Guidance

HM Land Registry portal: official search of part with priority

How Business e-services customers can apply for an official search of part with priority through the portal.

• From: HM Land Registry
• Published: 7 August 2012
• Last updated: 1 August 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

Start an official search of part

Log in to the portal.

Select ‘information services’ then ‘official search of part with priority’.

1. Please check that you are lodging a search to protect a registrable disposition that affects only part of the land in a registered title or pending first registration, for example, a transfer of part, lease or charge of part. If you are lodging a search that protects the whole of the land, please use our Official Search of Whole with Priority Service.
2. Select ‘New Search’ (where you have completed a search in the last 6 months but need to submit a fresh search for the same property/extent, see Resubmit an official search of part with priority).
3. Enter the ‘Title number’ you want to search against.
4. Enter the name of the registered proprietors or the applicant in the case of a first registration. With private individuals, only the surname of one proprietor needs to be entered, but with a company or organisation the name must be entered in full.
5. Select ‘Next’ to continue.

Enter search details

1. Enter the ‘Search from date’ and the ‘Applicants full name’.
2. Select the ‘Priority type’ from the drop down menu.
3. Enter ‘Your reference’ in the ‘Customer information’ section. The reference will be included in your search result. The contact telephone number is pre-populated with the number recorded in your user account. It can be overwritten if you want to change it.
4. Select ‘Next’ to continue.

Identify the property

To identify which part of the title is to be affected by the search, you can:

• attach a plan
• identify a plot of land on an approved estate plan held at HM Land Registry
• refer to a reference on the title plan

Attach a plan

1. Property details are shown.
2. If you’re attaching a plan to your application, it must meet the same criteria as a paper plan. Select the question mark icon to check the requirements. If a suitable plan isn’t supplied, the application will be rejected unless the property can be identified from an approved estate plan or by description on an existing title plan.
3. Enter a reference from the plan (for example ‘edged red’). Enter the full description of the land to be searched (for example ‘Plot 1’). Any affecting floor level within the search extent must be clearly identified (for example “1st floor flat edged red on title plan XXX”).
4. Select ‘Next’ to continue.”

Identify a plot of land on an approved estate plan held at HM Land Registry

1. Enter details of the Plot number and the date the Estate Plan was approved.
2. Select ‘Next’ to continue.

Refer to a reference on the title plan

1. Provide details of the colour reference on the title plan and the title number
2.  Select ‘Next’ to continue

Uploading a plan

The file must not exceed 40MB in size and be in GIF, JPEG, PDF or TIFF format. Ideally, it will be the same plan used when you submit the registration protected by the search.

1. The plan lodged with your application should meet Land Registry requirements.
2. Complete the mandatory tick box to confirm that the plan meets with Land Registry requirements
3. Click on the link to the OS2 webinar if you require guidance on the Mapsearch facility or plans preparation
4. Select ‘Choose File’ to browse to where your plan is stored.
5. Select ‘Add’ to attach the plan.

Attachment confirmation and how to remove an attachment

A message confirms that the file has been successfully attached.

1. Select the file name to view the file.
2. To remove the file, select ‘Remove’. If you remove a file and add another, check that the description of the plan is still correct, for example check that the land on the new plan is edged red as previously stated.
3. If not, select ‘Previous’ to go back and change the description.
4. Select ‘Next’ to continue.

Fee

1. A summary of your application is shown, including the fee payable.
2. If you want to amend any of the details, select ‘Previous’ to go back and change them. You cannot change the details after selecting ‘Submit’.
3. The fee will be taken by Variable Direct Debit when you select ‘Submit’.

Resubmit an official search of part with priority

1. Select ‘Resubmit a search’ (you may view the limitations of this service by selecting the ‘limitations’ link).
2. Enter the ‘Title number’ you want to search against.
3. Enter the original official search number you wish to resubmit.
4. Select ‘Next’ to continue.

Fee and summary

1. A summary of your application is shown, including the fee payable.
2. You must confirm that there are no changes to the search data.
3. If you want to amend any of the details, select ‘Previous’ to go back and start a ‘New Search’.
4. The fee will be taken by Variable Direct Debit when you select ‘Submit’.

Confirmation

A message confirms that your application has been entered on the day list. A summary of your application shows:

• the reference number it has been given
• the name of the office that will deal with it

Search results

The result of your search will be sent:

• electronically where possible
• by post if the result cannot be sent electronically

See the ‘PDF Downloads’ area to view the result of the search or for the date of despatch by post. You can access PDFs free of charge for 30 days (inclusive) from the day the application was submitted. Read more about how to get PDF downloads.

Start a new search

To start a new application or select another service, select ‘New Search’ on the right hand side of the screen.

Logout

When you have completed your tasks, exit the system securely by selecting ‘Logout’ at the top of the screen.

Published 7 August 2012
Last updated 1 August 2024 + show all updates

1. 1 August 2024

   We have updated information about starting an official search of part, attaching a plan to an application with a link to our webinar guidance, identifying a plot of land on an approved estate plan held at HM Land Registry, referring to a reference on the title plan and uploading a plan.

2. 3 August 2020

   Section “Identify the property” amended to remove conflict with correct practice in practice guide 12: official searches.

3. 11 April 2019

   Added guidance for resubmitting an official search of part with priority.

4. 4 May 2017

   The file size to attach a plan has increased from 10MB to 20MB.

5. 7 December 2015

   We've increased the file attachment size for OS2 applications up to 10MB (from 1MB) submitted via portal and Business Gateway.

6. 7 August 2012

   First published.