The ID1 form aims to protect everyone involved in a property transaction from identity fraud by requiring an independent solicitor to verify the identity of any unrepresented parties (those without a solicitor).

The ID1 form, technically known as the Land Registry ID1 Form, is an essential document for the Land Registry when processing a transfer involving an unrepresented party (somebody who doesn’t have a solicitor). Its focus is on protecting property and people through thorough due diligence. Conveyancers have always had to confirm the identity of their clients and failure to do so can lead to disciplinary actions by official regulators and possibly criminal prosecution. Even if somebody doesn’t have a solicitor, they still need a solicitor to verify their identity.

This level of due diligence has only grown more important in the last few decades. From money laundering and terrorist financing to more generalised white-collar crime, legislation now requires a much higher level of ID scrutiny than ever before.

Your ID1 Land Registry form will need to be witnessed and verified by a solicitor to be valid with the Land Registry. It used to be that if you wanted your solicitor to confirm your identity, you’d need to head into their office. That’s no longer the case. With the introduction of the ID5 Form (more on that in a bit), we can confirm your ID via a secure video call without you needing to download any software. We just send you a link to follow. Simple.

There is a list of officials that are legally permitted to witness and certify your ID1 form. Those officials include:

• Employees of the Land Registry

• Solicitors/barristers

• Licensed conveyancers

• Chartered legal executives

• A notary

• An overseas serving officer of the UK armed forces.

Other officials may be able to witness and verify an ID1 form, but this will mean extra steps in the identity verification process. You’ll first have to contact the Land Registry, ask whether your chosen official is an acceptable option, and wait to get confirmation of that decision in writing.

Step 1. Your first step will be to complete Section A of the ID1 Form. If you don’t already have this, you can download it from the Land Registry. If you’re coming to see us in person, you’ll also need two passport-sized photographs (remember to bring them with you to your appointment!).

Step 2. Next, get the document(s) you will use to prove your ID together. The most common ones used are a current passport or a UK driving licence, but you can find the full list of documents you can use in the section below. Take a scan of these documents on your phone or a scanner if you use the video call method.

Step 3. Arrange an appointment time. If you live close by, we can arrange for you to pop into one of our offices and bring your documents. If that’s inconvenient, we can arrange a time and date to carry out a video call (we will ask you to send scans of your documents over to us). The fact that you can now get ID1 form verification online is a major positive.

Step 4. After your appointment, if you’ve attended in person, you’ll have everything you need to send straight off to the Land Registry. If you’ve gone the video call route, we will send the completed ID5 and screenshot to you that day by first class post. When the post arrives, you should send these documents — and the ID1 you’ve already filled in — to the Land Registry.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You aren’t allowed to submit an ID1 form on someone else’s behalf unless you currently have Lasting Power of Attorney.

Commonly, an ID1 Form is used during a transfer of equity — when the owner of a property either adds or removes someone else from the title deeds.

During a transfer of equity, identity checks are essential. It’s common for at least one person involved in the process not to have any kind of legal representation. So they will have to fill out their own ID1 form and have it witnessed and verified by an appropriate official. In most cases, this will be a conveyancing solicitor.

As part of the ID confirmation check, you’ll need to provide some documentation to prove you are who you say you are. You can use any one of the following:

• A valid UK passport.

• A full driving licence issued by the UK, EU, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man (provisional driving licences are not acceptable).

• A valid Biometric Residence Permit, issued by the UK Home Office.

If you don’t have any of those, don’t panic. You can also have your ID confirmed by using two of the following types of documentation:

• A cheque guarantee card (this needs to be issued by Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, or American Express) or a debit card (issued by Delta or Maestro), accompanied with a postal statement no older than three months from your application date

• A paper utility bill in your name (digital bills are not accepted).

• A current council tax statement.

• A council rent book showing rent payments for the last three months.

• A postal mortgage statement (for the year that has most recently ended).

• A valid shotgun or firearm certificate.

Whichever documents you provide to confirm your ID1 form, your solicitor will need to check them as part of the process.

Once signed and dated, an ID1 form is only valid for three months. If you’re buying a property and it takes longer than expected, you may need to provide a new ID1 form if those three months pass before exchange and completion.

In May 2020, the ID5 Form was introduced by the Land Registry in response to the pandemic, which seriously restricted face-to-face meetings with a conveyancing solicitor. This form streamlined the necessary identity checks by making video calls an option. If a solicitor verifies your ID over a video call, they will provide you with the completed ID5 form in place of Part B of the ID1 Form.

Once your solicitor has confirmed your identity, they will sign the ID5 form underneath the section stating:

“I certify that I met with the above person by way of a video call and I was provided with evidence of their identity. I also certify that I took a screenshot photograph of the person whose identity I verified. I undertake to keep a record of the person whose identity I have verified along with a copy of evidence of identity provided to me and a copy of the screenshot photograph taken during the video call.”

It’s always important to choose a conveyancing solicitor who is 100% transparent about those costs. Here at Lockings, we charge a set price of just £120 (£100 plus VAT).