From 3 August 2024, all titles to land issued by the Registrar of Titles in Victoria will be electronic.

Existing paper certificates of title (pCT) remain valid until they are replaced with electronic certificates of title. This will occur when they are next produced for a conveyancing transaction. On registration of any transaction requiring a certificate of title, whether lodged as paper or electronically, an electronic certificate of title (eCT) will be issued.

Paper will no longer be an available format in the Issuing Instructions section within an Electronic Lodgment Network such as PEXA.

The procedures around the production of paper certificates of title remain unchanged. If a property has an existing paper certificate of title, the document must be produced for lodgment when conducting a paper transaction.

For an electronic transaction, an existing paper certificate of title must be converted to an electronic certificate of title for lodgment. This is done by way of an Administrative Notice – Convert to pCT and Nominate to Lodgement Case in a workspace. The paper certificate of title is no longer required, and the subscriber must destroy or invalidate the certificate of title. Supporting evidence for electronic instruments must be retained for at least seven years, as per the Model Participation Rules.

On registration of a paper transaction, eCT Control will be held by the Registrar. On registration of an electronic transaction, eCT Control will be determined by the rules outlined in the Business rules for determining eCT Control after a transaction from the Guide to Certificates of Title and Administrative Notices published by The Department of Transport and Planning.

The By Lawyers Purchase of Real Property (VIC) and Sale of Real Property (VIC) are being updated to reflect these changes.