Sections 78-80 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 78 to 80 answer three questions about fees: who fixes them, how they are made known, and when they must be paid. As per the text of the Act consulted, the State Government prepares a table of fees, the table is published in the Official Gazette and displayed in every registration office, and the fees for registration are payable on presentation of the document. The Act itself prints no fee amount, and this article states none.
The State Government prepares a table of fees for registration, for searching the registers and for copies, and also of extra or additional fees for the matters listed in section 78(d) to (i) (section 78). The table is published in the Official Gazette and a copy in English and the vernacular of the district is exposed to public view in every registration office (section 79). All fees for registration are payable on presentation of the document (section 80). The amounts come from State tables, not from the Act.
Section 78: the State Government prepares the table
The section opens with "[ *]", which in this print marks omitted words, and then says: "The shall prepare a table of fees payable". The bracketed words are printed as substituted words. The table covers two groups. If you want to read a State's table against your own document, our legal consultation service can do that with you.
Fees payable
| Clause | Fees payable for |
|---|---|
| (a) | The registration of documents |
| (b) | Searching the registers |
| (c) | Making or granting copies of reasons, entries or documents, before, on or after registration |
Extra or additional fees payable
| Clause | Extra or additional fees for |
|---|---|
| (d) | Every registration under section 30 |
| (e) | The issue of commissions |
| (f) | Filing translations |
| (g) | Attending at private residences |
| (h) | The safe custody and return of documents |
| (i) | Such other matters as appear to the Government necessary to effect the purposes of the Act |
Points to note
- Only the State Government is named. The Act gives no fee. A reader who wants the figure for a registration, a search or a copy has to look at the State's own table. Our guide on fees for registration, how much and to whom discusses fees in general terms, and the State-wise posts, such as stamp duty and registration charges in Delhi, are the places to look for State charges. Those posts are guides; the amounts in them are not drawn from the Act.
- Section 78(d) refers to section 30. The printed section 30 has only sub-section (1), followed by "[ *]" (omitted words). Clause (d) still speaks of "every registration under section 30". The print is left as it is.
- Clause (g) concerns attendance at private residences. Section 31 of the Act deals with registration or acceptance for registration at private residences.
- Clause (i) is a residual head: other matters that "appear to the Government necessary to effect the purposes of this Act".
Registration is run by the States, and your State may have amended these sections or made its own rules, including on the fee table. This article explains only the central text; check the State position and any later amendment.
Section 79: publication of fees
"A table of the fees so payable shall be published in the Official Gazette and a copy thereof in English and the vernacular language of the district shall be exposed to public view in every registration office."
Two duties are named.
- Publication in the Official Gazette. The table is published there.
- Display in every registration office. A copy, in English and in the vernacular language of the district, is exposed to public view.
The section places the table in the public domain in two forms. The text consulted does not describe how often the table is revised or how a change is notified; it says nothing about portals, online display or any other mode of publication, and this article does not add any.
Section 80: fees payable on presentation
"All fees for the registration of documents under this Act shall be payable on the presentation of such documents."
It is a single sentence. The words "fees for the registration of documents" tie it to clause (a) of section 78. The text speaks of presentation, which is the stage at which a document is brought to the registration office; the steps of presentation are State practice. Whether other fees, such as those for searches or copies, are payable at a different stage is a matter the section does not decide; section 57 makes the inspection of certain books and the giving of copies "subject to the previous payment of the fees payable", and our article on inspection of books and certified copies explains it.
Fines are separate from fees
The Act treats a fine as a separate thing. Sections 25 and 34 set a ceiling for fines by reference to "ten times the amount of the proper registration fee", the Inspector General may regulate the amount of those fines under section 69(1)(d), and he may remit part of the difference under section 70. The registration fee itself is whatever the State's table says.
Registration fee and stamp duty are different
The fees in sections 78 to 80 are fees collected under the Registration Act. Stamp duty on an instrument is a levy under a different law and is not in this Act. For how the two work together, see our guide on the Registration Act and the Stamp Act. No stamp duty is stated here.
An example
Chitra is registering a sale deed. She finds that the Act has no table of figures. She looks at the table the State Government has prepared under section 78 and published in the Official Gazette under section 79, and checks the copy displayed in the registration office. When she presents the deed, the fees for registration are payable on presentation, under section 80. If she later wants a copy of an entry, the table also carries the fee for copies, under section 78(c).
Need help understanding what a registration will involve?
The Act leaves the figures to each State, so the first step is to read the State's table against your document and its value. Our legal consultation team can go through the document and the State's schedule with you before you present it.
Key takeaways
- The State Government prepares the table of fees under section 78; the Act prints no amount.
- The table covers registration, searches and copies, and extra or additional fees listed in clauses (d) to (i).
- The table is published in the Official Gazette and a copy in English and the vernacular is exposed in every registration office (section 79).
- Registration fees are payable on presentation of the document (section 80).
- Section 78(d) still refers to registration under section 30, whose sub-section (2) is printed as omitted.
- Check your State's amendments and rules and any later amendment.
Read next
- Inspection of books, search and certified copies: section 57
- Control by the Registrar and rules by the Inspector General: sections 68 to 70
- Fees for registration: how much and to whom
- Registration Act vs Stamp Act: how they work together
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.