Registrar General's Department

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About the Department

The Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) is the central agency for maintaining a repository of all documents that are registered including those pertaining to immovable property and movable property transactions. The principal objective of the Department is to register particulars of events accurately and without prejudice, to collect duties for the different transactions, to make the documents available for delivery and to give timely and accurate publicity to the records.

Origin and Establishment of the Registrar General’s Department

French Colonial Period

The Office of the Registrar-General was formally established in Mauritius during French colonial rule, under the administration of Governor Decaen in 1804. The creation followed the French Civil Code system, which required deeds and transactions to be registered to give them legal effect and publicity. The Registrar-General was entrusted with maintaining registers for:

  • Deeds relating to sales, transfers, and mortgages of immovable property;
  • Other acts passed before notaries and public officers.

The objective was to give deeds a date certaine (certain date) — a legal guarantee of authenticity and enforceability against third parties.

1804–1835

British Colonial Period

After the British took over Mauritius in 1810, they retained most French civil laws and administrative structures, including the registration system.

The RGD continued to operate under the French legal framework, with adaptations to fit British colonial administration.

During this period, the Registrar-General’s duties expanded to include:

  • Acting as Conservator of Mortgages,
  • Receiver of Duties and Fees,
  • Managing Campement Site Taxes and stamp duties.

The RGD became a central institution in property transactions, ensuring legal security and maintaining public trust in ownership records.

1810–1968

Post-Independence Modernisation

After Mauritius got its independence in 1968, the Department continued under the Ministry of Finance. Reforms focused on improving:

  • Revenue collection (registration duties and taxes),
  • Archiving and retrieval of deeds,
  • Uniform procedures for registration.

During the 1980s–1990s, with economic growth and property development, the volume of transactions increased rapidly putting pressure on manual systems.

1968–1990s

Digital Transformation Era

In the early 2000’s, RGD initiated its first computerisation projects to improve efficiency and security of registration data. Databases for deeds, mortgages, and motor vehicle transactions were gradually developed.

Mauritius e-Registry Project was implemented in year 2014. The project aimed to transform RGD into a fully digital registry and improve the “Registering Property” indicator in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.

2000–Present