Land Registry Search: How Long Does It Take

Almost ninety percent of land in England and Wales is now registered with HM Land Registry. The Land Registry is the definitive source of who legally owns what, and what conditions attach to that ownership. A search is the only authoritative way to confirm:

• ●Who legally owns the property (the registered proprietor)
• ●Whether the property is freehold or leasehold (and the lease length if leasehold)
• ●Any mortgages or other financial charges registered against the property
• ●Any restrictions, such as Trustee Restrictions or Form N Restrictions limiting transfers
• ●Any restrictive covenants from past owners (such as use restrictions or building height limits)
• ●Any easements, rights of way, or other third party rights

For a buyer's conveyancer, the Land Registry search is one of the first steps in any transaction.

The most common searches in a conveyancing transaction:

• ●Official Copy of the Register (the title register itself, around £3)
• ●Official Copy of the Title Plan (the boundaries on a plan, around £3)
• ●Official Copy of any document referred to on the title (leases, transfers, deeds, around £3 each)
• ●OS1 Priority Search of the Whole Title (a snapshot search with priority for thirty working days, around £7)
• ●OS2 Priority Search of Part (used for transfers of part, around £7)
• ●Bankruptcy search against the buyer's name (around £2)

All of these are available digitally through the Land Registry's portal. Most return within minutes for online users.

The exact timing varies by search type:

• ●Title register and title plan: instant on the online portal
• ●Document copies: instant for digitised documents, two to five working days for older paper based documents that need to be scanned
• ●OS1 Priority Search: one to two working days, with the priority period running thirty working days from the search date
• ●Bankruptcy search: instant
• ●First registrations or applications to update the register: four to twelve weeks (this is not a search but a registration application)

The priority search (OS1) is the one that drives the conveyancing timeline. The result confirms there are no pending applications against the title and, importantly, gives the buyer's conveyancer a thirty working day priority window during which no other application can be registered ahead of theirs. Completion must happen within this window.

As of 2026, the main fees are:

• ●Official Copy of the Register: £3 (online), £7 (postal)
• ●Official Copy of the Title Plan: £3 (online), £7 (postal)
• ●Official Copy of a referred document: £3 (online), £7 (postal)
• ●OS1 Priority Search: £3 (online), £7 (postal)
• ●Bankruptcy search: £2 per name

These are paid by the conveyancer and passed through to the client as disbursements. They are not part of the legal fee.

The title register lists every charge registered against the property in order of priority. The most common is the existing mortgage, which appears as a Charge with the lender's name and date of registration. Other charges might include:

• ●Second mortgages or further advances
• ●Restrictions noted by a court order
• ●Notices of an unregistered interest such as a leasehold of part
• ●Caution against dealings (someone formally claiming an interest)

Any charge must be redeemed or transferred before completion. Your conveyancer will request redemption statements for all relevant charges as part of the legal work.

Around ten percent of land in England and Wales is still unregistered. This is typically older land that has not changed hands since 1990 (the year compulsory registration was extended nationwide). Buying unregistered land is more complex because there is no central register of ownership. The conveyancer must trace title through historical deeds, often going back fifteen years or more. Allow extra time and budget for this if you are buying an unregistered property.

Anyone can search the Land Registry. You do not need a solicitor. Visit the GOV.UK website, search for "search for property information from HM Land Registry", and use the postcode or property address. You can buy and download the title register and plan for £3 each, paid by card. This is useful pre offer to confirm ownership and check for obvious issues.

Our panel firms run all the necessary Land Registry searches as part of the fixed fee, with itemised disbursements shown in advance. The OS1 priority search is timed to give the maximum protection through the exchange and completion window.