Area & administrative figures: Census of India / Government of Bihar.
Bihar at a glance
Bihar covers about 94,163 square kilometres in the fertile Ganga river plains, giving it rich alluvial soil and abundant groundwater. Its net sown area is about 60% of the state — far above the national average — making agriculture central to Bihar, with rice, wheat and maize as the major cereals.
Major highways
Bihar sits on the historic Delhi–Kolkata axis, with NH-19 (old GT Road) and NH-27 crossing the state.
National Highway routes per NHAI / public records. Highway networks are extended and renumbered periodically — confirm current alignments.
Principal crops
Bihar's fertile, well-watered plains support intensive cereal, pulse and horticulture cropping.
A major cereal across the state's alluvial plains.
Key Rabi cereal, widely grown.
A leading maize-producing state, especially in the Kosi region.
Bihar is India's #1 litchi producer — Muzaffarpur's Shahi litchi is famous.
Bihar dominates India's makhana production (Mithilanchal).
Important cash crops; vegetables and mango, banana, guava too.
Land records — official sources
🏛️ AgriZameen is independent — not a government body. The links below open the official Bihar government land-records portal. Always verify a parcel's records and land-use there and at the local revenue office before any transaction.
🏛️ Bihar Bhumi — land records📝 e-Nibandhan (registration)📚 All state portals in our Records HubBihar land units
Bihar measures land in katha (kattha), bigha and decimal alongside acre — the katha and bigha sizes vary by district, so always confirm the local definition before comparing prices. Our Land Converter helps.
🌾 Looking for land here?
AgriZameen's verified listings are currently in Rajasthan's Jaipur–Ajmer corridor. If you're exploring Bihar, tell us what you're looking for — we're expanding, and we'll share what we can and point you to the right official checks meanwhile.
Zone map — growth belts, street & satellite
Gold circles mark the growth zones. Tap a zone for details, and toggle satellite to see the actual ground.
📍 Zones and markers are indicative growth areas, not official boundaries. Verify a parcel's exact location on the official Bhu-Naksha / cadastral map before any transaction.
Soil types, crops & cities
What the land is made of, what grows on it, and where the action is — filter the cities by what you are looking for.
Indicative agronomic and regional summary — soil, crops and suitability vary parcel by parcel. Test the specific plot and confirm with the local agriculture department before planning.
Buying land in Bihar — the process step by step
The statutory spine is the same across India — the Transfer of Property Act 1882 and the Registration Act 1908 — but the state layer differs, and that is where the money and the delays sit: what the record is called, which valuation the duty is charged on, and which office does your mutation. Here is the Bihar version.
Generally open to buyers; ceiling applies. Confirm local rules before purchase. Settle this before you pay a single rupee — an ineligible buyer does not get a defective title, they get no title.
Get the current record from Bihar Bhumi — records and read four things: the recorded holder's name, the land classification, the area, and every co-sharer if the holding is joint. An online copy is a screening layer, not a title opinion — confirm the live position at the CO/Circle offices as well.
Work backwards through prior deeds, then take an encumbrance certificate covering at least the last 13 years (30 is better on a large parcel). You are looking for mortgages, court attachments, pending mutations, unpaid dues and inheritance claims. This is the step where deals go wrong quietly.
This is the government's floor value for the plot. Stamp duty is charged on the higher of your agreed price and this figure — so a price written below that figure does not reduce your duty — it only invites scrutiny. Check it at the official portal or the Sub-Registrar's office before you negotiate.
Put the price, payment schedule, handover date, boundary description and — critically — what happens if a title defect surfaces, into a written agreement. Pay by traceable bank transfer, never cash, and keep the receipts with the file.
Duty is paid before execution, generally by e-stamp or treasury challan. On a ₹50,00,000 transaction in Bihar that is roughly ₹3,00,000 in stamp duty, plus about ₹1,00,000 in registration fees — see the worked example below.
Buyer and seller attend in person with two witnesses, photo ID and PAN. Expect photographs and biometric capture. Under the Registration Act 1908 an unregistered sale of immovable property transfers nothing — the registered deed is the transaction.
Registration records the deed; mutation puts your name on the revenue record. Apply at the CO/Circle offices with the registered deed and prior record. Until the Jamabandi / Khatiyan shows your name, you will struggle to sell, mortgage or claim any scheme benefit on that land.
Collect the certified copy of the registered deed, confirm the updated record reflects your name and correct area, update land-revenue and tax records, and store the whole file — deed, record, encumbrance certificate, receipts, maps — together. The next buyer will ask for exactly this bundle.
What the paperwork costs — a worked example
On a ₹50,00,000 agricultural-land purchase in Bihar, charged on the higher of the price or the Minimum Value Register (MVR):
| Head | Amount |
|---|---|
| Stamp duty (6%) | ₹3,00,000 |
| Registration fee (2%) | ₹1,00,000 |
| Indicative total | ₹4,00,000 |
Concession applies for women buyers and male↔female transfers. Indicative only — surcharges, cesses, caps and slab rules vary, and rates are revised periodically. Budget separately for mutation fees, legal fees, and any conversion cost. Run your own figure on our 28-state stamp-duty calculator, then confirm with the Sub-Registrar.
Documents to have ready
- Photo ID and PAN for every buyer and seller (plus the two witnesses' ID).
- The current Jamabandi / Khatiyan and the prior title deeds forming the chain.
- Encumbrance certificate for the search period, and the latest land-revenue / tax receipts.
- Survey map or cadastral extract matching the plot on the ground.
- Identity or status proof where the law requires it — agriculturist, tribal, domicile or category certificates as applicable in your case.
- Consent or party status for every co-sharer if the holding is joint, and legal-heir documents where the seller inherited.
If you plan non-agricultural use
Conversion for non-agri use runs through the Circle/DCLR. Do this arithmetic before you buy, not after: conversion carries its own fee, its own approval risk and its own timeline, and a refusal leaves you holding agricultural land you intended to build on. Zoning and master-plan status matter as much as the revenue entry.
How long it takes
Registration itself is usually a same-day appointment once the duty is paid and the deed is ready. Mutation is the slower half — it runs from a few weeks to several months depending on the office, whether objections are raised, and whether the holding is joint or inherited. Many states publish a service-guarantee timeline for mutation; ask for it in writing at the counter and keep the acknowledgement receipt with a date on it. Treat any promise of same-week mutation as a claim to verify, not a fact.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Bihar?
Bihar covers about 94,163 square kilometres in the fertile Ganga plains, with a net sown area (~60%) far above the national average.
What are the main crops of Bihar?
Rice, wheat and maize are the major cereals. Bihar is India's largest litchi producer and a leader in makhana, plus mango, banana, sugarcane and jute.
How do I check land records in Bihar?
Use the official Bihar Bhumi portal (biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in) for land records and e-Nibandhan for registration — linked above and in our Records Hub.
What is a katha in Bihar?
A katha (kattha) is a land unit whose size varies by district in Bihar; bigha and decimal are also used. Confirm the local definition and use our Land Converter.
Can anyone buy farmland in Bihar?
Rules and any ceilings vary; confirm your eligibility with a licensed advocate first. See our buyer FAQs.
Explore more
🗺️ All states · Rajasthan guide · 📖 Read land documents · 🔢 Bigha in Bihar · 📖 Glossary
State information is compiled from public and official sources for general awareness and is not legal or investment advice. Figures such as area and highway routes change with administrative revisions — verify current details on official portals. External government links open in a new tab; AgriZameen does not control those sites.