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Guidance

Execution of deeds (PG8)

Advice on the execution of deeds that are to be submitted to HM Land Registry (practice guide 8).

Updates to this page

From:
HM Land Registry
Published:
13 October 2003
Last updated:
14 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. We have made some minor formatting amendments to section 2.7.2 to make the guidance clearer.

  2. Section 7 has been updated as temporary guidance for local authorities brought in during Covid-19 has been made permanent.

  3. Section 7 has been updated to provide further clarity about when a local authority must provide the attesting witness’ name or role.

  4. Section 12 has been updated to include a reminder that applications relying on a special arrangement for the execution of discharges in form DS1 of registered charges must explicitly refer to it to avoid delays.

  5. Section 2.7.2 has been amended to clarify that HM Land Registry will accept a certificate by the conveyancer acting for the limited partnership stating that a deed has been duly and properly executed in accordance with the partnership’s constitution.

  6. We have added a new section 2.7 to give guidance where a deed has been executed by either a partnership or a limited partnership.

  7. The guide has been amended to reflect how applications should be made using our digital systems.

  8. Following customer comment, we have revoked the change to section 1.3 made on 24 June 2024.

  9. Section 1.3 has been amended to clarify that we will not accept separate execution pages which have been added to a deed or execution pages taken from separate documents reassembled to form a single deed.

  10. Section 12 has been amended as a result of a change of contact details for our Commercial Arrangements Section.

  11. Section 7 has been amended to include a cross-reference to other guidance on local authority execution in section 5.

  12. Section 10.5 has been amended to remove out-of-date practice. Following a review, we will no longer raise a requisition when “signed as a deed” is used in the execution of a prescribed deed by a corporate body.

  13. Section 5.2 has been amended to remove reference to execution being in form F(i) or F(ii) of Schedule 9 to the Land Registration Rules 2003. Limited liability partnerships may execute deeds as provided for by section 44 of the Companies Act 2006.

  14. Guidance on local authority execution has been consolidated into section 7. No change in practice.

  15. Section 7 has been added. It contains information formerly contained in practice guide 80, which has now been withdrawn.

  16. At the suggestion of one of our customers we have added a worked example to section 9.5.1.

  17. Information about electronic signatures has been transferred to practice guide 82: electronic signatures accepted by HM Land Registry.

  18. Section 13.6 has been added to explain how an electronically signed deed may be amended.

  19. Section 5.1.1 has been amended to include an email address for local authorities to let us know details of their delegated execution authorities. Section 13.3 (our requirements for the use of electronic signatures) has been amended. In particular, the borrower in the case of a mortgage need not have a conveyancer acting for them; the dating of the deed can be done by any party’s conveyancer; and the certificate as to compliance with the requirements needs to be dated and signed by an individual conveyancer, their full name and firm must be added and the deed or deeds for which the certificate is given must be specified.

  20. Section 10 has been expanded slightly to clarify the position in respect of counterparts. Section 12 has been amended to confirm that a deed of substituted security can be Mercury signed. Section 13 has been amended to clarify our requirements in respect of electronic signatures. An additional line has been added to the certificate in Appendix 3 so that the deed in respect of which the certificate is given can be specified.

  21. Section 9 has been amended to clarify that the donor must execute a power of attorney as a deed.

  22. Sections 2.4, 7.4, 9.1.1, 9.5.1, 9.5.2, 9.6 and 9.7 have been amended to confirm that where a person is signing on behalf another person or a company, the other person’s name or the company’s name can be typed or handwritten. The person signing must still sign their name in the normal way. Sections 12.2 and 13.7 have been added to provide links to previous practice on Mercury and electronic signatures.

  23. Section 13 has been amended to clarify a few points. The only substantive amendment is to relax the requirement for all the parties to have conveyancers acting for them in the following situations: only the lender in the case of a discharge or release, the personal representatives in the case of an assent and the donor in the case of a power of attorney need have conveyancers acting for them. Note that this relaxation applies even where the deed was signed before this latest update. Appendix 3 has been added to show an acceptable certificate for conveyancers where an electronic signature has been used.

  24. A new section 13 has been added setting out HM Land Registry’s new practice in respect of deeds with electronic signatures and section 10, dealing with counterparts, has been clarified.

  25. Sections 2.1.1, 9 and 12 have been amended to clarify elements of HM Land Registry’s new practice relating to deeds that have ‘Mercury signatures’, particularly in relation to powers of attorney and forms DS1/DS3.

