AP1 form: applying to change the register

Not legal advice. This page has not been reviewed by a solicitor.

The short answer

The AP1 asks HM Land Registry to register a change to a registered title, such as a transfer of ownership or a new mortgage. It lists each application in order with its fee, the documents sent, who is applying and their address for service, and identity evidence. On a purchase it should reach HM Land Registry within the30-working-day priority period of the buyer's official search.

Where this form fits in a property purchase (England and Wales)

Offer acceptedSeller's informationTA6 TA10
Exchange and completionThe transfer deedTR1
Within 14 days (England) or 30 days (Wales)Tax on the purchase: SDLT in England, LTT in WalesSDLT return
Within 30 working daysRegistrationAP1ID1
After lodgingHM Land Registry's questionsRequisitions

The panels, one by one

Panel	What goes in it
1. Local authority	The council the property pays council tax to.
2. Title number(s)	The title number of each title affected.
3. The application affects	The whole of the title, or part of it (with the part identified).
4. Application, priority and fees	Each application in the order it should be registered (for example the transfer, then the new mortgage), with its price or value and fee.
5. Documents lodged	Every document sent. Certified copies are enough for most deeds.
6. Applicant	The person or people applying to change the register.
7. Lodged by	Who is sending the application. HM Land Registry deals only with the person named here.
8. Third party notification	HM Land Registry's guidance says to leave this panel blank.
9. Address for service	The owners' address for service that HM Land Registry will put on the register and write to.
10. New charges	Only when a new mortgage is being registered.
11. Disclosable overriding interests	Certain interests not on the register that must be disclosed if they affect the property.
12–14. Evidence of identity	Details for all the parties and for whoever is named in panel 7: who is represented by a conveyancer, and the identity evidence for anyone who isn't.
15. Signature	Signed and dated by the applicant or their conveyancer.

Panel notes follow HM Land Registry's AP1 guidance, which is written for applicants who aren't conveyancers. Conveyancers usually apply through the HM Land Registry portal or Business Gateway, which asks for the same information.

Priority: the 30-working-day window

A buyer's (or lender's) official search with priority protects the purchase, lease or mortgage from the moment it is entered on HM Land Registry's day list until midnight at the end of the 30th working day. The AP1 must be entered on the day list before then. HM Land Registry's advice is to deliver it by noon on the day priority expires: an application that arrives later may still be in time, but there's no guarantee.

Common requisitions, and how to avoid them

A requisition is HM Land Registry asking for something missing or wrong before it can register. These come from its own list of reasons (Practice Guide 50):

Not all the relevant panels of the application form completed, or the wrong form used.
A transaction lodged without its SDLT (or Welsh LTT) return certificate.
A discharge of the seller's mortgage in the wrong form, or a DS1 that isn't executed in the standard way.
Names on the deeds that don't match the register, or each other.
No address for service on the application.
A consent or certificate needed under a restriction on the register not sent.
A deed not properly signed or witnessed, or the authority to sign (such as a power of attorney) not sent.
Joint buyers where the application doesn't say whether a Form A restriction is needed.
The fee not paid in full.
A poor-quality copy, or clerical details in a deed that are wrong or missing.

HM Land Registry's own summary of the most common causes adds variations between the register, the transfer and the mortgage, company charges, confirmation of identity, and errors in lodging applications electronically. The requisitions guide has the check for each.

Before the AP1, the TR1 transfer must be signed and dated, and on a purchase the SDLT return filed so the SDLT5 certificate can go with the application.

Questions

What is an AP1 form?

HM Land Registry's application to change the register of a registered title. It is sent with the deed that makes the change, such as a TR1 transfer or a new mortgage, and asks HM Land Registry to register it. Land that isn't yet registered uses form FR1 instead.

How long is the priority period?

An official search with priority protects a purchase, lease or mortgage until midnight at the end of the 30th working day. The application must be entered on HM Land Registry's day list before then; to be safe, HM Land Registry says to deliver it by noon on the day priority expires.

What does an AP1 cost?

There's no separate fee for the AP1 itself: the fee is for each application listed on it, from HM Land Registry's fee scales. A transfer for a price is on Scale 1: for example £150 through the portal or £330 by post for a whole title bought for £200,001 to £500,000. A mortgage registered with the transfer has no separate fee.

How long do I have to answer a requisition?

HM Land Registry's rule period is 20 working days, but for most applications it allows 60 working days, with a warning of cancellation normally sent after 40. It will usually extend by 20 working days if you're actively resolving the problem. If it doesn't get a full reply, it may cancel the application.

Does the AP1 need identity evidence?

Yes, where Practice Guide 67 requires it. A conveyancer acting for a party confirms they have verified identity; a party who isn't represented gives evidence on form ID1 (individuals) or ID2 (companies).

Sources

Checked against these sources on 23 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026. General information, not legal advice: Instrukt is not a law firm and doesn't provide conveyancing. Always use the current form from GOV.UK.