Deed registration and powers of attorney
Under the powers of the ACT Registrar-General and the Registration of Deeds Act 1957 (the Act), Access Canberra is responsible for:
- the registration of deeds in the ACT
- the registration of Powers of Attorney, when it applies to a land or conveyancing transaction
- maintaining the register of deeds.
Search or apply for a copy of a deed poll
To search or apply for a copy of a deed poll that was once registered as a deed under the Act you need to:
- complete the Application to search or copy a deed form
- pay the fee.
A copy of a deed poll may not be enough evidence of a change of name.
If you're required to register a change of name visit our change your name as an adult page.
Register a deed
A deed includes any instrument or document, whether under seal or not, other than:
- a will;
- an instrument (other than a lease, or sublease, for a term of under three years) that:
- complies with the provisions of the Land Titles Act 1925, and
- purports to transfer or otherwise deal with or affect an estate or interest in land under the provisions of that Act; or,
- a document that evidences, or purports to evidence, a change of the name of a person.
What you’ll need
To register a deed, you need to provide:
- a deed in duplicate, or one original
- a completed Application to register a deed form
- the associated fee.
When lodging your deed it must be:
- legible
- on A4 paper.
A deed will not be accepted if it doesn't meet these requirements.
Once you've lodged your application it will take Access Canberra up to 10 days to process.
Register a Power of Attorney
You only need to register a Power of Attorney with Access Canberra when it applies to a land transaction.
A Power of Attorney is considered a deed. However, it must also follow the provisions of the Powers of Attorney Act 2006.
To find out more about Powers of Attorney visit the Public Trustee and Guardian website and the ACT Law Society website.
What you’ll need
Applications to register a Power of Attorney are made under the Application to register a deed.
You’ll need to:
- provide the original Power of Attorney or deed
- in person at the Access Canberra Land Tiles Office in Dickson.
To visit the Access Canberra Dickson office you must make an appointment.
Once you've lodged your application it will take Access Canberra up to 10 days to process.
Forms and fees
To find more information about these forms and their associated fees visit our land title lodgement, registration and search forms related fees page.
Contact us
You can contact us to make an enquiry or ask a question.
Make an appointment to visit our Land Titles service centre in Dickson or use the contact details below.
Phone
Post
GPO Box 158, Canberra City ACT 2601