Landgate Power of Attorney Registration: How to Lodge an EPA in WA

Why You Need to Register with Landgate

If the donor owns any real property in Western Australia — a house, a unit, rural land — the EPA must be registered with Landgate before the attorney can sign any land transaction. An unregistered EPA is technically valid for banking and other financial matters, but Landgate will reject any transfer, mortgage, or sale lodged by an attorney whose EPA isn't on their register.

Registration isn't automatic. You must actively lodge the documents, pay the fee, and clear any requisitions. Here's how.

What You Need to Lodge

Prepare the following:

Two originally signed EPA documents. Not copies. Not one original and one photocopy. Two separately signed, witnessed originals. Landgate permanently archives one and returns the second with a registration number stamped on it.

If you only lodge one original, Landgate keeps it — and you're left without an original document for banks, aged-care providers, and other institutions. Getting a certified copy from Landgate later costs $113.90.

A Postal Lodgement Coversheet. This is Landgate's standard lodgement form identifying the transaction type, the parties, and the relevant title reference. Download it from the Landgate website.

A title search. Order a copy of the current Certificate of Title for each property the donor owns. This costs $33.90 per title and confirms the exact spelling of the registered proprietor's name — which must match the EPA exactly.

The registration fee. $225.10 as of 1 July 2026, exempt from GST. Pay by cheque, money order, or Landgate's online payment system.

The Three-Month Window

Lodge the EPA within three months of the signing date. If you miss this window, Landgate won't reject the EPA outright, but they'll require an additional Statutory Declaration of Non-Revocation.

This declaration must confirm:

• The donor is still alive
• The EPA hasn't been varied or revoked
• The date and manner of the declarant's last communication with the other party, within the preceding seven days

The declaration itself must be witnessed and sworn, adding another layer of complexity. It's far simpler to lodge within the three-month window.

The Name-Matching Trap

Landgate enforces literal name matching between the Certificate of Title and the EPA. Any discrepancy triggers a formal Requisition Notice — and a $112.55 requisition fee, regardless of how minor the mismatch is.

Common mismatches that cause requisitions:

• Middle name included on the title but omitted on the EPA (or vice versa)
• Maiden name vs married name
• Abbreviated first name ("Rob" vs "Robert")
• Hyphenated surname with different punctuation

Before drafting the EPA, run a title search and copy the proprietor's name character-for-character. If the name on the title is outdated (pre-marriage or deed poll change), update the title first or use the name as it appears.

How to Lodge

By post. Send the two signed originals, the coversheet, the title search, and the fee to the Landgate Perth office. Use registered post — you're sending irreplaceable original documents.

In person. Deliver everything to the Landgate counter in Midland. Staff can verify documents on the spot, which reduces the chance of a requisition.

Verification of Identity (VOI). The attorney must complete a formal VOI process. Self-represented parties can do this at an authorised Australia Post branch or directly at Landgate. Regional applicants who can't access these locations can use a police officer or regional courthouse for identity verification.

What Happens After Lodgement

Landgate's processing time runs two to four weeks. Once registered, they return one original EPA stamped with the registration number. Keep this in a fireproof safe or with your solicitor — it's your working copy for all future property transactions.

If Landgate finds an error, they issue a Requisition Notice. You have 21 days to correct the defect and re-lodge. If you don't respond within 21 days, the EPA is rejected and you forfeit the full $225.10 lodgement fee.

For a structured checklist that walks through every lodgement requirement — including the name-matching verification, VOI process, and coversheet preparation — the Western Australia Power of Attorney Kit covers the Landgate registration step alongside the rest of the EPA setup.

See more Western Australia guides →