To check a title deed online in South Africa:
DeedsOffice.Online has a live link into the Deeds Office and covers all 11 South African deeds offices, so you do not need an account, an appointment, or a trip to a deeds office.
A property search against the deeds registry returns the information the Deeds Office holds on that property:
That is different from the document. If you need the deed itself - to check a servitude, a condition of title, or a restriction - you order a copy of the title deed (deed of transfer).
No. The Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 requires a prescribed fee for every search of the deeds registry, so no legitimate service - the Deeds Office included - can hand over title deed information at no cost.
Sites advertising a "free title deed search" are usually either capturing your details to quote you afterwards, or showing an estimate drawn from property listings rather than the registered record. We set out exactly what is free and what is not on our free title deed search page.
If you want every property registered in a person's name rather than information on one property, you need a person search rather than a property search. An ID number gives the cleanest result, because it removes any ambiguity between people who share a surname and initials.
Use a person or company search for a single deeds office, or a search across all deeds offices when you do not know where the property is.
A name-only search works, but it is less precise. The deeds registry records surnames and initials rather than full first names in many older records, so a common surname can return a long list of matches that you then have to narrow down by area or by property type.
If you have the ID number or a company registration number, use it. If you only have a name, start with the deeds office covering the area where you believe the property is.
Gauteng properties are registered at either the Pretoria or the Johannesburg Deeds Office, depending on the registration division the property falls into. You do not have to work out which one applies - our searches cover all 11 deeds offices and route the request to the correct office from the property details.
The same is true elsewhere in the country: Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Limpopo, Bloemfontein, King William's Town, Kimberley, Vryburg, Mpumalanga and Mthatha are all covered.
There are two copies of a title deed you can order without a conveyancer, and one you cannot:
The same applies to marriage contracts: a copy for information, or a copy certified under Section 70 for legal proceedings such as a divorce or a bank application.
An Instant Property Search returns owner and title deed information within minutes. A standard copy of the deed document is normally emailed within one business day. A certified copy takes longer, because it is ordered from the Deeds Office and couriered - the turnaround time is shown on each product page before you order.
Search for the property by erf number, address or scheme name, confirm the property that comes back, pay for the search, and the title deed information is returned to you. DeedsOffice.Online has a live link into the Deeds Office, so an Instant Property Search returns the current registered owner, purchase price, purchase date and title deed number within minutes. A copy of the title deed document itself is ordered separately.
No. The Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 requires a fee for any search of, or document retrieved from, the Deeds Office, so no legitimate service can provide title deed information free of charge. Anything advertised as a free title deed search is either an estimate drawn from another source or a lead-capture page. We explain exactly what is and is not free on our free title deed search page.
Yes. A person search uses an ID number (or a company registration number) to return every property registered in that person's name. An ID number gives the most accurate result because it removes ambiguity between people with the same name. Use a person or company search to do this.
Yes, but a name-only search is less precise than an ID number. Common surnames return multiple matches, and the Deeds Office records initials rather than full first names in many older records. If you have the ID number, use it. If you only have a name, a person search across a single deeds office is the usual starting point.
Gauteng properties are registered at either the Pretoria or the Johannesburg Deeds Office, depending on the registration division. You do not need to know which one - our searches cover all 11 South African deeds offices, and the correct office is selected for you from the property details.
A standard copy is for information only and is delivered electronically by email. A certified copy is certified under Section 66 of the Deeds Registries Act, is ordered from the Deeds Office and couriered to you. Neither can be used to sell a property - that requires a vault copy under Section 68, which a conveyancing attorney must obtain.
An instant property search returns owner and title deed information within minutes. A standard copy of the title deed document is normally delivered by email within one business day. A certified copy takes longer because it is ordered from the Deeds Office and couriered - the turnaround time is shown on each product page.
Paying with a Card is quick and easy. We use Yoco as our payment provider. They are a reputable payment gateway and are linked to all the major banks in South Africa.
Use this option if you prefer to use EFT as a payment method. We will email you our banking details with a unique reference number. Once the funds have cleared our account or we have received Proof of Payment we will process your request.
