How to read a title
How to read a Victorian title (Register Search Statement)
A Victorian title search is called a Register Search Statement. It names the registered proprietors (the owners) with an address, lists mortgages, covenants and other notices, and shows any dealings lodged in the last 125 days. The sample below is fictional and follows the LANDATA layout.
See the exact lot and title before you pay. No title, no charge.
Victoria title search
A$79
Includes the A$17.87 registry fee and GST
Title + Full ReportA$109
- The official Register Search Statement from LANDATA
- A one-page plain-English summary
- Owner names and the address printed for notices
- Usually within minutes, any day of the week
- Exact lot and title confirmed before you pay
A$8.30 if you already know the volume and folio; searching by address adds the A$9.57 land index fee.
Register Search Statement - Volume 12999 Folio 123
Copyright State of Victoria. This publication is copyright. No part
may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the
provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and for the purposes of
Section 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 (Vic) or pursuant to a written
agreement. The information is only valid at the time and in the form
obtained from the LANDATA REGD TM System. The State of Victoria
accepts no responsibility for any subsequent release, publication or
reproduction of the information.
REGISTER SEARCH STATEMENT (Title Search) Transfer of Land Act 1958
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1VOLUME 12999 FOLIO 123 Security no : 124112233445X
Produced 22/10/2026 10:41 am
LAND DESCRIPTION
----------------
Lot 18 on Plan of Subdivision 812345K.
PARENT TITLES :
Volume 12870 Folio 555
Created by instrument PS812345K 14/03/2019
REGISTERED PROPRIETOR
---------------------
Estate Fee Simple
TENANTS IN COMMON
2As to 3 of a total of 4 equal undivided shares
Sole Proprietor
PRIYA EXAMPLE 3of 18 SPECIMEN CRESCENT CLYDE NORTH VIC 3978
As to 1 of a total of 4 equal undivided shares
Sole Proprietor
DANIEL EXAMPLE of 7 SAMPLE COURT BALLARAT NORTH VIC 3350
4AS612345F 03/05/2019
ENCUMBRANCES, CAVEATS AND NOTICES
---------------------------------
5MORTGAGE AS612346H 03/05/2019
SOUTHGATE EXAMPLE BANK LIMITED
6COVENANT AS145678J 14/03/2019
7AGREEMENT Section 173 Planning and Environment Act 1987 AR210044L 02/11/2018
Any encumbrances created by Section 98 Transfer of Land Act 1958 or Section
24 Subdivision Act 1988 and any other encumbrances shown or entered on the
plan set out under DIAGRAM LOCATION below.
DIAGRAM LOCATION
----------------
8SEE PS812345K FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND BOUNDARIES
9ACTIVITY IN THE LAST 125 DAYS
-----------------------------
NIL
------------------------END OF REGISTER SEARCH STATEMENT------------------------
Additional information: (not part of the Register Search Statement)
Street Address: 18 SPECIMEN CRESCENT CLYDE NORTH VIC 3978
ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICES
----------------------
NIL
eCT Control 16320Q SOUTHGATE EXAMPLE BANK LIMITED
Effective from 03/05/2019
DOCUMENT END
Delivered by SAMPLE INFORMATION BROKER from the LANDATA® System at 22/10/2026 10:41 am- 1Title referenceVictorian titles are identified by volume and folio. Ordering with these numbers avoids LANDATA's land index fee.
- 2SharesThe owners are tenants in common. Priya owns three quarters and Daniel one quarter, and each can sell or leave their share separately.
- 3Owner's addressVictorian titles print the address recorded when the owner registered. It may not be where they live now.
- 4TransferThe dealing that made these two the registered proprietors, registered on 3 May 2019.
- 5MortgageA loan from the named lender, registered the same day as the transfer. It stays until a discharge is registered.
- 6CovenantA restriction on how the land can be used, often on building materials or the number of dwellings. The wording is in instrument AS145678J.
- 7Section 173An agreement with the council that binds every future owner, for example about how the lot can be developed. Read the agreement itself before you build.
- 8PlanThe lot is drawn on Plan of Subdivision PS812345K, which isn't part of this statement. Easements created by the plan are shown there.
- 9Recent activityDealings lodged on the title in the last 125 days appear here. NIL means nothing has been lodged in that time.
Volume, folio and when the statement was produced
VOLUME 12999 FOLIO 123 is the title reference. Older titles print a short volume with leading zeros, so Volume 8111 appears as 08111. The volume and folio is usually top right of an old paper certificate of title, and ordering with it avoids LANDATA's land index fee.
