Sometimes a photocopy will not do. A certified copy of title is a copy of the title as it stands in the National Land Agency’s register, checked, signed and sealed by the Registrar of Titles or an authorised officer as a true copy. Because it comes from the original register, it shows every current endorsement, including caveats or court orders that may not appear on the owner’s duplicate.
It is ordered from the Land Titles Division using the search request form, ticking that certification is required and paying the certification fee on top of the search fee. Attorneys with deposit accounts can request certified copies by email and receive them electronically. Plans and registered instruments can also be certified.
Courts accept certified copies as evidence of ownership, so they are routinely used to support bail applications, court claims, probate and estate matters, and some lender or embassy requirements. A certified copy is not a replacement for the duplicate certificate of title: it cannot be used to sell or mortgage the land. If the duplicate is lost, the owner must apply for a new one through a separate process that includes a statutory declaration and public notice. Certified copies reflect the register only on the day they are issued, so an old one may be out of date.
Related terms: Certificate of title, Duplicate Title, Title Search Fee, Registrar of Titles, Endorsement on Title, Title search.
Accurate as at October 2026.
