Short answer: DC conversion in Karnataka is permission under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act to use farm land for other purposes. Since 23 Dec 2025, land inside an approved master plan needs no Deputy Commissioner's permission. Elsewhere, the DC must decide within 30 days or approval is deemed. Either way, check the order against the RTC.
- Two routes: inside a published master plan, you apply to the planning authority and pay the fee. Outside one, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) decides.
- 30-day clock: outside master plans, no decision in 30 days means provisional deemed approval and an automatic fee demand (Rule 106-D).
- Inside GBA: since February 2026, conversion happens automatically as part of plan approval in published master plan areas (news).
- Fines are small; misuse isn't: ₹22 per sq m for residential use near Bengaluru, but up to ₹1 lakh plus ₹2,500 a day for violations, entered on the RTC even against a later owner.
- Our 4E check: extent, entitled use, entry on the RTC, encumbrances.
- What is DC conversion under Section 95?
- What changed in December 2025?
- What is auto-conversion in GBA?
- What does conversion cost?
- How do you check a conversion as a buyer?
- Worked examples
- The 4E conversion check (our framework)
- Plot buyer's conversion checklist
- What mistakes do plot buyers make?
- Frequently asked questions
- Talk it through with acre&key
- Sources
If you're buying a plot, conversion is the step that turns farm land into land that can carry a house. The rules changed in December 2025 and again in practice in February 2026. Here's what they say and what it means when you're the buyer, not the applicant.
What is DC conversion under Section 95?
Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 governs the use of agricultural land for other purposes. Section 95(2) has two routes, as set out in the Legislature's extract of the current provisions (LA Bill 51 of 2025):
| Route | When it applies | Who you deal with |
|---|---|---|
| Section 95(2)(i) | The land use matches a master plan published under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act | The planning authority. DC permission isn't required; you pay the fee with a self-declaration |
| Section 95(2)(ii) | The land is outside a local planning area with a published master plan | The Deputy Commissioner. Other authorities give opinions within 15 days; the DC decides within 30 days |
The same document shows that if the DC doesn't decide within 30 days, approval is deemed granted, subject to the fee.
What changed in December 2025?
The Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Rules, 2025 came into force on 23 Dec 2025 (Gazette Extraordinary No. 828, Notification RD-LGP/6/2025 (Part-2)). The rules we read are as reproduced by Karnataka Law Times (rules text), so check the gazette copy for anything you rely on.
- Rule 106-B: applications are online, with a notarised affidavit on stamp paper of at least ₹200 (Form 21B for the master plan route, 21C for the DC route).
- Rule 106-C: inside an approved master plan, no prior DC permission. The planning authority issues a digital payment receipt and sends a copy to the DC to update revenue records.
- Rule 106-D: outside master plans, the DC gets reports within 15 days and decides within 15 days of them. No decision within 30 days of the application means provisional deemed approval and an automatic demand notice. Pay within 30 days and a digitally signed order is issued; there's one further 30-day chance, then rejection.
- Rule 106-E: new industries on up to 2 acres and approved renewable energy projects don't need prior DC permission.
- Rule 106-F: false or forged documents, or misuse, mean cancellation, forfeited fees and forfeited land. A penalty of up to ₹1 lakh plus ₹2,500 a day can be levied on "the applicant or a subsequent owner" and entered on the RTC as an encumbrance.
The Times of India reported the notification on 24 Dec 2025 (news).
What is auto-conversion in GBA?
On 7 Feb 2026, the Revenue department launched "Land Auto Conversion" software for GBA. Its statement said separate conversion is no longer needed in areas covered by a published master plan within GBA. Owners apply for plan approval, and conversion happens as part of it (Hindustan Times, 10 Feb 2026, news). The minister said the old process had taken four to six months even with deemed conversion.
