News release

Minister Introduces Amendments to Registry Act and Land Registration Act

Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations (Oct. 2000 - March 2014)

The province will be able to offer more efficient access to land registry services with amendments introduced today, April 19.

Currently, under the Registry Act and the Land Registration Act, there must be a land-registration office and a registry of deeds office in each district or county. There are 18 combined land registration and registry of deeds offices throughout the province.

The amendments will allow the province to locate land registration offices where they are most needed, or to co-locate with Access Nova Scotia centres in future to improve customer service.

There are no current plans to close offices.

"These amendments will help ensure that all Nova Scotians have quick and efficient access to land information when they need it," said Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell.

Other Atlantic provinces have far fewer land registration and registry of deeds offices. There is one in Newfoundland and Labrador, two in Prince Edward Island and five in New Brunswick.

Most of Nova Scotia's land registry services can be accessed online. About 75 per cent of filing is now done online, and 70 per cent of all land records in the province are available online. Six land registration offices have been digitized, which allows the traditional books of documents to be removed and stored centrally.

These proposed amendments will also allow the minister to appoint deputy registrars to help the registrar general perform duties.