Sections 61-63 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.
Sections 61 to 63 describe the last stage of registration. Section 61 says when registration is deemed complete and to whom the document is returned, section 62 deals with a document presented in a language unknown to the registering officer, and section 63 lets the officer administer oaths and record the substance of statements. As per the text of the Act consulted, the three sections work together after the endorsements and certificate have been made.
The endorsements and certificate are copied into the margin of the Register-book, and registration is then deemed complete; the document goes back to the person who presented it, or to the person he nominated in writing on the receipt (section 61). A translated document is transcribed and filed with its copy, and the translation is treated as the original for copies and memoranda (section 62). The officer may administer an oath and record a note of a statement, and the signed note is admissible to prove the statements were made (section 63).
Section 61(1): copying into the margin
Section 61(1) says the endorsements and the certificate "referred to and mentioned in sections 59 and 60" are to be "copied into the margin of the Register-book". The copy of any map or plan mentioned in section 21 is to be filed in Book 1. Sections 59 and 60 are covered in our articles on endorsements on a document admitted to registration and the certificate of registration.
Section 61(2): the moment registration is complete
Sub-section (2) is the key line: "The registration of the document shall thereupon be deemed complete". "Thereupon" refers back to the copying of the endorsements and certificate in sub-section (1). So the Act fixes completion at that point, not at the moment of presentation and not at the moment the officer writes the certificate on the paper.
Registration is run by the States, and your State may have amended these sections or made rules under section 69. This article explains only the central text; check the State position and any later amendment. If a deed of yours is stuck between presentation and return and you need to know where you stand, our legal consultation service can take you through the position.
To whom the document is returned
After completion, the document "shall then be returned to the person who presented the same for registration, or to such other person (if any) as he has nominated in writing in that behalf on the receipt mentioned in section 52."
| Situation | Who gets the document |
|---|---|
| No nomination made | The person who presented it |
| A nomination was written on the receipt under section 52 | The nominated person |
Two details stand out. The nomination is "in writing" and is made "on the receipt", so it is not something to arrange by word of mouth at the counter. And the person who gets the document back is the person who presented it, which links to the rules on who may present a document under sections 32 and 33.
Section 62: a document in a language unknown to the officer
Section 62 applies "When a document is presented for registration under section 19". Section 19 is the section about documents in a language not commonly used in the district and not understood by the officer, which requires a true translation and a true copy; see our article on documents in an unknown language and with blanks or alterations.
Sub-section (1) says the translation "shall be transcribed in the register of documents of the nature of the original", and, together with the copy referred to in section 19, "shall be filed in the registration office".
Sub-section (2) says:
- the endorsements and certificate under sections 59 and 60 "shall be made on the original"; and
- for making the copies and memoranda required by sections 57, 64, 65 and 66, "the translation shall be treated as if it were the original".
In plain terms, the paper that is endorsed and certified is the original, but the entries in the books and the copies and memoranda sent out under the later sections are made from the translation. Sections 64 to 66 deal with documents relating to land in more than one sub-district or district; our article on property in several sub-districts or districts covers them.
Section 63: oaths and notes of statements
Section 63 has three sub-sections.
- Oath (sub-section (1)). Every registering officer "may, at his discretion, administer an oath to any person examined by him under the provisions of this Act." The word is "may": the officer has a discretion.
- Note of the statement (sub-section (2)). Every such officer "may also at his discretion record a note of the substance of the statement made by each such person". The statement is to be read over, or, if made in a language the person does not know, interpreted to him in a language he knows. If he admits the correctness of the note, the registering officer signs it.
- Evidence (sub-section (3)). A note so signed is "admissible for the purpose of proving that the statements therein recorded were made by the persons and under the circumstances therein stated."
Sub-section (3) proves that the statements were made, and under what circumstances. It does not say the statements are true. The section 69 rule-making power includes "regulating the exercise of the discretion reposed in the registering officer by section 63" (section 69(1)(e)), a point to bear in mind when your State's rules are checked.
An example
Pooja presents a lease deed written in a language the Sub-Registrar does not know and which is not commonly used in the district. With it she files a true translation and a true copy, as section 19 requires. Under section 62 the translation is transcribed in the register of documents of that nature and filed with the copy. The endorsements and certificate go on the original deed. When copies and memoranda are needed under section 57 and sections 64 to 66, the translation is used as the original.
On the receipt given to her, Pooja had nominated her advocate in writing to receive the deed. Once the endorsements and certificate are copied into the margin of the Register-book, registration is deemed complete under section 61(2), and the deed is returned to the advocate she nominated.
Need help with the last stage of registration?
If a document has been presented and you are unsure whether registration is complete, or you want to plan who should receive the original back, our legal consultation team can guide you. Bring the receipt and the endorsements along.
Key takeaways
- Registration is deemed complete once the endorsements and certificate are copied into the margin of the Register-book (section 61(2)).
- The document is returned to the presenter or to the person nominated in writing on the section 52 receipt.
- A map or plan copy is filed in Book 1 (section 61(1)).
- A translation is transcribed, filed with the copy and treated as the original for copies and memoranda (section 62).
- Oaths and notes of statements are at the officer's discretion; a signed note proves the statements were made (section 63).
- Check your State's amendments and rules and any later amendment.
Read next
- Certificate of registration: section 60
- Property in several sub-districts or districts: sections 64 to 66
- Endorsements on a document admitted to registration: sections 58 and 59
- Procedure of registration at a sub-registrar office
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.