Register Power of Attorney Manitoba Land Titles: Teranet Requirements

When Registration Is Necessary

Registering an Enduring Power of Attorney is not mandatory in Manitoba for general financial management. You don't need to register the EPOA to manage bank accounts, pay bills, or handle investments. But if the attorney expects to deal with real property — selling, mortgaging, transferring, or managing land — the EPOA must be registered at Teranet Manitoba's Land Titles Office.

Without registration, Teranet will reject any land transaction the attorney attempts to complete. The rejection isn't discretionary — it's a procedural requirement enforced at the intake stage.

Registration Fees (2026 Rates)

Electronic filing through Teranet's eRegistration portal is faster and slightly cheaper. Paper filing is done in person or by mail at a regional Land Titles Office.

What Teranet Requires

The original EPOA with the donor's wet-ink signature. Photocopies and digital scans are not accepted for registration.

Proper witnessing documentation. If the EPOA was witnessed by a practicing Manitoba lawyer, the lawyer's name, position, and address on the document are sufficient. If the witness was any other authorized professional from the Section 11 list (physician, police officer, judge, justice of the peace, notary public, or marriage solemnizer), an Affidavit of Witness must be attached to the EPOA.

This distinction matters. Many families have their EPOA witnessed by a family doctor, which is perfectly valid — but without the accompanying affidavit, Teranet will reject the registration. The rejection costs $31 per document, plus the delay.

Remote witnessing documentation. If the EPOA was signed via videoconference under Manitoba Regulation 80/2021, the remote witnessing lawyer must have attached a completed Certificate of Remote Witness (Schedule A or B). Additionally, Teranet requires a completed Form 32 (Certificate for Remote Execution) to accompany any instrument executed by videoconference.

Homesteads Act Compliance

If the property being managed is a homestead — the primary residence shared with a spouse or common-law partner — additional requirements apply under The Homesteads Act.

The non-owning spouse or common-law partner must sign a Form 9 ("Acknowledgment by Spouse or Common-law Partner for Power of Attorney"). This acknowledgment must be:

• Signed separately from the EPOA itself
• Signed apart from the owner-spouse (the donor)
• Witnessed by an authorized official

Form 9 is available from Teranet's forms portal. Without it, the attorney cannot sell, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of the homestead — Teranet enforces this strictly, even if the EPOA itself is perfectly valid.

Corporate vs. Personal POAs

A personal EPOA only authorizes the attorney to manage the donor's personal assets, including their personal shares in a corporation. It does not authorize the attorney to act on behalf of the corporation itself.

If real property is held in a corporate name, the corporation must execute a separate corporate power of attorney. Teranet will reject any land transaction where a personal POA is used to bind a corporate entity. The corporate POA follows different execution rules — it must be signed by an authorized officer or director under the corporation's articles and bylaws.

Registering a Foreign POA

A power of attorney executed outside Manitoba can be registered at Teranet — but only if it complies with the laws of the jurisdiction where it was signed. The attorney must provide a validity letter from a lawyer licensed in the foreign jurisdiction, personally signed, stating:

• The identity of the donor and attorney
• The execution date and location
• That the POA is legally valid under that jurisdiction's laws
• That the POA would be legally effective to convey or mortgage land in that jurisdiction

Without this letter, a foreign POA cannot be registered in Manitoba regardless of how well-drafted it is.

Practical Steps

1. Confirm the EPOA meets all witnessing requirements before visiting Teranet. A rejected document costs $31 and delays the process.

2. Attach the Affidavit of Witness if the witness wasn't a lawyer. This is the single most common reason for registration rejection.

3. Complete Form 9 if the property is a homestead. Have the non-owning spouse sign it apart from the donor before an authorized official.

4. File electronically through Teranet's eRegistration portal to save $7 on the listed registration fee.

5. Order a certified copy after registration ($24) for your records if needed.

The Manitoba Power of Attorney Kit includes a step-by-step Teranet registration guide covering all documentation requirements, including the forms and affidavits needed for different witness types.

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