How to Secure a Certified True Copy of a Land Title from the Registry of Deeds (Philippines)

(A practitioner-level guide as of June 2025)

Scope of this article. This is a Philippine-specific, plain-language explanation of why and how to request a Certified True Copy (CTC) of a Torrens title, the governing law and fees, the available channels (walk-in, courier, and online), common pitfalls, and practical tips for both owners and third-party requestors. It is not a substitute for tailored legal advice.

1. Why you might need a Certified True Copy

Typical use-case	Primary audience	Remarks
Sale, mortgage, lease, or donation of real property	Buyer, mortgagee, lessee, donee	CTC provides prima facie proof of title and of any encumbrances (Sec. 20, Rule 132, Rules of Court).
Estate settlement or partition	Heirs, executor	Often paired with the owner’s duplicate certificate, tax declaration, and a certified copy of the latest tax clearance.
Court proceedings (e.g., reconstitution, quieting of title)	Litigants, counsel	Certified by the RD officer in charge; admissible without further proof under Sec. 24 of PD 1529.
Verification of liens (e.g., notice of lis pendens, adverse claims)	Creditors, developers	The CTC reflects entries updated to the minute of printing, unlike photocopies.

2. Governing legal framework

Presidential Decree No. 1529 (Property Registration Decree)
- §10-12 empower any Register of Deeds (RD) to issue certified copies.
- §56 states that entries on the original title at the RD are the “source of truth”; the CTC is the official extract.
Land Registration Authority (LRA) Circulars
- LRA Circular 35-2019 (Full Roll-Out of the Land Titling Computerization Project) introduces the eTitle and eSerbisyo portals.
- LRA Fee Circulars (updated yearly) fix the schedule of fees; 2025 edition effective 1 January 2025.
Rules of Court, Rule 132, §20–24 — On the evidentiary weight of public documents and certified copies.
Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) — Justifies the RD’s requirement that non-owners present proof of legitimate interest.

3. Pre-application checklist

Item	Owner-applicant	Authorized representative	Third-party with “legitimate interest”
Completed CTC Request Form (LRA Form CTC-01)	✔	✔	✔
Valid government-issued ID (original + photocopy)	✔	✔ (own ID)	✔ (own ID)
SPA or notarized Authority to Transact (if representative)	✖	✔	✔
Photocopy or details of the title (TCT/CCT number, lot/block, location)	Recommended	Recommended	Mandatory
Proof of interest (e.g., Contract to Sell, LOI, Demand Letter)	✖	If non-owner	✔
BIR tax clearance (for estate/transfer cases)	Case-to-case	Case-to-case	Case-to-case

Tip. Bring at least two IDs; some RDs still insist on a secondary ID even if the circular says one “valid ID” is enough.

4. Step-by-step procedures

A. Walk-in (traditional)

Locate the correct RD. Provincial RDs guard titles for all municipalities inside the province; City RDs keep titles within highly urbanised cities (HUCs).

The rule of thumb: “Titles stay where the land physically lies,” not where the owner resides.
Queue and accomplish the Request Form.
- Tip: Some RDs post a downloadable PDF; filling it beforehand saves time.
Submit documents at the “Assessment” window.
- The clerk verifies the title number in the Libro de Registry or Digital Title Information System (DTIS).
Pay fees at the Cashier.
- Base fee: ₱185.00 for the first two pages; ₱90.00/additional page (LRA Fee Circular 2025).
- Computer service fee (for e-Title prints): ₱20.00 per title.
Wait for printing and certification.
- Provincial RDs: 30 minutes to 2 hours (busy times).
- Highly computerized RDs (e.g., RD-Quezon City): often <30 data-preserve-html-node="true" minutes due to inline e-Signature.
- Manual RDs (no LTCP yet): 1–3 working days; the staff must photocopy the “owner’s duplicate” and affix wet seal.
Claim the CTC at the Releasing window.

B. Courier pick-up (Provincial‐to-RD liaison)

For companies with multiple sites, authorized messengers file at the RD and pay a courier to deliver the CTC to the main office. Standard LBC “Registry of Deeds Service” costs ₱200–₱300 (not an official LRA service).

C. Online via LRA eSerbisyo/eCTS (Electronic Certified True Copy Service)

Prerequisite	Details
Account creation	Sign up at https://eserbisyo.lra.gov.ph with a verified Philippine mobile number and email.
Payment modes	Debit card, credit card, InstaPay, or G-Cash. The portal adds a ₱70 service fee/order plus delivery fee (₱100–₱180).
Processing time	3–5 working days Metro Manila; 5–8 days provincial (door-to-door via PhilPost or private courier).
Attachments	Upload ONE government ID; if requesting for another, upload SPA + ID of principal.
Special cases	Condominium titles (CCT) partly rolled out; if the portal returns “Record not found,” revert to walk-in.

Caveat. Not all RDs are online. As of June 2025, 122 of 167 RDs allow eCTS; check the drop-down list before paying.

5. Content of the Certified True Copy

A valid CTC uses dry seal (embossed) or QR-validated e-Seal plus the signature (or e-signature) of the RD. Standard elements:

Heading: “Land Registration Authority / Registry of Deeds for [Location]”
Title Number: TCT-/CCT-#######
Name of registered owner(s) and civil status
Technical description (Lot, Block, Plan, Area)
Encumbrances/Annotations page:
- Mortgages, lease annotations, adverse claims, notices of lis pendens, tax liens, Section 4 Rule 74 affidavit, etc.
Certification paragraph: “This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and faithful reproduction…”
Date and time of printing; Page x of y; Doc. Stamp.
Unique Serial/Control Number (for e-Title).

