What Is a Title Deed Number? Meaning, Format, How to Find It
Understand what a title deed number means in Karnataka the format, where to find it on your sale deed, how to use it for home loans and property searches on Kaveri 2.0, and 10 key FAQs.
Quick Summary: (TL; DR)
A title deed number (also called a sale deed number, document number, or registration number) is the unique identifier assigned to your registered property document at the Sub-Registrar's Office. In Karnataka, it follows the format: SRO Short Code - Book Number - Document Number - Financial Year. Example: JAY-1-04523-2020–21 (Jayanagar SRO, Book 1, Document 04523, FY 2020–21). This number is printed at the top right corner of your registered sale deed and appears in the Encumbrance Certificate (EC). You need it to download certified copies from kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in, apply for Khata transfer, get home loans, report lost deeds, and verify ownership. It is different from the Khata number and PID number those are municipal records; the title deed number is a Sub-Registrar record.
What Is a Title Deed Number?
Whenever any document related to property comes up for registration at SRO in Karnataka, a unique reference number is generated for that deed; it is also called registration number or document number of that deed. It can be simply termed as the title deed number or sale deed number.
It is much like your Aadhaar number in case of a property deal. In the same way your Aadhaar number acts as your unique identification number, the title deed number acts as your unique property deal identifier in the records of the concerned government authority.
Deed Number refers to a unique number identifier that is assigned to a legal document that is referred to as a "deed." The Sale Deed Number is a unique registration number given to a property in the registration process at the Sub-Registrar's Office.
How Is the Title Deed Number Format Structured in Karnataka?
The structure of the Sale Deed Number is typically expressed in this format: “Short Code for Sub-Registrar Office – Book Number – Document Number – Year of Registration.”
Full format: SRO Code – Book No – Document Number – Financial Year
Real example from Bengaluru: JAY-1-04523-2020–21
Part | Meaning |
JAY | Jayanagar Sub-Registrar Office (short code for the SRO) |
1 | Book Number 1 used for all property-related documents (Book 1 = sale deeds, gift deeds, mortgages, etc.) |
04523 | The unique document number the 4,523rd registration at that SRO in that year |
2020–21 | Financial year of registration (April 2020 to March 2021) |
Other Bengaluru SRO short codes:
SRO | Short Code Example |
Whitefield | WHF-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Koramangala | KOR-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Sarjapur | SAR-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Hebbal | HEB-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Electronic City | ELC-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Basavanagudi | BAS-1-XXXXX-2024–25 |
Each SRO has its own code assigned by the Department of Stamps and Registration, Karnataka.
Where You Can Get the Title Deed Number in Your Sale Deed
Your title deed number is located in more than one place in your registered deed as below;
Place No. 1: Top right hand corner of sale deed: The registration number is printed or stamped in the extreme top right hand corner of the registered deed. This is the most obvious place you will find the registration number.
Place No. 2: Sub-registrar’s Stamp / Endorsement Block: At the tail end of the registered deed (final page), the sub-registrar stamps his registration endorsement on your deed. He stamps the registration number of the deed on it.
Place No. 3: Encumbrance Certificate (EC): Your registration number is also printed in the Encumbrance Certificate as follows; "Sub-registrar’s office name - Book number - Document Number - Year of registration".
When you apply for EC at kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in, every transaction entry in the EC includes the deed number. This is how you can find the deed numbers of all transactions on a property including deeds you did not personally register.
Location 4 Kaveri 2.0 portal: After registration, log in to kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in and search for your property the document number appears in the search results.
Title Deed Number vs Khata Number vs PID Number What Is the Difference?
These three numbers confuse many property owners:
Number | What It Is | Issued By | Where to Find |
Title Deed Number / Document Number | Unique ID for the registered deed document | Sub-Registrar's Office (SRO) | Top of sale deed, EC from Kaveri 2.0 |
Khata Number | Municipal property account number | BBMP/GBA | BBMP e-Khata certificate from bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in |
PID (Property ID) | 10–18 digit electronic property identifier | BBMP/GBA | Property tax receipt, e-Khata certificate |
Survey Number | Land parcel identifier in revenue records | Revenue Department | RTC from bhoomi.karnataka.gov.in |
RERA Registration Number | Project registration identifier | RERA Karnataka | Developer's documents, rera.karnataka.gov.in |
All four numbers exist for the same flat in Bengaluru each serves a different government system. The title deed number is unique to the registration record; the PID and Khata number are unique to the municipal record.
What is the Sale Deed Number for?
There are certain reasons why the Sale Deed Number is extremely important: Proof of Ownership It is the identification number for the document that transfers the ownership of the property. Transfer of Property The number is needed in order to find the registered document that confirms you as the owner of the property.
