The Tamil Nadu government has made online, presence-less registration mandatory for the first sale of plots in approved layouts and flats in apartment projects. The initiative marks the first phase of the upgraded STAR 3.0 registration system, aimed at simplifying property transactions and improving transparency. Under the new system, first-sale documents for eligible plots and flats must be registered online through the Registration Department’s TNREGINET portal. The initiative also covers sale deeds related to the Tamil Nadu Housing Board and memoranda of deposit of title deeds (MODs) associated with housing loans. The digital registration process allows buyers, developers and other authorised parties to complete the procedure without visiting the Sub-Registrar Office in person. Builders, developers, banks and financial institutions must create login credentials on the portal, upload the necessary documents and complete Aadhaar-based biometric authentication for the relevant parties and witnesses using fingerprint or iris scanners. Once the application is approved by the Sub-Registrar, the digitally signed registration document can be downloaded from the portal. A copy is also sent to the applicant’s registered email address and mobile number. If the registration authorities raise any queries, applicants are given 30 days to respond online. On the first day of implementation, the system processed 248 property transactions entirely online, including 123 land plots and 125 residential apartments. The reform is expected to reduce paperwork, minimise the involvement of intermediaries, lower travel expenses for applicants and ease congestion at registration offices. It is also intended to improve accountability and reduce opportunities for corruption in property registration. The Registration Department has been conducting training programmes for bankers, non-banking financial companies, document writers, advocates and real estate industry representatives to ensure a smoother transition to the digital system. A toll-free grievance helpline is also planned to support users as the initiative expands. Further phases of the STAR 3.0 system are expected to cover additional categories of documents. However, the timeline for extending presence-less registration to other document types has not yet been announced. The move represents a significant change in Tamil Nadu’s property registration process, particularly for homebuyers purchasing newly constructed flats and plots directly from developers. Buyers and sellers should check the latest instructions on the official TNREGINET portal before initiating registration.