Registration Act, 1908
Section 18: Documents of which registration is optional
Any of the following documents may be registered under this Act, namely:—
(a) Instruments (other than instruments of gift and wills) which purport or operate to create, declare, assign, limit or extinguish, whether in present or in future, any right, title or interest, whether vested or contingent, of a value less then one hundred rupees, to or in immovable property;
(b) instruments acknowledging the receipt or payment of any consideration on account of the creation, declaration, assignment, limitation or extinction of any such right, title or interest;
(c) leases of immovable property for any term not exceeding one year, and leases exempted under section 17;
[(cc) instruments transferring or assigning any decree or order of a Court or any award when such decree or order or award purports or operates to create, declare, assign, limit or extinguish, whether in present or in future, any right, title or interest, whether vested or contingent, of a value less than one hundred rupees, to or in immovable property;]
(d) instruments (other than wills) which purport or operate to create, declare, assign, limit or extinguish any right, title or interest to or in movable property;
(e) wills; and
(f) all other documents not required by section 17 to be registered.
State amendments to this section
Himachal Pradesh
3. Insertion of new section 18A.- In the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908) (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), after section 18, the following section shall be inserted, namely;
"18-A. Documents for registration to be accompanied by a true copy.- Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the registering officer shall refuse to register any document presented to him for registration unless such document is accompanied by a true copy thereof."
[Vide Himachal Pradesh Act 2 of 1969, s. 3]
Tripura—
Insertion of new section 18A.—In the Registration Act, 1908 (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), after section 18, the following section shall be inserted, namely:—
18A. Document for Registration to be accompanied by a true copy.—(1)Notwithstanding anything contained in the Act, the Registering Officer shall refuse to register any document presented to him for registration unless such document is accompanied by a true copy thereof.
(2) The true copy referred to in Sub-section (1) shall be neatly hand-written or printed or type-written or lithographed or otherwise prepared in such manner as may be prescribed.
[Vide Tripura Act 7 of 1982, s. 2]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 18
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Celir LLP v. Mr. Sumati Prasad Bafna & Ors.
The present petitions sought to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents/alleged contemnors for wilful disobedience of the final judgment and order dated 21.09.2023 passed by this Court in Civil Appeal Nos.…
- Shabbir Mohammad Sayed v. Mrs. Noor Jehan Mushter Shaikh & Ors.
- T.G. Ashok Kumar v. Govindammal and Anr.