For you, that means a newer layout inside GBA may not have a standalone DC order. Instead, the plan approval and the planning authority's payment receipt carry the conversion. Ask for those. Not sure if the land is inside GBA? Use our ward and corporation lookup. Outside GBA, in places like Devanahalli or Hoskote, find out which planning authority covers the land and whether its master plan is published, because that decides the route.
What does conversion cost?
Rule 107 (as substituted in December 2025) sets the conversion fine per square metre:
| Area | Residential | Non-residential |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal corporation limits and land within 18 km of BBMP limits | ₹22 | ₹76 |
| Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru South districts | ₹17 | ₹54 |
| Other corporations and land within 12 km | ₹13 | ₹32 |
| City municipal council limits and land within 8 km | ₹9 | ₹17 |
| Town municipal council limits and land within 5 km | ₹9 | ₹13 |
| Other places | ₹4 | ₹5 |
Where boundaries overlap, the higher rate applies. Compounding for land already used without conversion (Rule 107-A) is charged per square foot: ₹17 residential near Bengaluru. Planning authority fees for layouts and building plans are separate, and we haven't totalled them here.
How do you check a conversion as a buyer?
- Ask for the order or receipt. A DC conversion order for older layouts; the planning authority's receipt and plan approval for master plan or GBA auto-conversion cases.
- Search the survey number. The Revenue department's conversion final orders search lets you look up orders by survey number.
- Pull the RTC. On Bhoomi land records, the RTC for each survey number should reflect the conversion, and you can see any encumbrance entered under Rule 106-F.
- Match it to the layout. Our plot buyer's guide covers the approved layout, plot release and RERA checks. Conversion alone doesn't make a site.
Worked examples
Worked example 1: the fine on one acre near Bengaluru
Illustrative. One acre is 4,046.86 sq m, or 43,560 sq ft.
| Case | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion fine, residential, within 18 km of the city | 4,046.86 sq m × ₹22 | ₹89,031 |
| Compounding for unauthorised use, residential (Rule 107-A rate) | 43,560 sq ft × ₹17 | ₹7,40,520 |
Compounding is about 8.3 times the conversion fine, before any other charges. Converting first is far cheaper than fixing it later.
Worked example 2: does the order cover the whole layout?
Illustrative. 1 acre = 40 guntas, so 1 gunta = 1,089 sq ft.
| Item | Extent | Sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion order | 3 acres 10 guntas | 1,41,570 |
| Layout plan | 3 acres 20 guntas | 1,52,460 |
| Gap | 10 guntas | 10,890 |
That gap is about nine 1,200 sq ft plots' worth of land that may still be agricultural on paper. Find out which part of the layout it is.
Worked example 3: what a violation can cost a later owner
Illustrative. Under Rule 106-F, a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh plus ₹2,500 a day can follow the land.
| Item | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum penalty | ₹1,00,000 | |
| 90 days of continued violation | 90 × ₹2,500 | ₹2,25,000 |
| Total | ₹3,25,000 |
It goes on the RTC as an encumbrance and can be recovered from a subsequent owner. Check the RTC's encumbrance column before you pay.
The 4E conversion check (our framework)
| Check | Question | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Extent | Does the converted area cover your plot's survey number and part of it? | Order or receipt, pre-conversion sketch, layout plan |
| Entitled use | Is the permitted use residential? | Order or receipt |
| Entry on the RTC | Does the RTC show the conversion? | Bhoomi RTC |
| Encumbrances | Any penalty, forfeiture notice or loan on the land? | RTC encumbrance column; encumbrance certificate |
Plot buyer's conversion checklist
- [ ] Conversion order, or master plan receipt and plan approval, in hand
- [ ] Survey numbers on the order match the sale deed and layout plan
- [ ] Converted extent covers the layout (acres and guntas added up)
- [ ] Permitted use is residential
- [ ] Order found on the Revenue department's search
- [ ] RTC shows the conversion, with no Rule 106-F encumbrance
- [ ] Layout approval and plot release seen separately
- [ ] Khata type checked (A, B and e-khata guide)
- [ ] Title and approvals checked by a lawyer (our legal checks guide)
What mistakes do plot buyers make?
