The short answer
Mutation is the entry that changes the owner's name in a government record after a property changes hands. A registered sale deed transfers ownership; mutation updates the revenue record (for land) or the municipal property tax record (for a house or flat in a city) so that the right person is billed, notified and recognised for administrative purposes.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly said that mutation does not confer title. In Jitendra Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh (decided 6 September 2021), the Court restated that a mutation entry does not confer any right, title or interest, and that an entry in the revenue record is only for fiscal purposes. If title is disputed, the dispute goes to a civil court, and mutation follows the court's decision.
That does not make mutation optional. Without it, tax demands and notices go to the old owner, many lenders will not process a loan against the property, a later sale gets harder, and in the case of agricultural land, crop loans, compensation and scheme benefits are paid to whoever the record shows.
What it is called in different states
The process has local names. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar it is commonly called dakhil kharij: 'dakhil' is the entry of the new name and 'kharij' the removal of the old one. Namantaran (literally 'change of name') is the term used in Uttar Pradesh revenue courts and in several Hindi-speaking states.
In Maharashtra, a mutation of agricultural or revenue land is a ferfar (mutation entry) that updates the 7/12 extract. In Karnataka, the urban equivalent is a khata transfer, and in Bengaluru the e-khata is maintained through the e-Aasthi platform, now operated under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, which replaced the BBMP in 2025. In Delhi, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi calls it mutation or e-change of name in the property tax record.
Whatever the name, the logic is the same: a document or event that changes ownership, an application to the office that keeps the record, a notice period in which interested people may object, an order, and an updated entry.
Revenue mutation vs municipal mutation
Revenue (land) mutation is done by the state revenue department: the patwari, lekhpal or talathi at the village level and the tehsildar or circle officer above them. It updates the record of rights for agricultural and other land — the khatauni, jamabandi, 7/12 extract or RTC, depending on the state. Many states have a statutory duty to report acquisitions: in Maharashtra, section 149 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 requires a person acquiring a right in land to report it to the talathi within three months; in Uttar Pradesh, section 34 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 requires a person obtaining possession of land by transfer to report it to the tahsildar.
Municipal mutation is done by the city corporation or municipality. It updates the property tax assessment so that the tax bill is in the new owner's name. A flat in a city usually needs only municipal mutation, while a plot in an area still recorded as revenue land may need both.
Doing one does not do the other. A buyer of a house on a plot in a growing town should ask both the tehsil and the municipality what their records show, and apply to each.
When you need to apply
After a registered sale, gift, exchange or partition deed. Some states now push registered deeds from the sub-registrar's office straight to the revenue system, which starts the mutation automatically; you still need to check that the entry was actually made and follow up if it was not.
After inheritance. When an owner dies, the legal heirs apply for mutation on the basis of a death certificate and proof of succession: a will (often with probate where the law requires it), a succession certificate, a legal heir certificate, or a family settlement, depending on the state and the type of property. Where heirs disagree, revenue officers will usually not decide the dispute and will send it to a civil court.
After a court decree, an auction sale certificate, or an allotment by a development authority.
Apply soon after the event. Some statutes fix a reporting period (Maharashtra's three months, for example), and municipalities may charge a late fee. More practically, every month the old name stays on the record is a month in which notices go to the wrong person.
How to apply, step by step
Step 1: find the right office and portal. For land, it is the tehsil or circle office and the state's land records portal. Examples checked on 2 October 2026: Bihar takes dakhil kharij applications online through its land records portal (biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in); Maharashtra's e-Hakk system accepts mutation applications online; Uttar Pradesh revenue court cases, including namantaran, are tracked on its Revenue Court Computerised Management System (vaad.up.nic.in); Delhi's MCD offers online mutation in its property tax system; Bengaluru's e-khata services run on e-Aasthi.
Step 2: fill the application with the property's identifiers exactly as they appear in the record: khasra, khata or survey number for land; property tax ID or assessment number for a city property.
Step 3: upload or submit the documents listed in the next section and pay the fee, if any. Fees differ widely: some states charge nothing for land mutation, some municipalities charge a fixed fee, and some compute it from the stamp duty paid. Check the fee schedule on the portal before paying anyone.
Step 4: the office issues a public notice or written intimation to interested persons, inviting objections within a stated time. In Maharashtra, for example, section 150 of the Land Revenue Code requires the talathi to post the entry in the village chavdi and give written intimation to everyone who appears interested.
