Short answer: You can view and download an FMB sketch free on eservices.tn.gov.in. Open "FMB Sketch - (Rural / Natham)", select the district, taluk and village, enter the survey number and subdivision, and confirm with a one-time password (OTP) sent to your mobile. Click Submit, then "View FMB". For land in towns covered by a town survey, use "TSLR Sketch - Urban" instead.
This guide is for buyers who want to match land on the ground with the government survey map, and for owners who need their sketch. It was checked against the official Tamil Nadu e-services, Revenue Department and Survey and Settlement websites in October 2026.
What an FMB sketch is
FMB stands for field measurement book. The FMB sketch, also called the field measurement sketch, is the Survey and Settlement Department's drawing of one survey number in a rural area. It is drawn from measurements of the land and shows the shape of the field and how it is split into subdivisions.
It is one of the rural survey records, with the A-register (the village land register), the chitta (the ownership and area record) and the village map. The department updates these records when ownership changes, when land is subdivided and when boundaries change. Village house-site land, called natham, has its own natham FMB.
The department has traditionally measured land with chains. Its unit converter gives 1 chain as 100 links or 66 feet, which helps if a sketch shows lengths in links.
What you need
- The district, taluk and village, as written in the sale deed or the patta (the land ownership record).
- The survey number and subdivision number. For 24/2, the portal asks you to enter 24 as the survey number and 2 as the subdivision. If there is no subdivision, it tells you to use a hyphen (-).
- A mobile number to receive the OTP.
How to view and download it
- Go to eservices.tn.gov.in and open "FMB Sketch - (Rural / Natham)".
- Select the district, taluk and village. For natham land, tick "Natham" if the box appears.
- Enter the survey number and pick the subdivision from the list.
- Enter your mobile number, tap "Get OTP" and type the code.
- Click Submit, then click "View FMB". Download or print the sketch.
You can also get the sketch with the chitta. In "View Patta / Chitta / FMB - (Rural / Natham)", search by survey number, which the portal labels "Chitta With FMB". The state's Tamil Nilam Geo Info Android app and the Tamil Nilam GI Viewer (tngis.tn.gov.in, free registration) show sketches on a map.
The portal asks you not to use your browser's translate option, because names are in Tamil and can be translated wrongly.
Land in towns: the TSLR sketch
Land covered by a town survey uses the Town Survey Land Register (TSLR) instead of the FMB. Open "TSLR Sketch - Urban" and enter the district, taluk, town, ward, block, town survey number and subdivision. If there is no subdivision, enter 0. Town survey records also include block maps.
How buyers use the sketch
- Match the numbers. The survey and subdivision number on the sketch must match the patta and the sale deed.
- Walk the boundary. Compare the shape and measurements on the sketch with the land you are shown. Ask the seller to point out every corner.
- Buying part of a survey number. Your part has to become its own subdivision through a patta transfer with subdivision, and a surveyor draws the new line on the sketch. See patta transfer after selling land.
- Plots in approved layouts. The department can create a subdivision for each plot in the layout owner's name, so the patta moves to the buyer automatically on sale. Check the approval first: how to check DTCP approval for a plot.
When you need a survey or an office copy
If the land does not match the sketch, or a boundary is in doubt, apply for F-line measurement. A department surveyor points out the field boundaries on the ground. You can apply online or at a Common Service Centre (CSC), and the fee can be paid online. "Application Status" on eservices.tn.gov.in shows progress, and the result can be viewed under "F-Line Sketch / Statement" with your application ID.
The free download is enough for most checks. If a bank, court or office wants a copy issued by the department, ask the survey section of the taluk office. The government fee order charges per page for FMB extracts, and the office will tell you the current fee.
Limits of the online sketch
- Records may not match. The Revenue Department's 2025-26 policy note reported about 56 lakh mismatches, missing subdivisions or survey numbers between the sketches and the A-register and chitta. It said 31.15 lakh had been fixed in two years, with the rest in progress. Surveyors now update the record and the sketch together. If the sketch and the chitta disagree, ask the taluk office before you buy.
- It is a drawing, not a fresh survey. Fences on the ground may not follow the survey line. Only a measurement on the ground shows where the line is today.
- It is not a title check. Use it with the patta, the encumbrance certificate and the deeds.
Next steps
- How to check patta and chitta online, to confirm who owns the survey number.
- Cent to square feet calculator, to compare the area on the records with the deed.
- Legal checklist for buying farm land.
- Plots for sale in Tamil Nadu. Every listing on Gmore has a video tour, so you can see the land before you visit.
