Crown land searches
Together we are responsible for preserving Crown land. This includes assisting councils, businesses and residents with Crown land status and information search services relating to the land.
Once the department receives and accepts an application, we will issue a tax invoice to the applicant for payment before processing the search.
The time it takes us to complete the search depends on the complexity of the case.
Download our complete list of Crown land status search fee schedule (PDF, 333 KB)
When buying a property, you have many things to consider. We recommend doing a conveyancing search before settlement to make sure there are no Crown land tenures connected to the property you are purchasing. Crown land tenures may include a lease, licence or enclosure permit. This is particularly important for waterfront land and rural properties.
A conveyancing search will give you the following information:
- if there is any Crown tenure
- any payment due (including any money owing that you may have to pay on settlement)
- the due dates for any amount owing.
Conveyancing search is only available to registered solicitors and conveyancers.
Where holdings subject to conveyance have lots in different names, an application and fee is required for each separate holding name.
Read the frequently asked questions for more information. (PDF, 244 KB).
Fees
Search type: Conveyancing search;
Fee: $131.00
Fee basis: Per rateable property
Applying for a conveyancing search
Apply for a conveyancing search using the online form:
Apply for a conveyancing search billing account
To set up an account for conveyancing searches apply online:
Current tenure holders can apply to get details of existing Crown tenures that they hold. This may include
- a diagram
- account description
- financial status or
- copies of tenure documents
The guidelines for the supply of information include:
- You can submit a single tenure search for each landholding sharing a common border (in the same name).
- Where tenures do not share a common border or are held in separate names, you will need to submit a separate application and fee.
- The department can provide copies of current tenure documents only for those held by the local office. Older tenure documents may be archived with the Government Records Repository. In these circumstances, another charge applies to access those documents.
- We can only perform a current tenure holder search for tenure holders. Applications by parties other than the tenure holder will be rejected.
Fees
Search type: Current tenure search
Fee: $131.00
Fee basis: Per contiguous landholding
Search type: Current tenure document
Fee: $35.00
Fee basis: Per document. Per tenure.
Search type: Current or historical tenure documents held in archives
Fee: $94.00
Apply for a current tenure status search
Apply for a current tenure status using the online form:
Current road status searches are limited to defining the authority responsible for the road.
If you need detailed road status, you will need to request a historical status search request. A historical road status search fee applies for up to 5 hours of search time. If the search requires more time to complete, an additional hourly charge applies.
Local councils seeking road status information about council road closures should contact commercial search providers - information brokers and registered surveyors approved by NSW Land Registry Services - instead of applying through the department’s search application process.
Parish maps and gazette notices are also available to councils at Historical Land Records Viewer and Trove.
View more information on council road closure processes.
Fees
Search type: Current road status
Fee: $131.00
Fee basis: Per road
Search type: Historical road status
Fee: $481.00
Fee basis: Up to 5 hours of search time (+$96/hr for additional search time)
Apply for a current road status search
Apply for a current road status using the online form:
Historical land status searching can take considerable time. You will receive a chronology of historical land status information over the requested Lot/DP. There is a standard fee for each Lot/DP searched.
Fees
Search type: Historical land status
Fee: $481.00
Fee basis: Per Lot/DP
Apply for a historical land status search
Apply for a historical land status search using the online form:
Local offices can provide other land status information for the purposes of:
| Search type | Fee | Fee basis | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad medium filum aquae (title to half the stream bed) | $481.00 | Up to 5 hours of search time (+96/hr for additional search time) $93.00 | Where more than 5 hours of search time is required, a quote for the search will be provided to the applicant |
| Ad medium filum viae (title to the centre line of the road) | $481.00 | Up to 5 hours of search time (+96/hr for additional search time) $93.00 | Where more than 5 hours of search time is required, a quote for the search will be provided to the applicant |
| Mean high water mark (MHWM) definitions adjoining Crown land. | $306.00 | Basic Investigation including search of crown records. | Where more than a basic investigation is required, additional fees (up to $935.00) will be charged |
| Crown land manager appointments (current and historical) | $131.00 | Per Crown land manager | A search of CLID and copy of gazette notification |
There are several ways you can access historical information about land settlements in NSW.
| Location | Type of information |
|---|---|
| National Library of Australia’s Trove website | NSW Government Gazettes |
| State Library of NSW | Reference and research library |
| Historical Land Records Viewer | Digital maps |
| Spatial Services | Mapping, survey and spatial data, aerial imagery |
| NSW Land Registry Service | Crown plans, documenting settlement from 1788 to 1983 and contains information of historical interest |
| Search type | Fee | Fee basis | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad medium filum aquae (title to half the stream bed) | $481.00 | Up to 5 hours of search time (+96/hr for additional search time) | Where more than 5 hours of search time is required, a quote for the search will be provided to the applicant |
| Ad medium filum viae (title to the centre line of the road) | $481.00 | Up to 5 hours of search time (+96/hr for additional search time) | Where more than 5 hours of search time is required, a quote for the search will be provided to the applicant |
| Mean high water mark (MHWM) definitions affecting Crown land. | $306.00 | Basic investigation only. | Where more than a basic investigation is required, additional fees (up to $935.00) will be charged |
| Crown land manager appointments (current and historical) | $131.00 | Per Crown land manager | A search of CLID and copy of gazette notification |
| Conveyancing search | $131.00 per rateable property | Per rateable property | Where holdings subject to conveyance have lots in different names, an application and fee is required for each separate holding name. Conveyancing search is only available to registered solicitors and conveyancers. |
| Current tenure search | $131.00 per contiguous landholding (in same name) | Per contiguous landholding | Where tenures subject to the search are held in the same name and are contiguous. Where tenures are in separate names or not contiguous, a separate application and fee is required. |
| Current tenure document | $35.00 per document | Per tenure | For current tenure holders only, and for those documents held by the local office. |
| Current or historical tenure documents held in archives | $94.00 | Per document | Documents held by State Archives where retrieval fees apply |
| Current road status | $131.00 per road | Per road | Fee relates to contiguous road |
| Historical road status | $481.00 | Up to 5 hours of search time (+$96/hr for additional search time) | Where more than 5 hours of search time is required, a quote for the search will be provided to the applicant. |
| Historical land status | $481.00 per Lot/DP | Per Lot/DP | Chronology of historical land status information over the subject Lot/DP |