Certificate of Title
A Certificate of Title is an official land ownership record. You can order a copy of a Certificate of Title to find current ownership information for any property in Western Australia, even if you don't own it.
Sketch Titles
Sketch information, showing the legal boundary and survey dimensions, is now included on the plan as a scanned image. We now use digital titles instead of paper titles as the register record for new parcels of land. As the sketch of the land was previously hand drawn onto the paper title, these are no longer available on the digital Certificate of Title. To obtain a sketch, you can order a copy of the previous paper title (where one exists) through Land Enquiry Services if you have a MyLandgate billing account. If you don’t have a MyLandgate account, you will need to complete the Manual request for paper title or SMR digital history list form and forward it to Landgate for processing.
If a sketch is not available for a parcel of land, or you would prefer the most recent and official record of the legal boundaries, you can purchase the plan online from Landgate.
A Certificate of Title gives you:
- current ownership details
- volume and folio
- survey plan number and type
- document numbers for encumbrances and notifications
- whether there is a caveat against the title.
A Certificate of Title is useful for:
- checking current property ownership
- home buyer current property ownership
- home buyer and investor research
- research by real estate agents
- planning applications
- completing Landgate forms.
Samples
| Sample | Size | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Sketch Title | 0.5MB | |
| Certificate of Title | 5.75MB |
What you need to order:
- street address or volume and folio or lot on plan number
- debit or credit card
- email address.
Get a copy today
The quickest and easiest way is to order online.
$28.20
Find answers to your most common enquiries about a Certificate of Title.
Does a copy of a title have a sketch?
No, sketch information, showing the legal boundary and survey dimensions, is now included on the survey plan or strata plan as a scanned image. We now use digital titles instead of paper titles as the register record for new parcels of land. As the sketch of the land was previously hand drawn onto the paper title, these are no longer available on the digital Certificate of Title.
What is a volume and folio number?
This is a unique number which identifies individual titles of land. Western Australia adopted this as part of the Torren's Land System in the 1890's.
Can I have the original title to my house?
We cannot provide you with your original Certificate of Title as it is the official entry in the WA land register. We can provide you with a current copy or a colour reproduction of your original title (if one is available).
Why do I have to pay for a copy of my own title?
The price we charge covers the cost of storage, either physically or digitally managing updates and retrieval guaranteeing any title against indefeasibility (that it cannot be annulled or made void).
Do I need to own a property to get a copy of a title?
Landgate maintains the official register of land ownership and survey information for the Western Australian State Government. This means that it is a public register and all land information contained in it is available to everyone.
Can I get a title for property outside of WA?
Landgate only maintains the records for WA. For land information from other states, please refer to these official government sites:
Northern Territory
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
South Australia
Tasmania
Are individual company owners shown on a Certificate of Title?
No, the company who owns the property is shown on a Certificate of Title. To learn more about the details of the individual company owners visit asic.gov.au.
What is a duplicate Certificate of Title?
In some situations duplicates of the original title are issued to the property owner or the bank holding a mortgage on the property.
What are perches, roods, acres, hectares, chains and links?
Perches, acres, roods, chains and links are Imperial (pre-metric) units of measurement used by surveyors during the 1800's.
One rood is equal to 1/4 acre or 40 perches. To convert acres, roods and perches to square metres, use our online area conversion calculator.
One chain equals 100 links. To convert chains or links to metres, use our online distance conversion calculator.
A hectare is a metric measurement. One hectare equals 10 000 square metres.
Why does my title show a mortgage?
Mortgages are not automatically discharged by financial institutions/banks when a home loan is paid off. If you have paid your mortgage off, it best to contact your financial institution/bank to ask them to arrange a discharge of mortgage. The discharge of mortgage document will need to be lodged with Landgate to clear your title of the mortgage.
What does 'subject to dealing' mean?
This is to advise that something is in the process of being lodged or happening with the title. It may take up to six weeks for ownership information to be updated online from the time of document lodgement. You may need to order another copy of the title at a later date to see the details of the dealing.
What does 'superseded' mean?
The title you have ordered has been converted to a digital title.
What does 'cancelled' mean?
The title has been cancelled and a new title(s) has been issued. This mainly occurs when the property is subdivided.
What does 'joint tenant' mean?
Upon the death of one joint owner and if a right of survivorship exists, the share of the interest of the deceased automatically goes to the surviving owner(s).
What does 'tenants in common' mean?
Upon the death of one party the land does not automatically go to the remaining partner unless stated in the will. It also means that two or more people can hold the land in undivided shares. For example Mary Jones has 1/3 share and Robert Jones has a 2/3 share of the land. Both can transfer their shares to each other or someone else.
What if more than one title has been created for one parcel of land?
Records for a parcel of land that has multiple titles are not available online. Please call our Customer Service team on +61 (0)8 9273 7373 for assistance.