CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday launched Sprint 1 of the Registration Department’s STAR 3.0 software project, in a push towards fully digital, paperless public services.
Unveiled at the Secretariat, the initiative brings together 18 technology-driven services aimed at reducing physical visits, cutting processing time and improving transparency in property and civil registrations.
At the core of STAR 3.0 is paperless and contactless document registration, with identity verification carried out through Aadhaar-based OTPs or biometric authentication. Once verified, documents are registered instantly, digitally signed by the Sub-Registrar and delivered to citizens online as electronic records.
A key feature is presenceless registration, allowing buyers of newly built apartments from developers and purchasers of plots in newly approved layouts to complete registration entirely online after making digital payments—without visiting Sub-Registrar offices. If details are in order, documents are registered and returned electronically the same day.
The system also enables automatic deed creation, allowing citizens to generate deeds on their own through a structured question-and-answer format, reducing dependence on intermediaries. Generated deeds can be registered either through the paperless system or via the conventional printed route.
To streamline payments, the department has added QR code–based UPI payments, including a Point-of-Sale QR facility for transactions below Rs 1,000, alongside existing online payment options.
For apartment resale transactions, the upgraded software verifies amenities such as car parking and lifts digitally, enabling same-day return of registered documents without site inspections. Certified copies of registered documents—including court orders, loan orders and powers of attorney—can now be issued instantly online with server-based digital signatures.
Property searches have been expanded through enhanced encumbrance certificate tools, allowing users to trace linked pre- and post-registration documents using a single registration number, as well as searches based on revenue district, taluk and village. Even where village jurisdictions have shifted between Sub-Registrar offices, a single encumbrance certificate will now be issued with one consolidated fee.
Public access has been widened through the TNREGINET mobile app and WhatsApp services, offering real-time updates on registration status, guideline values, property valuations, marriage and firm registrations, and appointment tokens.
In another significant change, apartment owners’ associations can now be registered fully online under the Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act, without visits to district offices. Marriage records can also be searched using names and dates of birth.
The project builds on Tamil Nadu’s early adoption of registration digitisation, beginning with the STAR computerisation initiative launched in 2000. Officials said STAR 3.0 aims to further cut delays, standardise processes and improve service monitoring through a strengthened Management Information System (MIS) for senior administrators.
The launch was attended by Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy; Chief Secretary N Muruganandam; Secretary, Commercial Taxes and Registration Department Shilpa Prabhakar Satish; and Inspector General of Registration Dinesh Ponraj Oliver were present on the occasion.
Fact file:
1. Certified copies in minutes
Certified copies of key legal and administrative orders—such as adjudications, loan-related documents, memo orders, and court orders and awards—can now be downloaded within minutes.
2. Faceless, paperless registration
For the first time, paperless registration has been introduced for all deeds, while faceless (presence-less) registration is available for 10 categories of deeds, including sale deeds for new apartments and plots.
3. Do-it-yourself deed creation
Citizens can now draft select deeds on their own through a guided four-step digital process—without relying on document writers or intermediaries.
4. Cashless fee payments
Registration fees can now be paid through QR code–based digital payments, removing the need for cash transactions at offices and improving audit trails and transparency.
5. Apartment Ownership Act goes fully online
End-to-end digital services have been rolled out for filing and registering apartment declarations, bylaws, and associations, including federations.
6. New citizen portal
A redesigned portal with simplified navigation supports all the new services, with the stated aim of improving user experience and reducing friction in high-volume transactions.