Digital Registration Service
Submit HM Land Registry applications in the portal, reducing errors and requisitions.
Applies to England and Wales
Documents
Details
From 30 November 2022, the Digital Registration Service is the default route for business customers to submit applications through the portal, replacing our electronic Document Registration Service.
The service is free to use and designed to work for all. It aims to make submitting applications as simple as possible and to significantly reduce errors – and therefore requisitions.
It’s widely used, with over 650,000 applications since the service went live in April 2021. The 40% reduction in incorrect name and fee requisitions meanwhile shows a sizeable positive impact on errors.
The benefits
Time-saving and error reduction features include:
- information checked for errors as you go – comparing with the Land Register
- guidance and prompts to help get it right first time and supply the required details
- automatically populating fields from the Land Register or data already entered
- fees automatically calculated and added for you
- saving as you go so you can return to an application later (via View Applications)
- checking progress of your, and your colleagues’, submitted applications (via View Applications)
Emma Pickerin, Simply Conveyancing Property Lawyers, said:
I use the digital registration service on all applications where possible and find the service very quick and easy to use. I like the way it guides you through each page and allows you to amend as and when required with ease. The turnaround time for replies to requisitions and completion of registration is much more efficient.
Get started
If you access the HM Land Registry portal, you can get started right away. Just log into the portal and select ‘Digital Registration Service’ from the ‘Services’ drop down in the top banner of the homepage.
Don’t have access to the portal?
You must be a Business e-services customer with a portal account to access the Digital Registration Service. There is no fee to sign up to HM Land Registry’s Business e-services, but you must have at least one Variable Direct Debit account to pay fees for the services you use. Apply to access our electronic services for business customers.
Tips and guidance
The system guides you along the way and prompts for relevant details. But to help you get the most from it, there’s plenty of tips and guidance information available.
You can find out where to submit an application in the portal.
You can find tips and application guides on our Digital Registration Service playlist.
We’re continuously improving the service and what’s available to customers. Your feedback is invaluable, so please use the links in the Digital Registration Service to share your thoughts on what’s working well and what you’d like to see added or changed.
Submit colleagues’ applications
Read our guidance about submitting colleagues’ applications within the Digital Registration Service.
Supported applications
You can use the Digital Registration Service to:
- update registered titles
- register new titles (including transfers of part and new leases)
- register lease extensions (close an old lease and register a new lease of the same property to the same tenant)
- close leasehold titles (including merger applications)
- remove default Form A restrictions
When to use a different service
The Digital Registration Service start page shows the latest on available applications and links to anything not yet covered.
Please continue to use the legacy electronic Document Registration Service for applications with 26 to 50 titles.
For applications with more than 50 titles, contact the bulk applications team.
For first registrations (FR1), you should submit applications by post.
A small minority of customers submit transfers of portfolio, using existing TR5 forms. This application type is not currently available in the Digital Registration Service, but we’re prioritising work to find a solution. In the meantime, customers should submit these applications through the legacy electronic Document Registration Service.
Latest additions
From 25 April 2023, applications save earlier in the process. After entering minimal core details, your application will save automatically and then continue to save as you go.
From 19 January 2023, you can use DRS to:
- register lease extensions
- amend name and address for service
- amend chargee name and address for service
- register a transfer of charge or assent of charge
- register appointments of new trustees
- register a transfer for value RTB/RTA (right to buy or acquire) or a transfer by operation of law on death
- register a discharge of part (DS3)
- register a consolidation of charge or sub charge
What will be added
We’re working to add:
- greater flexibility in editing your application prior to submission
- a fees calculator for leases and transfers of part