The Security no identifies this particular search, and Produced is the date and time it was made: the statement is correct as at that moment. Victoria's titles are now electronic. From 3 August 2024 every new certificate of title issued from the Register of Land is electronic, so this statement is what most people use as their copy of title.
Land description, parent titles and the plan
The land is described by lot and plan, such as Lot 18 on Plan of Subdivision 812345K. Victorian plans are a Plan of Subdivision (PS), Lodged Plan (LP) or Title Plan (TP). Parent titles are the titles this one was created from, and Created by instrument is the plan or document that created it.
The plan itself isn't included. DIAGRAM LOCATION … SEE PS812345K points to it, and the standard wording 'Any encumbrances created by Section 98 Transfer of Land Act 1958 or Section 24 Subdivision Act 1988…' means easements drawn on that plan bind the land even though they aren't listed. If you plan to build or extend, get the plan of subdivision.
Registered proprietor: owners, shares and address
- Estate Fee Simple is ordinary freehold ownership.
- Sole Proprietor means one owner. Joint Proprietors means joint tenants: if one dies, the survivor owns the whole.
- TENANTS IN COMMON … As to 3 of a total of 4 equal undivided shares means that owner holds three quarters. Each share can be sold or left in a will separately.
- of [address] is the address recorded when the owner registered. LANDATA notes it may not be current.
- The dealing number and date under the owners, such as AS612345F 03/05/2019, is the transfer that made them proprietors.
Encumbrances, caveats and notices: what each entry means
Victorian statements list interests by type, each with its instrument number and date. The common ones are:
- MORTGAGE with the lender's name underneath: a loan secured on the property, removed when a discharge is registered.
- COVENANT: a restriction on use, such as one dwelling only or approved building materials. The wording is in the instrument, so order it if you plan works. See covenants.
- AGREEMENT Section 173 Planning and Environment Act 1987: an agreement with the council that binds every future owner, often about development conditions. See section 173 agreements.
- CAVEAT: someone claims an interest in the land and wants notice before it is dealt with. See caveats.
- LEASE, CHARGE or NOTICE: less common entries; each names the instrument that holds the detail.
Activity in the last 125 days and the additional information
ACTIVITY IN THE LAST 125 DAYS lists dealings lodged on the title in that period, such as a transfer, discharge of mortgage or caveat. NIL means nothing has been lodged. It is the quickest way to see whether a sale or refinance is under way.
Below END OF REGISTER SEARCH STATEMENT is Additional information, which LANDATA labels 'not part of the Register Search Statement': the street address, any administrative notices and eCT Control, which names who controls the electronic certificate of title. That is often the mortgage lender while a mortgage is registered.
What a Victorian title doesn't show
- The plan drawing, and the wording of covenants, section 173 agreements and caveats. LANDATA sells plans and instruments separately.
- Phone numbers or email addresses for the owners.
- Past owners. That needs a historical title search.
- Planning zones and overlays, owners corporation details or council rates. Those come from a planning certificate, the owners corporation and the council.
When to get advice
Talk to a conveyancer or solicitor if the statement shows a caveat you don't recognise, recent activity you didn't expect, or a covenant or section 173 agreement that could affect what you want to build. Your council can explain a section 173 agreement it is party to.
Title Registry orders the Register Search Statement through an authorised information broker and emails it, usually within minutes, with a plain-English summary, for A$79. LANDATA charges A$8.30 if you know the volume and folio, or A$17.87 when you search by address.
Order a Victorian titleCommon questions
What is a Register Search Statement?
Victoria's name for a current title search: the official copy of the folio from the Register of Land. It shows the land, the registered proprietors and the encumbrances.
Does a Victorian title show the owner's address?
Yes. It prints an address for each proprietor, recorded when they became owners, so it may be out of date. No phone number or email is shown.
What does 'As to 1 of a total of 2 equal undivided shares' mean?
The owners are tenants in common, and that owner holds half. Each share can be sold or left by will separately.
What is 'Activity in the last 125 days'?
A list of dealings lodged on the title in the past 125 days, such as a transfer, discharge or caveat. NIL means nothing has been lodged in that time.
What is eCT control?
It names who controls the electronic certificate of title, often the mortgage lender. It appears in the additional information, which isn't part of the statement itself.
Why can't I see the easements on my Victorian title?
Easements created by a plan of subdivision usually appear only on the plan. The statement points to it under Diagram Location, so order the plan to see them.