In short
Each state and territory keeps its own register of land titles, and a title search tells you who the registered owners are and what interests (mortgages, easements, covenants, caveats) affect a property. A current search costs $25.71 (excluding GST) in Queensland, and a copy of a certificate of title costs $33.90 in Western Australia (fees updated 1 July 2026). Rules and fees are set by the state where the property is, so use the register of that state.
What the register is
The register is the official record of land ownership kept by each state or territory registry. In Western Australia, for example, the register kept under the Transfer of Land Act consists of each Crown grant, each certificate of title and each registered transfer. Certificates of title are created in the name of the registered proprietor, and only current details appear on the register: superseded data moves to a historical file that stays searchable (Landgate).
This system is often called the Torrens system. The WA page read does not use that term, so this guide uses “land titles register”. If you buy in the ACT, land is held under a Crown lease: the ACT’s required documents include a copy of the Crown lease and a current certified extract from the land titles register.
What a title search shows
Titles Queensland says a current title search shows the current owners of a lot (or lessees of a state lease, or holders of a water allocation) and other registered interests, including mortgages, easements, covenants, leases and caveats.
In Tasmania the folio text includes the volume and folio reference, the land description, current owners’ names, registered easements, mortgages, covenants, encumbrances and caveats, and a list of unregistered dealings (Land Tasmania).
Your conveyancer should also compare the plan of the land with the certificate of title and flag any differences (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
How to run a search, state by state
| State | Official source read | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| QLD | Titles Queensland | Order a title search online. Prices below. A body corporate survey plan can also be searched through Titles Queensland. |
| WA | Landgate | Fee schedule below. Check search $16.95, copy of certificate of title $33.90. |
| TAS | Land Tasmania | Anyone can search by paying the fee: in person at a Service Tasmania shop or the Land Titles Office, remotely through The LIST, or by written request. A volume/folio reference saves time and money; otherwise use the plan and lot number, the address or a map. |
| NSW, VIC, SA, ACT, NT | State registry | The registry pages could not be read for this guide. Search the register of the state where the property is, or ask your conveyancer. |
Fees published by the registries read
Queensland (excluding GST):
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Current title, state lease or water allocation search | $25.71 |
| Historical title search (interests registered after 1994) | $37.88 |
| Image of certificate of title (interests registered before 1994) | $25.71 |
| Image of survey plan | $27.56 |
| Image of dealing instrument | $50.16 |
| Dealing or administrative advice statement | $4.20 |
| Certified copy (not available online) | $46.76 (excludes the cost of the search, plan or dealing) |
Western Australia (updated 1 July 2026; regulated fees are not subject to GST):
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Copy of certificate of title | $33.90 |
| Document (for example a transfer, mortgage or caveat) | $33.90 |
| Check search | $16.95 |
| Dealing search (per document copied) | $33.90 |
| Deposited plan, diagram, strata | $33.90 |
| Certifying a certificate of title or document | $80.00 (total $113.90 with the $33.90 copy fee) |
Landgate adds that the schedule is a guide and the legislation applies. Tasmania charges a search fee per title, plus an hourly fee if staff must find the reference; the page does not list amounts.
When to search
A title search is normally ordered by your conveyancer or solicitor before you commit, and again before settlement. The seller also supplies title information with the contract in some states: in the ACT a current certified extract from the land titles register is among the required documents, and in Queensland the prescribed certificates may include title searches. See contract of sale and exchange.
A search can only tell you what is on the register. It does not replace a building inspection, a council check or a review of the contract: see building and pest inspection.
Registered owner and your seller
Check that the registered owner on the search matches the name of the seller on the contract, and that any mortgage will be discharged at settlement. Your conveyancer arranges this through the settlement process: see settlement and electronic conveyancing.
What it costs
A single search costs a fee set by the registry, shown above for Queensland and Western Australia. If you order through your conveyancer, the search appears as a disbursement on top of professional fees. NSW Government lists title searches among typical disbursements. Fees change each year, so check the current schedule on the register’s website.
Which professional to consult
A conveyancer or solicitor orders and reads the search and explains easements, covenants and caveats; see conveyancer. A property valuer values the property but does not search the title; see property valuer.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search the title myself?
In Queensland and Tasmania the registry pages read say you can order a search. Check your state’s register. The registry’s own terms apply.
What is a caveat?
Caveats, mortgages and easements are interests recorded on the register. Titles Queensland lists them among the registered interests a title search shows. Ask your conveyancer what each one means for your purchase.
Is a title search the same in every state?
No. Each state and territory keeps its own register, with its own fees and products. The ACT uses leases.
Does a search show who lives there?
No. It shows the registered owners and registered interests, as described above, not who occupies the property.
What does an easement mean for me?
An easement is a registered interest that affects the land. Your conveyancer reads it on the search and explains how it limits what you can do on the land.
More guides on buying
- Building and pest inspection before you buy
- Buying a home in Australia: the steps, state by state
- Buying at auction in Australia: the rules by state
- Contract of sale and exchange: what you sign, by state
- Conveyance duty in the ACT and the Home Buyer Concession
- Cooling-off period when buying a home, by state
- First home buyer stamp duty concessions in each state
- First home owner grants compared across the states
- Foreign buyers and FIRB approval for a home
- Foreign purchaser surcharge duty in each state
- Land transfer duty in Victoria: rates and concessions
- Property transfer duty in Tasmania: rates and relief
- Settlement and electronic conveyancing in Australia
- Stamp duty in South Australia: how to find your figure
- Stamp duty in the Northern Territory: formula and discount
- Strata title and body corporate: what to check by state
- Transfer duty in NSW: 2026/27 rates and first home buyers
- Transfer duty in Queensland: rates and home concessions
- Transfer duty in Western Australia: rates and first home
Sources
- Searches (Titles Queensland) (consulted 14 October 2026)
- Land transaction fees (Landgate WA) (consulted 14 October 2026)
- REG-02 The Register (Landgate WA) (consulted 14 October 2026)
- How to search a Torrens title (Land Tasmania) (consulted 14 October 2026)
- Before property settlement (Consumer Affairs Victoria) (consulted 14 October 2026)
- Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 (ACT), republication 1 November 2025 (consulted 14 October 2026)
- Buying a body corporate property (qld.gov.au) (consulted 14 October 2026)