Define: Compulsory Registration

Compulsory registration refers to a legal requirement that certain types of documents or transactions be officially recorded or registered with a government authority. This process is typically mandated by law to ensure transparency, security, and legal validity of important documents, such as property deeds, business licences, and vital records like births, marriages, and deaths. Compulsory registration may involve submitting specific information or documents to the relevant government office, paying required fees, and obtaining official certification or acknowledgment of the registration. Compliance with compulsory registration requirements is essential for establishing legal rights, protecting property interests, and ensuring the enforceability of agreements or transactions.

The 1925 law of property reforms envisaged a system of total registration of interests in land (see registered land). However, it was decided that it would be too much of an administrative burden to make registration compulsory across the whole of England and Wales at the same time. Instead, England and Wales were divided into areas, and each was given a date at which registration should become compulsory. The last regions to become compulsory registration areas did so on December 1st, 1990.

The fact that registration is compulsory does not mean that everyone who owns unregistered land must immediately register it. Registration is necessary when certain events take place (see events triggering first registration), such as a sale or purchase. Because land is not sold that frequently compared to other property, there does remain, at the present time, a small but significant area of land that is still unregistered.

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This glossary post was last updated: 15th April, 2024.