The 100 sub-registrar offices in Tamil Nadu that have been registering documents on Saturdays will work only on weekdays from November 1, 2026. The Commercial Taxes and Registration Department issued a Government Order on October 1, 2026 withdrawing the Saturday arrangement, following an announcement made in the Assembly on September 7, 2026.
Saturday working at these offices began under a Government Order dated April 28, 2022. That order picked 100 offices with heavy registration workload and kept them open on Saturdays, normally a weekly holiday, so that people who could not visit on working days could register property and other documents.
What changes for the public
- Until October 31, 2026: nothing changes. The Registration Department has said documents will be registered as usual at the 100 offices on all Saturdays in October, that is on October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.
- From November 1, 2026: the 100 offices will open from Monday to Friday only. Registration staff there will no longer have compulsory Saturday duty.
- Plan ahead if you need a weekend slot. Anyone who was counting on a Saturday registration in November or later, for example a sale deed timed to a family function or a holiday, will need a weekday appointment instead.
Appointments, fee payment and guideline value checks are done through the department's online portal, tnreginet.gov.in, so the change mainly affects the day you go to the office for the actual registration.
Why the government made the change
The order links the decision to a fall in the offices' workload. The department has been moving more registration online, and it says documents registered without a physical visit and without paper reduce the load on sub-registrars, so the extra Saturday sitting is no longer needed at these offices.
The wider registration reforms
The Saturday decision is one part of a reform package announced in the Assembly on September 7, 2026. The main items are:
| Reform | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Model Registration Hubs | 25 hubs with modern facilities; the first phase covers North, Central and South Chennai, Chengalpattu and Coimbatore North |
| Presenceless registration | Mandatory for title-deed deposit and loan-related documents from September 15, 2026, and for settlement, partition and revocation deeds from October 15, 2026 |
| Busy offices | Better scanners and more staff for 25 high-volume sub-registrar offices |
| Software | IIT Madras chosen as technical consultant for the next versions of the STAR registration software |
| Jurisdictions | Office boundaries redrawn so work is shared more evenly |
Presenceless registration means the parties do not have to appear in person at the sub-registrar office for the listed document types. For settlement and partition deeds, which are commonly used for family property, this becomes compulsory from October 15, 2026.
Tamil Nadu readers following the state's finances can also read our report on the Tamil Nadu White Paper 2026 and the state's Rs 13.18 lakh crore debt. For another recent change that affects daily travel in the state, see how Paranur became Tamil Nadu's first barrier-free toll plaza.
What happens next
The department has not said whether any other office will take over Saturday registration after November 1. People with a registration planned for the coming weeks can still use a Saturday in October at the 100 offices, or book a weekday slot on tnreginet.gov.in for dates from November onwards.