Use Case | How the Title Deed Number Is Used |
Home loan application | Bank's legal team enters the deed number in Kaveri 2.0 to download the registered document and verify ownership |
Khata transfer | The deed registration number is entered in the Khata transfer application at bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in |
EC verification | The deed number appears in the EC confirms the transaction is officially recorded |
Certified copy download | Enter district + SRO + document number + year at kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in to download the deed |
Lost deed recovery | File a complaint at the SRO with the deed number to get a certified copy |
Rectification deed | The original deed number must be cited in the rectification deed |
Property dispute | Courts use the deed number to locate and verify the exact registered document |
Section 80C income tax claim | The deed reference number must be entered in ITR when claiming stamp duty deduction |
Title search | Buyers, lawyers, and banks search by deed number to verify the chain of title |
Searching of Property Using Title Deed Number in Karnataka
Step-by-Step Procedure on Kaveri 2.0 Website:
Step 1: Visit kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in
Step 2: Choose either Certified Copy or Encumbrance Certificate
Step 3: In case of certified copy: Select district Select SRO Enter document number and financial year Hit Search button Deed comes up on screen
Step 4: If searching EC using deed number: Choose "Search by Document Number" option Enter SRO code and document number Full EC pops up
METHOD 2: Deed Number Lookup In Case You Are Not Sure Of Your Deed Number:
If you are unable to find your deed number, then you can refer to other documents which you must have used to apply for loans or claim anything on that property. These other documents contain the register number along with the number of the sale deed number. The second way is by checking the tax receipt of your property. The Kaveri 2.0 portal allows searches using the name of the buyer/seller to find the document number.
Further: Some areas within Indian states have adopted digitization in their land records database. This includes portals like the Kaveri 2.0 portal of Karnataka, which now enables searches using names to obtain the deed numbers.
Method 3: EC Search:
In case you have an EC but not the deed, the EC will show all the documents related to the property registration, including the deed numbers for each transaction made. Obtain a new copy of the EC at kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in.
Title Search for Mortgage in Karnataka
The title search process for mortgage purposes means that the bank will check:
Whether the title deed number exists in the system
Whether the title deed holder is the owner of the property currently borrowing
Whether the EC does not show any existing mortgages, liens, or attachment by the court on the property
Whether the title history is clear with no broken links from the initial owner to the borrower
For the purpose of title search, banks rely on the title deed number to:
Retrieve the EC (30-year search) through the website: kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in
Download the certified deed
Verify the property description against RERA and Khata records
Check for any litigation using the property's survey number
The Supreme Court in K. Gopi v. Sub-Registrar (2025 INSC 462) clarified: Registration is only a way to confirm that people signed a document in a manner that follows the law. It is not a process that makes ownership of the property valid. A person must prove ownership through a title that is legally sufficient.
This means: the deed number points to the registered document, but banks must also verify that the title is clean through the EC and chain of ownership.
How to Obtain Certified Copy in Case of Loss of Sale Deed
The following are the steps that can help in getting a certified copy in case of loss of sale deed.
Step 1: Obtain your document number through EC, tax receipt, or Kaveri 2.0 name search.
Step 2: Visit kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in and select "Certified Copy". After this, enter district, SRO code, document number, and financial year.
Step 3: In case your deed was registered after April 1, 2004, then you will get the document in digital format, and you will be able to obtain the certified copy of the document online.
Step 4: In case of deeds registered before April 2004 – you will have to visit SRO with the deed number. Submit a written application for obtaining a certified copy of the deed. The SRO would procure it from their physical records – usually takes 15-30 days.
Step 5: Moreover, submit an FIR at the local police station for reporting your original deed loss – your FIR along with the certified copy shall be sufficient evidence for all kinds of banking/legal purposes.
Certified copy of a sale deed is legally binding for all purposes it can be used by courts, banks, and any government office without making any difference. Certified copy of a sale deed in Karnataka is a government-approved duplicate document of the original Sale Deed registered at the Sub-Registrar’s office. It contains details related to the owner, price of the property, boundaries, and other details of registration of the property.
Conclusion
This is the most crucial number pertaining to your land registration in Karnataka. This number establishes a link between your property registration details and the database at the office of the sub-registrar which can be accessed at any point in time using the website kaveri2.karnataka.gov.in. Note the number along with your other important documentation and understand its format (SRO code–Book–Document number–Year) so that you can use it with ease for availing mortgage, Khata transfer, EC application, certified copy download and income tax deduction purpose. This differs from the Khata number and PID since all these numbers denote one and the same property using government databases.