  26. Sections 1.1, 2.1.2, 10 and 12 have been amended to take account of HM Land Registry’s new practice of accepting for registration dispositions effected by deeds that have 'Mercury signatures', and also to clarify its practice in relation to the witnessing of deeds.

  27. Section 3.4 has been amended to clarify the guidance and provide examples of execution clauses where a company executes without common seal by 2 corporate officers. Section 9.5.3 has been added to set out our requirements for when an attorney has delegated their authority. Section 10 has been added to provide guidance where deeds have been executed in part.

  28. Section 3.4 has been amended to include guidance on where the director or secretary is also a company and a seal is not being used.

  29. Section 9.5.1 has been amended to clarify our execution requirements where a deed has been executed by an attorney.

  30. Section 1.3 has been updated to set out our requirements regarding further aspects of completion of execution panels on forms. This is not new practice.

  31. Section 2.1.2 has been amended to explain better why it is important a witness’ names and address are legible. This is regarded as good sensible practice and is not merely a requirement by HM Land Registry.

  32. Section 5.4 which deals with registered societies has been amended to confirm that the persons signing as part of the execution of a deed must also clearly state that they are authorised signatories. Section 53 of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 confirms that all members of a registered society’s committee and the society’s secretary are authorised signatories.

  33. A new section 9.7 has been added suggesting an acceptable form of execution where a guardian appointed pursuant to the Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 executes a deed. A new section 9.8 has been added to provide guidance where a transfer has been executed by a judge or an officer of the court pursuant to a court order.

  34. Section 2.2 has been amended to emphasise the requirement that the full name of the party is required in an attestation clause.

  35. From 20 September 2019, we will not accept ‘signed as a deed’ as an acceptable form of wording in prescribed form deeds executed by companies and limited liability partnerships. Where a disposal is in a prescribed form that must be executed as a deed (such as form TR1 or CH1) we will require that the forms of execution set out in Schedule 9 to the Land Registration Rules 2003 are used.

  36. Following a customer's comment, we have added details of execution requirements for limited liability partnerships with corporate members to section 5.2.

  37. Section 5.2 has been amended to clarify our requirements where a deed has been executed by a limited liability partnership.

  38. Section 10 has been updated to clarify that a special arrangement is only available in respect of discharges on form DS1.

  39. Section 1.1 has been updated to reflect our current practice relating to the use of copy documents for registration. Section 11 has been updated. The Land Registration (Electronic Conveyancing) Rules 2008 have been revoked and replaced by new rules 54A to D which have been inserted into the Land Registration Rules 2003 by the Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2018. The 2018 Rules came into force on 6 April 2018. Section 9.5.1 has been updated to clarify that the donor of a power of attorney does not need to sign the deed.

  40. The information in section 6 of this guide has been removed as the information is now set out in practice guide 78: overseas companies and limited liability partnerships.

  41. Section 5.4 has been amended to confirm the requirements for the execution of a deed by a registered society.

  42. Section 1.1 has been amended and a new section 11 added to explain when electronic documents with electronic signatures can be deemed to be deeds.

  43. Section 11.3 has been added which shows the wording of form 7 in Schedule 3 to the Land Registration Rules 2003 referred to in section 6 of this guide. Appendix 2 has been added to show examples where there is only one witness to multiple signatures.

  44. Section 3.2 has been amended to make it clear that where a deed is being executed by the director and secretary of a limited company, they must be two separate people.

  45. Section 6.2 has been amended to make it clear that an opinion given by a lawyer practising in a foreign jurisdiction must not be conditional or qualified in any way.

  46. Video about How to avoid Land Registry requisitions: Execution of deeds and powers of attorney added

  47. We have updated section 2 to clarify the attestation process when there are multiple signatures.

  48. We have updated section 6 to take out reference to a legal opinion as rule 183(2) of the Land Registration Rules 2003 states that the evidence of constitution to be provided must be either the constitution itself or a certificate in form 7.

  49. Link to the advice we offer added.

  50. Section 2.1.2 has been amended to confirm that one party to the deed cannot witness the signature of another party to the deed.

  51. Section 5.4 has been amended as a result of the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

  52. Welsh translation added.

  53. First published.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

Practice guide 8: execution of deeds

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Details

The aim of this guide is to advise on the execution of deeds that are to be submitted to HM Land Registry. It is aimed at conveyancers, and you should interpret references to ‘you’ accordingly.

How to avoid HM Land Registry requisitions

Watch this video about execution of deeds and powers of attorney.

How to avoid HM Land Registry requisitions: Execution of deeds and powers of attorney

This is part of a series of videos on how to avoid requisitions.

We only provide factual information and impartial advice about our procedures. Read more about the advice we give.

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