Form LL Restriction - Protect your land and property from fraud
What is a Form LL restriction?
A Form LL restriction is registered on the title at the Land Registry to combat fraud. Whilst it is not mandatory to apply a Form LL restriction on your property during the conveyancing process, having it in place could stop a fraudster from selling your property without you knowing.
You often do not realise you have the anti-fraud restriction until you come to remortgage or sell your property, and your solicitor flags this to you. The restriction is so powerful that your transaction cannot proceed until a solicitor follows a specific legal process.
In this article, we will explain what the Form LL restriction is, the process of getting you verified to adhere to the terms of the restriction, and how to apply or remove the restriction from a property you own.
What is the Form LL restriction wording?
The Land Registry Form LL restriction wording is: "No disposition of the registered estate by the proprietor of the registered estate is to be registered without a certificate signed by a conveyancer that the conveyancer is satisfied that the person who executed the document submitted for registration as disponor is the same person as the proprietor".
What is "no disposition of the registered estate by proprietor"?
A disposition is the transfer of an interest. An interest can mean a legal or beneficial interest in a property. Dispositions include, but are not limited to:
- Selling the property
- Transferring all or some of the property to a new owner
- Making a non-legal owner a beneficial owner of a share in the property
- Mortgaging the property
- Grant or reservation of an easement
- A rentcharge, or right of entry annexed to a rentcharge
Restrictions that include the term 'no disposition of the registered estate by a proprietor' stop the proprietor from transferring an interest in the property, usually until or unless they have met some other criteria. In the case of a Form LL Land Registry restriction, the proprietor must get a certificate from a conveyancer to confirm that they are, in fact, the proprietor they claim to be.
What does disponor mean?
Disponor means the person who transfers or conveys a property to another. For example, if I own a property and sell it to you, then I am the disponor and you are the disponee.
In plain English: You cannot sell, remortgage, or change the names on your property at the Land Registry without a conveyancer being 100% sure the people signing the document to change the title are the exact same people named on the document being submitted to the Land Registry. This takes the form of a face-to-face ID check against your passport or driving licence, checked directly alongside the transaction documents.
The restriction legally forces the owners to have their identity verified in front of a solicitor, confirming that the names of the people undertaking the transaction match the registered proprietors. This can be done in a face-to-face meeting at a solicitor's office or via a secure video conference call (such as Zoom, Skype, or Teams). Once the solicitor is satisfied, they issue a Certificate of Compliance containing the prescribed wording, thereby allowing the transaction to complete.
Your ID
Verified
for Form LL
By Andrew Boast, CEO of SAM Conveyancing
Why do people get a Form LL restriction?
It is used as an anti-fraud restriction, ensuring that the ID of the registered owner is verified in the presence of a solicitor whenever you sell or remortgage the property. The restriction prevents the solicitor from completing the transaction until they or another solicitor has completed the anti-fraud check.
The risk of someone other than the legal owners selling or remortgaging your property is removed.
Expert Tip: The devastating reality of property hijacking
In 2021, a UK homeowner named Reverend Mike Hall made national headlines when his Luton property was stolen and sold for £131,000 without his knowledge. While he was working away, fraudsters duplicated his driving licence, instructed a solicitor online, and successfully transferred his title deeds to an unsuspecting buyer. It took four years of gruelling legal battles just to get his own home back.
Because he did not live at the property full-time, he was a prime target. Had he registered a Form LL (or Form RQ) anti-fraud restriction on his title, the fraudsters would have been stopped dead in their tracks. The restriction would have legally forced them to attend a rigorous face-to-face identity check with an independent conveyancing solicitor, making this type of remote identity theft virtually impossible.
CEO of SAM Conveyancing
How do you apply a Form LL restriction?
The process varies depending on how you own the property:
- Property owned by a company: Complete an RQ(Co) form and post it to the address on the form. This service is free.
- Property you don't live in: Complete an RQ form and post it to the address on the form. This service is free.
- Property you live in: Complete an RX1 form and post it to the address on the form, with the correct fee: £40.
Need a Form LL Restriction verified or removed by a Solicitor?
Fed up with solicitors who can't help? We can verify your identity to comply with a form LL restriction or apply or remove the restriction at the Land Registry. Upload your documents using our simple form to get started now, or contact us to ask a question.
What happens during your meeting with your solicitor?
The ID verification process is practically identical whether you are complying with the restriction for a single transaction or applying to remove the restriction entirely. The critical difference is how the solicitor drafts the final certificate, as it must explicitly address the exact Land Registry process being undertaken.
Verifying ID for Restriction | Removing Restriction |
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Is there any legal advice?
No. The Form LL meeting does not provide any legal advice on the transaction you are undertaking. The process is strictly an independent solicitor verifying your physical identity against the transaction and title documents.
If you have a restriction on your title that you no longer need or want, please read our dedicated guide on How to Remove a Restriction on a Property.
Expert Tip: The solicitor doesn't need to witness the mortgage deed
When you are remortgaging, the solicitor acting for the mortgage lender may ask you to have your mortgage deed witnessed by the same solicitor who provides the Form LL verification certificate. This is a common misconception and not the correct legal process.
HM Land Registry only requires a conveyancer to certify that they are satisfied the person signing the mortgage deed is the registered proprietor. The Land Registry does not require that the conveyancer also act as a physical witness to the mortgage deed (or any other Land Registry document, such as a Form TR1 transfer deed). You can verify the official Form LL wording and requirements directly in the HM Land Registry Practice Guide 19 Appendix B.
Partner & Conveyancing Solicitor
How much does a Form LL cost?
The cost depends on what you are doing:
- Applying a Form LL restriction: Free if you don't live at the property, £40 (no VAT) if you live at the property, or anywhere up to £100 INC VAT if you use a solicitor.
- Form LL verication: We charge £180 for one person, and £180 for each additional name on the title.
- Form LL removal: We charge £260 for one person, and £260 for each additional name on the title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Andrew Boast FMAAT is a qualified accountant, conveyancing specialist and author with over 25 years of experience in the UK property sector. Since beginning his career in 2000 within established SRA and CLC-regulated conveyancing solicitor firms, Andrew has overseen the legal journeys of more than 75,000 clients.
He is the self-published author of the first-time buyer guide: How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone, and a frequent contributor to mainstream UK media on legislative updates, property law, first-time buyer guides, conveyancing best practices, and stamp duty changes. Andrew specialises in resolving complex title issues, property conflict disputes, and property tax options, streamlining the enquiry process to reduce transaction times and maintaining a client-friendly focus.
Amanda Ambler is a highly accomplished conveyancing specialist with over 15 years of dedicated experience across residential property law, legal compliance, and practice management. Having held senior roles, including Head of Legal Practice and Head of Conveyancing at established UK law firms, Amanda possesses a profound, hands-on understanding of the technical intricacies of the property market.
As the designated Legal Content Reviewer for SAM Conveyancing, Amanda ensures that every guide, legal update, and resource published meets the absolute highest standards of accuracy, regulatory compliance, and factual integrity. Her rigorous review process guarantees that complex property legislation and industry processes are communicated clearly, transparently, and safely for home buyers and sellers alike.
