E-Stamping State by State (2026): Kerala, Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana & More

Ask how to buy stamp paper in India and the only honest answer begins with a question of its own: which state? Stamp duty is a state subject, and the way it is paid, whether through a SHCIL e-stamp certificate, a state-run portal, franking, or old-fashioned physical paper, changes as one crosses a state border. A process that is fully online in Karnataka can mean a counter visit in another state.

E-stamping is now operational in most of India, but the channel differs by state. Some states route everything through Stock Holding Corporation of India, others run their own portals, and a few still lean on physical stamp paper. Knowing the right channel for a given state saves a wasted trip and a rejected document.

This guide maps how e-stamping works across the major states and explains how to find the correct method where a document is being executed. It is general information, not legal advice; state systems change, so the state revenue or registration department portal and the SHCIL site hold the current position.

How e-stamping works across states

E-stamping is operational in most Indian states, but it runs through different systems depending on the state. The national backbone is Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL), the Central Record Keeping Agency, which serves many states directly through authorised collection centres. Alongside it, several states operate their own e-stamping or franking systems, and a minority still rely mainly on physical paper.

The reason for this patchwork is constitutional. Because stamp duty is a State subject, each state decides how its duty is collected and which agency runs the system, so the method is not uniform across the country. The underlying duty and the legal effect are the same everywhere, as set out in the pillar guide on what stamp paper is; only the channel changes.

"E-Stamping is currently operational in the states of Haryana, Odisha, Gujarat, Karnataka, NCR Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand... Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal." (Industry overview of digital e-stamping, 2026.)

E-stamping in the major states

Most large states have operationalised e-stamping, though the exact channel varies. The states below cover the bulk of India's document volume, and in each the duty is the same as the law prescribes; what differs is whether the buyer uses SHCIL, a state portal, franking, or a mix.

Karnataka

Karnataka runs e-stamping through SHCIL and integrates it with the Kaveri property registration system. A buyer can obtain an e-stamp certificate from a SHCIL authorised collection centre or, for property matters, through the state's registration workflow. For a standard 11-month rent agreement, the duty is calculated on rent and deposit, as covered in the guide to stamp paper for rent agreements.

Delhi

Delhi uses SHCIL e-stamp certificates as the standard method for paying stamp duty. Physical stamp paper has largely been replaced, and e-stamp certificates are issued through authorised collection centres including banks. For common documents like affidavits and rent agreements, the e-stamp certificate is generated for the prescribed duty and printed at the centre.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra offers more than one channel, including SHCIL e-stamping, franking through the GRAS system, and authorised banks. Leave-and-licence rent agreements in Maharashtra are charged at 0.25% of the consideration value, and the state has its own online facilities for registering them. The choice of channel often depends on the document and whether it must also be registered.

Haryana

Haryana provides e-stamping through SHCIL authorised collection centres and a state e-stamping service via its revenue department. Buyers register and apply for the e-stamp, then pay the duty and obtain the certificate. As an e-stamping state, Haryana has largely moved away from physical stamp paper for routine documents.

Kerala

Kerala runs e-stamping through its own state treasury portal rather than relying solely on SHCIL. Buyers use the Kerala e-stamping system to pay duty and generate the certificate, which reflects the state's decision to operate its own channel. This is a clear example of why the method must be checked state by state rather than assumed to be SHCIL everywhere.

Gujarat

Gujarat uses SHCIL e-stamp certificates as its standard method for paying non-judicial stamp duty. Authorised collection centres, including banks, issue the certificates against payment of the duty, and the system is integrated with the state's document registration. For everyday documents such as affidavits and agreements, the e-stamp certificate is the routine route.

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu offers e-stamping through SHCIL alongside the state's registration department systems. A buyer can obtain an e-stamp certificate from an authorised centre, and for property transactions the duty is paid as part of the registration process. As with other states, the duty rate is set by Tamil Nadu and applies to documents executed there.

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan

Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan both run e-stamping through SHCIL authorised collection centres. In each, the buyer pays the prescribed duty and receives a verifiable e-stamp certificate, and physical stamp paper has largely been retired for routine documents. These two large states together account for a substantial share of the country's stamp-duty transactions.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have both operationalised e-stamping, integrated with their registration departments. The e-stamp certificate is generated for the prescribed duty and used for agreements, affidavits, and property documents. As elsewhere, the certificate must be generated under the correct state for the document to be accepted.

