Maharashtra Land Records Online (Mahabhumi / Bhulekh Maharashtra): How to Check 7/12 (Satbara) and 8A (2026)

How-To Guide · Maharashtra Land Records

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

To check Maharashtra land records online, open the Mahabhumi / Bhulekh Maharashtra portal, choose the record type (7/12 or 8A), pick the district, taluka and village, and search by survey number, gat number, khata number or owner name. The record shows who holds the land and how it is used, but it is not proof of clear title. Before you buy, you should also check the encumbrance and any court cases on the land or the parties. This guide shows the steps and the limits.

01Why the land record is not enough

Most buyers in Maharashtra start with the 7/12 extract, because it is free to view and shows the owner’s name. That is a good first step. It is also where many people stop, and that is the mistake.

The record can lag behind reality

A land record is updated through entries made after a sale, inheritance, partition or loan. If an entry is late, wrong or disputed, the online record may not match what is happening on the ground.

The record does not show court cases

A 7/12 does not tell you that a partition suit, a title dispute or a recovery case is pending against the land or its owner. A buyer can pay for a plot that looks clean on the portal and still end up in litigation.

A land record tells you who is recorded as holding the land. It does not tell you whether that person can safely sell it.

So the right approach is in two parts. First, read the record on the official portal. Second, check the encumbrance and any litigation. The rest of this guide covers both.

02What 7/12 (Satbara) and 8A are

The 7/12 extract (also called Satbara Utara) is the main land record for agricultural land in Maharashtra. The name comes from two forms, Form VII and Form XII, that were combined into one extract.

What the 7/12 shows

• The survey or gat number and the area of the land.
• The name of the occupant or holder, and the type of tenure.
• The land use, such as crops grown and whether it is irrigated.
• Rights and burdens recorded against the land, such as a bank loan entry or other charge.
• Mutation (ferfar) references that link back to earlier changes.

What the 8A shows

The 8A extract is the holding register. It is organised by account (khata) number and lists all the survey numbers a single holder has in a village, with the area for each. It helps you see the total holding of a person, not just one plot.

For urban land, the Property Card is the equivalent record, but this guide stays with the 7/12 and 8A.

03How to check Maharashtra land records step by step

The portal is run by the Maharashtra Revenue Department. You can view records for free. Follow these steps.

1. Open the portal. Go to bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in, the Mahabhumi / Bhulekh Maharashtra site.
2. Choose the record type. Select 7/12 (Satbara) or 8A from the menu.
3. Select the location. Pick the division, district, taluka and village.
4. Pick a search method. Search by survey or gat number, by khata number, or by owner name (details in the table below).
5. Enter the details. Add the number or name, the captcha, and your mobile number if the form asks for it.
6. View the extract. The record opens on screen. Read the owner, area, land use, other rights and mutation references.
7. Get a signed copy if you need one. The portal view is for information. For official use, use the digitally signed 7/12 and 8A service on digitalsatbara.mahabhumi.gov.in, which needs a login and a small online fee per copy.

04Search methods compared

You can search a record in more than one way. Use the method that matches what you already have.

If the owner name search finds nothing, try other spellings, the father’s name, and the older survey number. Name-based search is the weakest method, so confirm with the survey number as soon as you can.

05Mutation (namantaran) vs record update

Mutation is the revenue entry that records a change of holder in the land record. In Marathi it is often called ferfar, and it can be linked to terms like dakhil (entry made) and kharij (entry removed).

A record update is wider. It also covers changes such as a new crop entry, a loan charge added or cleared, or a correction of the area. Mutation changes who is shown as the holder. A record update may change only other details.

Two points matter for a buyer. First, mutation is an entry for revenue and tax purposes. It follows the sale, it does not create ownership. Second, a pending or disputed mutation is a warning sign. To see how to follow up on one, read our guide on how to check property mutation status in India.

06Record vs title: what the portal cannot tell you

Title is the legal right to own and sell land. A record is an administrative entry. Courts have long treated revenue records as evidence of possession and tax payment, not as proof of ownership. That is why a clean 7/12 is only one input.

Before you buy, do these checks as well.

• Encumbrance: confirm no registered loan, mortgage or charge. See how to download an encumbrance certificate.
• Chain of documents: have a lawyer read the sale deeds back over a reasonable period.
• Litigation: check for any court case on the land, or against the seller and other parties, by name.
• Possession: visit the site and confirm who is actually in possession.

The litigation check is the one that most buyers skip, because the revenue portal does not cover it.

07Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Claw is not the land records portal and does not replace Mahabhumi / Bhulekh Maharashtra. Use the official site for the 7/12 and 8A. Claw helps with the step the portal does not cover: finding court cases linked to the land or the parties. It covers 9,102 forums and over 30 crore judgments, and returns results in under 5 seconds. Its search is name-tolerant, which helps when party names are spelled in different ways.

Before you buy, create a free Claw account to check any court cases on the land or the parties by name (property litigation and entity check). Claw has a free plan for individual advocates. Visit clawlaw.in.

08Sources and further reading

• Mahabhumi / Bhulekh Maharashtra (view land records): bhulekh.mahabhumi.gov.in
• Mahabhumi (Revenue Department services): mahabhumi.gov.in
• Digital Satbara (digitally signed copies): digitalsatbara.mahabhumi.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

Last verified: October 2026. Government portals change their addresses, menus and fees, so confirm on the official site. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

09Frequently asked questions