Step 5: if nobody objects, the officer certifies the entry and the record is updated. Download or collect the updated extract and keep it with your sale deed.
Documents you will usually need
A copy of the registered deed (sale, gift, partition or exchange), or the will, probate, succession certificate or court decree in an inheritance case.
The latest record extract showing the previous owner's name: the khatauni, 7/12, RTC, jamabandi, or the last property tax receipt and assessment for a city property.
Identity proof and address proof of the applicant, and in an inheritance case, the death certificate and an affidavit or certificate listing all legal heirs.
Proof that property tax and other dues are paid up to date. Many municipalities will not mutate a property with arrears.
For a flat in a society, a no-objection certificate or share certificate transfer from the society may be asked for.
Lists vary by state and city, so download the checklist from the portal for your specific office before you visit.
How long it takes
Timelines are set by each state's law, rules or citizen charter, not nationally. Bihar's Land Mutation Act, 2011 and its rules, for example, fix time limits for disposing of mutation cases with and without objections. Municipal mutations in large cities commonly take a few weeks when the papers are complete, longer where an objection is filed or dues are pending.
If the time limit in your state's public services guarantee or right to services law has passed, you can usually escalate to the designated appellate officer under that law. Ask the office which law applies and who the appellate officer is.
If someone objects, or the application is rejected
An objection does not stop the mutation forever; it converts the application into a contested case. The officer hears both sides on the documents. If the question is genuinely one of title — a disputed will, a challenge to the sale — the officer will generally decline to decide it and leave the parties to the civil court, as the Supreme Court said in Jitendra Singh.
Every state provides an appeal against a mutation order. In Bihar, an appeal against the circle officer's order lies to the Land Reforms Deputy Collector within 30 days of the order. Other states provide appeals to the sub-divisional officer, collector or a revenue tribunal. Note the appeal deadline from the order itself.
Common reasons for rejection are a mismatch between the deed and the record (a wrong survey number, area or name spelling), unpaid dues, a missing heir in an inheritance case, or a deed that was not registered. Fix the cause and re-apply, or file a rectification deed if the error is in your sale deed.
Common mistakes and questions to ask
Treating the mutation entry as proof of title, or buying land because 'the seller's name is in the khatauni'. Read the chain of registered deeds; the record only tells you who is paying the revenue.
Assuming the sub-registrar sent the deed onward. Check the record a few weeks after registration.
Mutating the municipal record but not the revenue record, or the reverse, on a property that sits in both.
Questions to ask the office: Which record does this property sit in? Is the mutation started automatically from registration here? What is the fee, and is there a late fee? How long is the objection period? Who hears appeals, and within how many days?
Common questions
Is mutation proof of ownership?
No. The Supreme Court has held that a mutation entry does not confer right, title or interest and is for fiscal purposes. Ownership comes from a registered deed, inheritance or a court decree.
What is dakhil kharij?
The term used in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for mutation: entering the new owner's name and removing the old one from the land record.
Is mutation compulsory after buying a flat?
The sale is valid without it, but you need the municipal record in your name to receive tax bills, sell later and satisfy most lenders. Some state laws also require land acquisitions to be reported within a fixed time.
How long does property mutation take?
It depends on the state law and the office. Uncontested cases are commonly decided within weeks; objections and missing documents add time. Check the time limit in your state's rules or service guarantee law.
Can mutation be done online?
In many places, yes. Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi's MCD and Bengaluru's e-khata system all accept online applications. Check your state or city's official portal.
What if a relative objects to mutation after a death in the family?
The case becomes contested. Revenue officers generally do not decide title disputes, so where a will or heirship is challenged the parties may have to go to a civil court before mutation is made.
Sources
- Supreme Court of India, Jitendra Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh, decided 6 September 2021 (indiankanoon.org/doc/104309066), citing Balwant Singh v. Daulat Singh; checked 2 October 2026
- Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, sections 149 and 150 (indiacode.nic.in); checked 2 October 2026
- Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006, section 34 (indiacode.nic.in); checked 2 October 2026
- Bihar Land Mutation Act, 2011 and Bihar Land Mutation Rules, 2012 — time limits and appeal to the Land Reforms Deputy Collector (prsindia.org, indiankanoon.org); checked 2 October 2026
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi online mutation policy (reported December 2022); Greater Bengaluru Authority e-Aasthi e-khata services; Bihar and Maharashtra land records portals; checked 2 October 2026
Last checked 2026-10-02.