West Bengal

West Bengal has adopted e-stamping and is among the states where the digital system now operates. Buyers obtain the certificate through the authorised channel for the prescribed duty, reflecting the broad national shift away from physical stamp paper. The exact workflow is confirmed on the state's registration department portal.

States that still use physical stamp paper

A minority of states and regions continue to rely mainly on physical stamp paper or franking. Several north-eastern states and a few others have not fully rolled out e-stamping, so the licensed stamp vendor and bank franking remain the primary channels there. In these places, the older process of buying a watermarked sheet still applies for routine documents.

Because the rollout keeps expanding, the list of physical-only regions shrinks over time, and a state that used physical paper a few years ago may have since adopted e-stamping. The safest approach is never to assume, but to confirm the current method on the state's revenue department portal before buying. The general guidance on where to buy is covered in the guide to where to buy stamp paper.

Franking: the third channel

Alongside e-stamping and physical paper, franking remains a recognised way to pay stamp duty in several states. Franking is a stamp impression applied by an authorised bank or agent using a franking machine, against payment of the duty, and the document is printed on plain paper first. Maharashtra, for example, uses franking through its GRAS system in addition to SHCIL e-stamping.

Franking is genuine and bank-issued, but it is less convenient than e-stamping because it requires a visit to a franking centre and is subject to that centre's daily limits. Where a state offers both franking and e-stamping, the verifiable e-stamp certificate is usually the simpler choice, though franking remains valid where it is the established method. The comparison between the channels is set out in the guide to buying e-stamp paper online.

Stamp duty rates also differ by state

The channel is not the only thing that varies by state; the duty rate does too. Because each state sets its own stamp duty schedule, the same document can attract very different duty across states, on top of being paid through a different system. A property sale deed may carry duty of 4% to 7% depending on the state, and a rent agreement may be a flat amount in one state and a percentage in another.

This means a buyer must confirm two things for any document: which channel the state uses, and what duty the state charges for that instrument. The two are independent, so knowing that a state uses SHCIL does not reveal the rate, and knowing the rate does not reveal the channel. The duty side is covered in the guide to stamp paper denominations, while this guide covers the channel.

How to find the right method for your state

The reliable way to find the correct channel is to check the SHCIL portal and the state's own revenue or registration department site. SHCIL lists the states it serves and the authorised collection centres in each, while the state portal shows whether a separate state system or franking applies. Between the two, a buyer can confirm the exact method before spending any money.

A short sequence avoids errors. First, identify the state where the document will be executed or where the property lies. Second, check whether that state uses SHCIL, its own portal, or franking. Third, locate an authorised centre or the online facility. Fourth, confirm the duty for the specific document, since the rate is set by the state. This is the same care that the guide to buying e-stamp paper online recommends.

Why the state matters more than the channel

The single most important rule is that stamp duty belongs to the state where the document is used, not where the buyer happens to be. A certificate generated under the wrong state's system does not satisfy the duty for a transaction in another state, and a sub-registrar can refuse it. This catches people who move between cities or own property away from where they live.

For property in particular, the state of the property governs the duty and the registration, so a buyer stamping a deed for a flat in another state must use that state's rate and system. Getting the state right is therefore more important than which channel is used within it, because an otherwise perfect e-stamp certificate is useless if it names the wrong state.

Out-of-state and NRI documents

People executing documents from outside the relevant state, including NRIs, must still use the correct state's stamp duty. A person living in one city but buying property in another, or an NRI executing a power of attorney for a property in India, has to pay the duty of the state where the property lies or the document takes effect. The buyer's own location does not change which state's duty applies.

The practical route is to use a SHCIL centre or online service that can generate a certificate under the required state, or to have a representative in that state arrange the stamping. For a power of attorney executed abroad, additional steps such as attestation at an Indian mission and adjudication on arrival in India may apply, so professional guidance is sensible for cross-border documents. The core rule remains that the state where the document operates governs the duty.

Looking ahead

The direction across all states is toward e-stamping, and the remaining physical-paper regions are steadily adopting it. As more states integrate e-stamping with online property registration and digital workflows, the patchwork is slowly converging on a common pattern of verifiable certificates, even if the exact portal still differs by state. The gap between the most and least digitised states is narrowing year by year.

For now, the practical lesson stands: the method depends on the state, so check before buying. The duty and the legal effect are uniform across the country, but the channel is not, and confirming the right one for the relevant state is what turns a quick purchase into a document that the registering office will actually accept.