- Treating conversion as approval. A converted parcel still needs an approved layout.
- Accepting "deemed" without paper. Deemed approval still ends in a fee demand and an order or receipt.
- Not adding up guntas. Partial conversion is common.
- Buying "revenue sites". See B-khata plots and revenue sites.
This is general information, not legal advice. Land law changes often, and the rules here are as reproduced from the December 2025 gazette. Ask a property lawyer to check conversion, title and approvals before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
It's permission under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 to use agricultural land for a non-agricultural purpose such as housing. The Deputy Commissioner usually grants it, except where the land is inside a published master plan, where the planning authority handles it with a fee and self-declaration.
Not as a separate DC permission. Since 23 Dec 2025, Rule 106-C says land inside an approved master plan needs no prior DC permission. Inside GBA, since February 2026, conversion happens as part of plan approval. You still pay the fee and get a receipt.
Outside master plans, the DC must collect reports within 15 days and decide within 15 days of them. If there's no decision within 30 days of applying, approval is deemed provisionally granted and a fee demand issues automatically. The order follows once you pay.
Under Rule 107 from December 2025, it's ₹22 per sq m for residential use inside corporation limits and within 18 km of the city's limits, ₹76 for non-residential. Rates fall to ₹4 and ₹5 per sq m in other places. Planning fees are separate.
Ask for the order or receipt, search the survey number on the Revenue department's conversion final orders page, and pull the RTC on Bhoomi to confirm it reflects the conversion. Then match survey numbers and extent to the layout plan and your sale deed.
Conversion changes the land's permitted use; it doesn't form legal sites. A plot also needs an approved layout from the planning authority and release of plots for sale. Check both, and the khata, before you pay.
Under Rule 106-F, the conversion can be cancelled, fees and land forfeited, and a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh plus ₹2,500 a day levied. It's entered on the RTC and can be recovered from a later owner. That's why your lawyer should check the file.
The Revenue department said in February 2026 that auto-conversion gives eligible B-khata properties a path to A-khata, once planning and documentation rules are met. Eligibility and fees are set by GBA. See our A-khata vs B-khata guide for the conversion fee.
Sources
Checked 19 Oct 2026.
- Karnataka Legislative Council, LA Bill No. 51 of 2025 (as passed by the Assembly), with extract of existing Section 95(2): https://kla.kar.nic.in/council/house/bills/156/51E.pdf
- Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Rules, 2025, Gazette Extraordinary No. 828, 23 Dec 2025, Notification RD-LGP/6/2025 (Part-2), as reproduced by Karnataka Law Times: https://www.lawstoreindia.in/_files/ugd/ddc1c8_565efaf064c9455aaed8748797548808.pdf
- Karnataka Land Revenue (Third Amendment) Bill, 2024 (2-acre industry proviso), via PRS: https://prsindia.org/files/bills_acts/bills_states/karnataka/2024/Bill56of2024KA.pdf
- Times of India, no DC nod needed in master plan areas, 24 Dec 2025 (news): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/no-deputy-commissioners-nod-needed-to-convertland-within-master-plan-areas-of-karnataka/articleshow/126163599.cms
- Hindustan Times, auto land conversion in GBA, 10 Feb 2026 (news): https://www.hindustantimes.com/real-estate/all-about-karnataka-s-auto-land-conversion-plan-what-the-reform-means-for-homebuyers-and-bengaluru-real-estate-market-101770634525243.html
- Revenue Department, Land Conversion Final Orders search: https://www.landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/service99/
- Bhoomi land records services (RTC): https://landrecords.karnataka.gov.in/Service2/
- e-Swathu FAQ (conversion under the KLR Act for panchayat Form 9): https://eswathu.karnataka.gov.in/PublicFAQ.aspx
