How to read a title
How to read a Northern Territory title search
In the Northern Territory the title search is a Search Certificate from the Land Titles Office. It shows the volume and folio, the land and its area, the owner with an address, and a list of registered dealings, and it usually comes with a Record of Administrative Interests and Information. The sample below is fictional and follows the NT layout.
See the exact lot and title before you pay. No title, no charge.
Northern Territory title search
A$89
Includes the A$29.00 registry fee and GST
Title + Full ReportA$119
- The official Search Certificate (title search) from NT Land Titles
- A one-page plain-English summary
- Owner names and the address printed for notices
- Usually within minutes; some take up to 1 business day, any day of the week
- Exact lot and title confirmed before you pay
Approximate: the NT fee schedule is published per search type.
Date Registered: 14/05/2021 1Volume 912 Folio 345
2Duplicate Certificate as to Title issued? No
SEARCH CERTIFICATE
3Lot 9123 Town of Palmerston from plan(s) S 2003/123
Area under title is 800 square metres
Owner:
Alex Example
4of PO Box 4567, Palmerston NT 0831
Registered Dealing
Date Number Description
Previous title is Volume 880 Folio 101
06/02/2026 1098765 5Overriding Statutory Charge City of Palmerston - pursuant to Section 256 of the Local Government
Act 2019
14/05/2021 1012345 6Mortgage Top End Example Bank Limited
End of Dealings
Page 1 of 1 Searched on 22/10/2026 at 10:22:15 AM by SAMPLE
NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA
Record of Administrative Interests and Information
The information contained in this record of Administrative Interests only relates to the below parcel reference.
Parcel Reference: Lot 09123 Town of Palmerston plan(s) S 2003/123
(See section 38 of the Land Title Act)
Note: The Record of Administrative Interests and Information 7is not part of the Land Register and is not guaranteed
by the Northern Territory of Australia, and the NT Government accepts no Liability for any omission, misstatement or
inaccuracy contained in this statement.
Custodian - Registrar General
Current Title
CUFT 912 345 (order 1)
Tenure Type
ESTATE IN FEE SIMPLE
Area Under Title
800 square metres
Owners
Alex Example
PO Box 4567, Palmerston NT 0831
Transfers
814/05/2021 for $540,000
Historic Titles
CUFT 880 101 (order 1)
Custodian - Surveyor General
Address
8 EXAMPLE CT, ZUCCOLI
Survey Plan
S 2003/123
Custodian - Valuer General
Unimproved Capital Value
$185,000 on 01/07/2024
Printed by SAMPLE 22/10/2026 10:22:15- 1Title referenceThe volume and folio of the current title. The administrative record below writes the same title as CUFT 912 345.
- 2Paper titleNo paper duplicate certificate has been issued, so the register itself is the record.
- 3LandNT land is described by lot (or section) and town (or hundred), with the survey plan it was created on.
- 4Owner's addressNT titles print an address for the owner. It can be a PO box and may be out of date.
- 5Statutory chargeThe council has registered a charge for money owed on the land, usually unpaid rates. Ask the council for the amount; it needs to be cleared before a sale.
- 6MortgageA loan secured on the property, registered when the owner bought it in May 2021.
- 7Admin recordThe Record of Administrative Interests and Information is gathered from government agencies. It's useful, but it isn't part of the title.
- 8Sale priceThe administrative record lists past transfers, often with the price paid. Few other states show this on a title search.
Volume, folio and date registered
Volume 912 Folio 345 is the title reference. The administrative record writes the same title as CUFT 912 345. Date Registered is when the current title was registered, usually the date the present owner's transfer went through.
Duplicate Certificate as to Title issued? No means no paper duplicate title has been issued, so the register itself is the record. The footer shows when the search was made; the certificate is correct as at that time.
Land: lot, town or hundred, plan and area
NT land is described by lot or section and its location: a town such as Darwin or Palmerston, or a hundred (an old survey district) for rural land, for example Section 3974 Hundred of Bagot. 'From plan(s)' names the survey plan the parcel was created on. NT survey plans usually start with S, L or LTO followed by a year and number.
Area under title is the registered area of the parcel. NT search certificates usually include a title diagram showing the parcel's shape. See survey plans.
Owner and address
The Owner section gives each owner's name followed by 'of' and an address. It may be a PO box or the address recorded when they bought, so it may be out of date. With two or more owners, check how they hold it: as joint tenants or tenants in common. No phone number or email is shown.
Registered dealings
Dealings are listed with their registered date, dealing number and description, most recent first, ending with 'End of Dealings'. 'Previous title is Volume … Folio …' points to the title this one replaced.
- Mortgage [lender]: a loan secured on the property. It stays until a discharge is registered.
- Easement to [body]: for example a sewerage easement to the water authority, which can use part of the land for its pipes. See easements.
- Overriding Statutory Charge [council]: a charge registered by a council or other authority for money owed on the land, usually unpaid rates. Ask the council for the amount; it needs to be cleared before a sale.
- Caveat: someone claims an interest in the land. See caveats.
The Record of Administrative Interests and Information
Most NT searches come with this record, gathered from government agencies. The NT Government says it is not part of the Land Register and is not guaranteed. It can be very useful all the same:
- Transfers, often with the price paid, and historic titles.
- The street address, survey plan, parcel status and area from the Surveyor General.
- Unimproved capital values from the Valuer General.
- Planning zone and applications, building permits and pool certification, where recorded.
What an NT title doesn't show
- The wording of mortgages, easements or caveats. Each registered document is a separate search.
- Contact details for the owner beyond the printed address.
- Council rates owing, unless a statutory charge has been registered. Ask the council.
When to ask a conveyancer
Get advice if you see a caveat or statutory charge, an easement where you plan to build, or administrative information that doesn't match what you were told about the property. A conveyancer or lawyer can order the documents and explain them.
Title Registry orders the NT search through an authorised information broker for A$89, with a plain-English summary. Most arrive within minutes; some NT searches take up to 1 business day. The Land Titles Office charges about A$29.00 for an online search.
Order an NT titleCommon questions
What is a search certificate in the NT?
The NT Land Titles Office's current title search: a time-stamped record of the volume and folio, the land, the owner and the registered dealings.
Does an NT title show the owner's address?
Yes. The search certificate prints an address for the owner, which may be a PO box or out of date. No phone number or email is shown.
What is an overriding statutory charge?
A charge registered by a council or other authority for money owed on the land, such as unpaid rates. Ask the council how much is owing.
Is the Record of Administrative Interests part of the title?
No. It is gathered from government agencies, and the NT Government says it is not part of the Land Register and is not guaranteed.
Does an NT title search show what the owner paid?
Often. The Record of Administrative Interests and Information that usually comes with it lists past transfers, frequently with the price.
Can I search an NT title by volume and folio?
You can, but the NT Government warns that volume and folio searches may not return the current title. Search by address or lot where you can.