The question behind the search
“What is land conversion” is one of the fastest-rising land searches in India, and the reason is almost always the same: somebody has bought, or is about to buy, agricultural land and wants to build on it. Those are two different permissions.
Agricultural land carries an agricultural land use. Buying it transfers the land; it does not change what the land may be used for. Conversion — called change of land use, CLU, NA permission or, in Rajasthan, conversion under section 90-A and 90-B depending on the authority — is the separate step that changes the recorded use.
What the application actually decides
A conversion application is not a fee counter. The authority is deciding whether the proposed use fits the plan for that area, whether the land is of a class that may be converted at all, whether access and services exist, and what conditions to attach. A charge is payable where conversion is granted. It can be refused, and it frequently is.
That is why a seller saying “conversion is just a formality, we will get it done” is a sentence to stop on rather than move past. If the conversion has not been granted, what you are buying is agricultural land with an application attached to it.
Read the order, not the summary
Where conversion has been granted, the order itself carries the conditions — the use it permits, the area it covers, and commonly a period within which that use must begin. A photograph of a receipt is not an order. Ask for the order, and read the conditions on it.
Where each state publishes it
Not every state runs a statewide online conversion service, and several that do run it on a domain that is not .gov.in. Our land verification directory lists the conversion service for the states that publish one, next to the master plan and building-permission portals for the same state, with the date each address was last opened and a tag saying how it was checked. Where no service was found, it says so rather than guessing.
For Rajasthan specifically, our explainer on the rural conversion rules works from the consolidated 2007 Rules and cites the rule number for every claim, including the widely repeated and incorrect belief that a registry is only possible above a certain area.
Before you count on conversion
- Check the master plan or zonal plan that covers the location.
- Check the land class on the record of rights — some classes cannot be converted.
- Ask which authority decides for that location: the development authority, the municipal body or the revenue authority. They are not interchangeable.
- If an order exists, read its conditions and its date.
- Take it to a local advocate before money moves.
Nothing here is legal advice. Conversion rules are state law and are amended by notification; read the current rule on the state’s own portal on the day you act.
Questions people actually ask
Can I build a house on agricultural land without conversion?
Generally no. Agricultural land carries an agricultural land use, and building on it usually requires the land use to be changed first. Some states allow narrow exceptions for a dwelling house, cattle shed or store house within a stated area limit, which is a free-conversion allowance rather than a general permission to build.
Is conversion automatic once I pay the charge?
No. Conversion is a decision taken by a competent authority, and a charge is payable where it is granted. An application can be refused, and payment of a charge does not by itself create a converted land use.
How long is a conversion order valid?
Orders commonly carry conditions, including a period within which the converted use must actually begin. Those conditions are on the order itself, so the order is the document to read rather than a summary of it.
Where do I check my state’s conversion service?
Our verification directory lists the land-use conversion service for the states that publish one, alongside the master-plan and building-permission portals, with the date each address was last opened.