Who owns that property? Land title searches, province by province

The registry, the portal and the fee — by province

Province	Official portal	Search fee*
Quebec	Registre foncier du Québec online (+ Infolot to find the lot number, free)	$1.50 per document since April 1, 2026 ($1 from 2002 to 2026)
Ontario	OnLand (Teranet) — parcel register	≈ $36.50 per copy, taxes included
British Columbia	myLTSA / LTSA Explorer	≈ $11 per title search + ≈ $3.40 service charge
Alberta	SPIN2 (Alberta Land Titles)	≈ $10 per title
Saskatchewan	ISC (Information Services Corporation)	See the portal's fee schedule
Manitoba	Teranet Manitoba — Titles Online	See the portal's fee schedule
Nova Scotia / New Brunswick	Property Online (NS) / SNB (NB)	See the portal's fee schedule (some access is subscription-based)

* Fees read at the official sources on 2026-08-12; they move — Quebec just proved it: the first change to its consultation fee in 24 years on April 1, 2026 (from $1 to $1.50), with annual indexation from April 2027. For Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Maritimes, check the portal's schedule before ordering: we do not publish a figure we have not verified.

What the title shows you — for the price of a coffee

The land registry is a property's legal truth: the name of the registered owner (the one who can sell — not necessarily the one who lives there), active mortgages with their lender and original amount, easements (the neighbour's right of way, the hydro line), charges and notices — construction liens, notices of sale, seizures. In Quebec, the index des immeubles unrolls a lot's complete transaction history since its creation: every sale, every loan, every discharge, with date and deed number.

The practical uses are endless: checking before an offer what encumbers the coveted house, confirming that a paid-off mortgage was actually discharged (our discharge dossier explains why that lags), finding out who owns the vacant lot next door, or catching title fraud early — the scenario title insurance compensates you for, but the registry lets you SEE. BC and Alberta even offer title-watch alerts for precisely that reason.

How to search, concretely

You need an entry key: in Quebec, the lot number — free in Infolot by clicking the map — then the index des immeubles at $1.50 per document; in Ontario, the PIN (parcel identification number) via OnLand's address search; in Alberta and BC, the address or title number is enough in SPIN2 and myLTSA. Budget a few minutes and under $40 in the worst case — no paid intermediary is needed, despite the commercial sites reselling these same public documents at three times the price.

The limit to know: the registry shows registered rights, not the building's physical condition or the legality of renovations — that is the job of the inspection and the survey. And reading a loaded index takes craft: extinguished easements, priority of ranks, a missing discharge — at purchase, it is the lawyer's or notary's title examination that governs. The registry gives you access; it does not replace the interpreter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out who owns a house in Canada?

Yes, anyone can find out who owns a property in Canada: land registries are PUBLIC in every province, online, for a few dollars. In Quebec, consulting the Registre foncier costs $1.50 per document since April 1, 2026 (it was $1 since 2002) — the Infolot tool gives you the lot number for free. In Ontario, a parcel register copy costs about $36.50 on OnLand; in British Columbia, a title search runs about fifteen dollars through myLTSA; in Alberta, a title costs about $10 on SPIN2. The title reveals the registered owner, mortgages, easements and charges — the same document your lawyer or notary will examine at purchase, and the only place to verify that a paid-off mortgage was actually discharged.

How much does a Quebec Registre foncier search cost?

$1.50 per document consulted since April 1, 2026 — the first change to this fee since the registry's computerization in 2002, where it had stayed at $1; it will be indexed annually from April 2027. Finding the lot number is free in Infolot. A few dollars therefore reconstructs the essentials: the index des immeubles, the deed of sale, the active mortgage.

Is a title search public or reserved to lawyers?

Public, everywhere in Canada. Anyone can search their province's land registry online — Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and BC all offer pay-per-item access with no subscription. Some portals (Nova Scotia's Property Online, for instance) reserve part of their access to professional subscribers, but the principle that land rights are public holds in every province.

Will the registry tell me what the owner paid?

Often, yes. In Quebec, the deed of sale published in the index des immeubles states the price. In Ontario, the parcel register shows the declared consideration of transfers. In Alberta and BC, the title shows the value declared at transfer. Interpret with care: a $1 transfer between spouses or into a corporation is not a market price — for current values, see the per-city market statistics instead.

What if I discover an old mortgage was never discharged?

It is common — and it is the seller (or their then-lender) who must fix it. Demand the discharge from the creditor and have it registered; at sale, your lawyer or notary will require it before closing anyway. On your own home, better to find out now than three days before a closing. The cost and mechanics are in our mortgage-discharge dossier.

Sources

A loaded title to examine?

Payotte names a single verified lawyer or notary per sector — selected on public data, never on payment. The registry shows you the problem; they know how to fix it.

Find a verified lawyer or notary

Who owns that property? Searching a land title, province by province