ID1 Form Solicitor Verification

How to get your ID1 verified

1
You complete our online ID1 Form. There is no need to send us a hard copy ID1 Form, original documents or a passport sized photo.
2
You scan a copy of your passport or a UK photo driving licence to us. Scan copies can be scanned by printer or a photo from your phone. This is attached to your online form.
3
You book an appointment time to suit, and a video call is arranged with our solicitor.
4
Completed ID1 and ID5 (used for video verification) forms are posted to you for signing, and you send these to your solicitor/Land Registry.

You cannot submit this form on behalf of someone else unless you have their power of attorney. We cannot accept appointments to verify the identity of any individual who did not submit their form. If you would like to pay for an appointment for the client, who will complete the form themselves, we can take your payment over the phone.

Why do I need an ID1?

The Land Registry ID1 Form is used by the Land Registry to verify the identity of any individual to:

• any conveyancing related transaction;
• transfer of equity (whether for money or not); or
• change of registration or charge etc.

An ID1 will be required for anyone who has a personal charge or interest in the action - where they are not represented in the action by a conveyancing solicitor.

The ID1 form must be signed by a conveyancer (there are a number of varying qualifications to check), Chartered Legal Executive or by an HM Land Registry officer. The cost can vary and there are many solicitors who don't offer the verification service.

ID1 for a Transfer of Equity

An ID1 form is very common for a Transfers of Equity, as often one party chooses not to seek legal representation. The unrepresented party has to fill out the form themselves and the form itself has to be completed and witnessed by an approved person, normally a solicitor.

The person who witnesses the form is responsible for carrying out due diligence on the person filling out the form. Each separate person must fill out a separate form.

In most straightforward conveyancing transactions, such as a sale and/or purchase, all parties on both sides of the transaction are represented by a conveyancing solicitor or property lawyer, so this form does not come into play.

1

Why does the Land Registry require this level of due diligence on your identity?

Conveyancers have always had to take steps to verify the true identity of their clients under threat of discipline by their regulators and ultimately criminal prosecution. In recent years, with an increasing legal focus on money laundering, terrorist financing and white collar crime in general, the level of due diligence has risen.

Acts such as the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, The Terrorism Act 2000 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 have increasingly added layers of security which property lawyers must carry out. The person who completes the ID1 form to verify your identity has to comply with these.

2

What type of documents are required for the ID1 process?

The identity documents which may be used to identify a party are either one document from the following list:

• Current valid full passport
• Current UK, EU, Channel Islands or Isle of Man photocard driving licence (not provisional)
• Current Biometric Residence Permit issued by the UK Home Office to a non-UK national resident in the UK

or alternatively two items from the following list:

• Cheque guarantee card (Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Diners Club) or debit card (Maestro or Delta) issued in the United Kingdom supported by an original postal statement less than 3 months old
• Postal utility bill less than 3 months old
• Council tax statement for the current year
• Council rent book showing the rent paid for the last 3 months
• Postal mortgage statement for the year just ended
• Current firearm or shotgun certificate

You'll also need a passport-sized photograph of yourself signed by a conveyancer.

All of these must be certified by a conveyancer or the Land Registry and will need to be attached to the form. You should also note that the Land Registry itself only certifies documents in person and only at the the time the application for registration is submitted. So for most, online legal services are far preferrable.

3

Who can verify ID1 Form/certify your identity?

The list of officials permitted to certify your identity include:

• A Land Registry employee
• A solicitor
• A barrister
• A legal executive
• A licensed conveyancer
• A notary public
• A serving officer of the UK armed forces overseas
• A non-UK lawyer (they have to provide evidence of their right to practise in this way)

Online solicitors offering remote services should be set up to carry out ID verification at short notice. We offer an instant digital colour ID1 certificate on completion of your appointment and offer a supplementary print and deliver service through Royal Mail. Not all solicitors offer these services.

4

When should you complete the ID1 form?

You should have your Form officially certified by the time of the 'crunch point' in the action concerned, so in the case of a transfer of equity you'd receive your form to sign after the mortgage offer is submitted or just a week before the agreed completion date. The reason it is left until the last minute is that a the form only lasts for 3 months; past this date the Land Registry may require a new form.

5

How do you fill out your form?

You simply fill in your personal details in boxes 1 - 10.

Box 11 asks for the type of application. If your transaction is a sale/purchase then enter "transfer", plus if a mortgage is being paid off enter "discharge" and if a new mortgage is being registered add "charge", if the transaction is the grant of a lease add "lease" etc.

You put the title number in Box 12, which you find in an official copy of the register of title. You put the property address in Box 13 and sign and date Box 14.

The person certifying your identity fills out this section. They have to state who they are, what their credentials are for completing the form (including their official registration numbers etc.) and certify that they've seen your documents (referred to above).

They have to sign and date your application and finally sign and date your photograph (which of course must be a current and true likeness of yourself).