6. Fees in detail (LRA Fee Circular 2025)

Nature of Service	Official Fee (₱)	Notes
Request Fee (per title)	30.00	Payable upon filing; non-refundable if record not found.
Certification Fee (first 2 pages)	150.00	Already includes legal research fund.
Additional page	90.00	Each fraction counts as full page.
Computer service fee	20.00	Waived in fully manual RDs; always charged in e-Title RDs.
Documentary Stamp Tax	30.00	Stamped on the certification page.
Retrieval/Search fee*	90.00	If you can’t state the exact title number.

* Search fee triggers when you only know the lot/block, old tax declaration, or name of owner.

7. Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Wrong RD venue → Check the title prefix:
- T-xxxx (TCT) usually provincial; CCT mostly city.
Illegible/old original title (typewritten pre-1970) → RD may refuse; file a Petition for Reconstitution first.
Outstanding estate tax is irrelevant to a CTC request. Staff cannot refuse issuance on that ground.
“No Record Found” on eSerbisyo → Title is manual or still in Deed Book, not yet digitized; do a walk-in.
Lost Owner’s Duplicate Certificate → You may still get a CTC, but filing for reconstitution or issuance of a new owner’s duplicate is a separate petition (Sec. 109, PD 1529).
Unpaid transfer tax → Does not prevent release of CTC; it only bars annotation of the deed.

8. Special scenarios

Scenario	Additional requirement	Reference
OFW requesting from abroad	Consularized SPA; courier address in PH.	DFA-LRA Joint Memo 2017-01
Court subpoena duces tecum	Subpoena served on RD; no fees.	Rule 21 ROC
Government agency (BIR, DENR, DAR)	Official letter request; fees automatically charged to agency budget code.	EO 556 (2006)
Nested titles (mother-TCT vs derivative-Lot titles)	Request both titles to confirm boundaries.	LRA Op. No. R-252 (2023)

9. Authenticating the CTC for overseas use (“APOSTILLE”)

Secure the CTC from RD (wet or digital seal).
Bring it to the Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-Aseana) or any Field Office for apostillization.
- Fee: ₱200 (regular, 3 working days) or ₱600 (express, same day).
The apostille makes it valid in all Hague Apostille Convention states (e.g., Japan, Italy, U.S.).
For non-Hague countries, the DFA will endorse to the foreign embassy for legalization.

10. FAQs

Q: Is the CTC valid “forever”? A: Legally, yes, but prudent practice is to require a CTC that is no older than 30 days in sale and mortgage transactions because new annotations can appear at any time.
Q: Can I photocopy the CTC and have the photocopy notarized? A: Not advisable; only the RD can issue a certified copy. Notarizing a photocopy does not elevate it to certified status.
Q: What if the title is already an “e-Title”? A: The RD prints on A4 security paper with a QR code. Scan the QR to verify authenticity via the LRA Mobile App.
Q: Are condominium titles handled differently? A: The process is identical, but be ready to supply the Condominium Certificate of Title (CCT) number plus the unit/floor/parking slot identifiers.

11. Practical tips from the field (2024-2025)

Arrive early — Most RDs still follow a “first-come, first-served” logbook (exceptions: e-Kiosk systems in Makati and Quezon City).
Shoot for Tuesdays to Thursdays. Mondays are backlogs; Fridays often have short staff.
Bring small bills/coins — Cashier windows sometimes refuse large bills for sub-₱500 fees.
Maintain multiple copies — If you’re flipping a property quickly, request three CTCs in one go; you pay the same per copy, but save future queuing.
Check the back of each page — The RD’s embossing/seal should perforate or heat-stamp through the paper.
Online tracking — eSerbisyo gives you an airwaybill number. Track via trackandtrace.phlpost.gov.ph or the courier’s website.
Verify at once — At Releasing, inspect spelling of names, technical description, and watermark integrity before leaving — corrections are free only on the same day.

12. Sample timeline (walk-in, e-Title RD)

Time	Action
09:00	Arrive / Fill form
09:10	Submit documents / Assessment
09:15	Pay ₱185
09:30	Printing & sealing
09:45	Release of CTC
Total elapsed: 45 minutes

13. Conclusion

Obtaining a Certified True Copy of a land title in the Philippines is straightforward once you gather the correct documents and go to the right Registry of Deeds. The 2025-era digitization drive has reduced the gloss-coat queue dramatically, but manual RDs still exist. Whether you request in person or online, remember:

Verify authenticity on release.
Use a fresh copy (<30 data-preserve-html-node="true" days) for transactions.
Keep the original CTC unmarked — even staple holes can raise suspicion from meticulous buyers or banks.

For complex issues—lost titles, reconstitution, or conflicting annotations—consult a land registration lawyer or a licensed geodetic engineer. A few thousand pesos in professional fees can save millions in litigation later.

Disclaimer: Information is current to June 18 2025 and may change when the LRA issues new circulars or the legislature amends PD 1529 or related fees. Always cross-check with your local RD or the official LRA website before transacting.