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Title search

Title search pulls the Certificate of Title and its dealings (Section 88B, encumbrances, caveats) for a property. Order before concept design to catch deal-killers.

By Dan Waring. Last updated 16 May 2026. Verified 16 May 2026.

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A title search is the search of a property’s Certificate of Title and its associated registered dealings (instruments, plans, encumbrances) via the state land registry. In NSW that is NSW Land Registry Services (NSW LRS) under the Real Property Act 1900; equivalent registries exist in every state (Vic Titles Office, Land Use Victoria; Queensland Titles Registry; Landgate WA; Land Services SA; Land Titles Office TAS, etc.). The search reveals everything legally registered against the land: easements, restrictive covenants, mortgages, caveats, leases, profits à prendre, and any registered planning instruments. (Verified 2026-05-16.)

What a NSW title search returns:

  1. The Certificate of Title itself: lot, deposited plan number, registered proprietor (owner), volume and folio.
  2. Encumbrances list: every registered burden on the title, with the instrument number for each.
  3. Section 88B instrument: the document under the Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) that creates easements and restrictions on plans of subdivision.
  4. Caveats: any party claiming an interest in the land, preventing dealings.
  5. Mortgages and registered leases.

Why builders should order a title search early:

  • A restrictive covenant (e.g. “no dwelling of less than 200 m² floor area on this lot”) can kill a design brief.
  • An easement for sewer, drainage, or right-of-carriageway runs through the buildable envelope and constrains slab and footing design.
  • A caveat can prevent the owner from contracting for construction without first dealing with the caveator.
  • Heritage restrictions registered on title (e.g. heritage covenant under the Heritage Act) shape the entire DA approach.

A title search costing $50 to $150 before concept design can save tens of thousands in re-design and DA refusal cost.

How to order a title search:

  • NSW LRS direct via registry.nswlrs.com.au. Requires a customer account.
  • Third-party service: InfoTrack, Titelcheck, Glomex Property and others. Faster turnaround, slight fee mark-up, often bundled with associated searches.
  • Through a solicitor or conveyancer: standard part of a pre-purchase legal review.

What a title search does NOT show:

  • Building approvals and consents (DA, CDC, CC, OC). Those are held by council, separately searchable via Section 10.7 certificate.
  • Heritage listings not registered on title (some heritage controls are zoning-only).
  • Unregistered interests (a lease under 3 years is not registered).
  • Planning controls (LEP, DCP zoning, BAL classification). Those are council records, not title records.
  • Flooding and bushfire status unless recorded by a planning instrument registered on title.

Builder action: bundle the title search with the Section 10.7 certificate and the flood study.

These three documents together reveal:

  • Title search: what’s on the title.
  • Section 10.7 certificate: what the council says about the property’s planning status.
  • Flood study: where the FPL sits and what risk precinct applies.

Order all three before the architect drafts concept plans. The Section 10.7 alone misses title-registered restrictions; the title search alone misses planning controls.

Also known as: title document; CT search; certificate of title; land title search.

Category: Approvals.

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-16. Verified: 2026-05-16. Quarterly review for currency.

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