) is printed with content; sub-section (2) is shown as "[ *]".
A practical example
Anita sells a house and an adjoining garden to Vikram. The house is in one sub-district and a corner of the garden falls in the neighbouring sub-district. The sale deed is a section 17(1)(b) instrument. Under section 28, it can be presented at the office of a Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district "the whole or some portion" of the property is situate. She need not first work out which sub-district has the larger share; the text speaks of some portion. She should still check the State rules and the office's practice on such properties.
For the practical visit, see our posts on the place of registration and how to register a sale deed; online appointment systems are State practice and are covered in our guide to online appointment booking.
Need help choosing the proper office?
If your property is near a boundary, or lies in more than one sub-district or district, confirm the proper office before signing. Our legal due diligence team checks the location and the registration trail and tells you where to present. Your State may have amended section 28 or made rules; later amendments should also be checked.
Key takeaways
- Land documents named in section 28 go to a Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district the whole or some portion of the property is situate.
- The place of the property, not the residence of the parties, decides the office.
- Part V has exceptions in sections 29 to 31.
- The cross-references in the copy are broken by brackets; check the current text.
- State amendments and rules should be checked.
Read next
- Sections 29 to 31 of the Registration Act, 1908: place for other documents, Registrar and registration at residence
- Sections 24, 26 and 27 of the Registration Act, 1908: documents executed at different times, abroad and wills
- Place of Registration -- Where to Register Documents
- Documents Compulsorily Registrable -- Section 17
Disclaimer: Based on a print of the Registration Act, 1908 marked as last updated on 9 July 2020, as consulted on 2 October 2026. State amendments and rules, later amendments, registration fees and stamp duty are not covered and should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.