A Pending Registration Queue At The Alberta Land Titles Office – How Will It Work?

Originally published April 7, 2021

Starting with documents submitted for registration on April 1, 2021,¹ the concept of a voluntary pending registration queue ("PRQ") at the Alberta Land Titles Office ("LTO") will be introduced, thanks to various amendments to the Land Titles Act² plus a forthcoming Pending Registration Queue Regulation.³ This Bulletin summarizes the current requirements for utilizing the PRQ and how the new registration process is intended to work.

The key takeaway is that by utilizing the PRQ, a submitting party will, in most instances, have priority on title guaranteed on submission. In turn, transactions may be able to close and funds may be able to be released without the necessity of waiting for actual registration. The implementation of the PRQ may also enable parties to avoid obtaining gap title insurance coverage, resulting in further time and cost savings on closing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, reliance on the PRQ is an optional