Removing a Mortgage or Remortgaging: Do You Need an ID1 Form?

Paid off your mortgage, or switching to a new lender? Then you may have been told you need an ID1 form for a mortgage change at HM Land Registry, and sometimes that is right. But often it is not, and the difference comes down to who is handling the paperwork.

This guide explains both cases. Not sure this is your situation? Our full set of guides covers transfers, gifts and probate too.

Paying off your mortgage: usually no ID1

When you clear a mortgage, the lender removes its charge from the register. Most UK banks and building societies do this electronically, straight to HM Land Registry. So there is no paper form, nothing for you to send, and no ID1.

Check the register a few weeks after your final payment. If the charge has gone, you are done. Otherwise, contact the lender and ask them to send the discharge.

When you get a paper DS1: the ID1 comes in

Some lenders still send a signed paper form called a DS1 and leave you to register it. This is common with smaller lenders, private loans, or a mortgage that was paid off years ago. Then you apply to HM Land Registry yourself using form DS2, and the identity rules apply.

Here is the part people get wrong. The main identity check is on the lender, not you.

But because you are the one sending the application, HM Land Registry also needs evidence of who you are. So you need an ID1 as the applicant.

Is your lender a UK bank or building society that signed the DS1 itself? Then HM Land Registry does not ask for identity evidence for their signatory. Your own ID1 is usually all that is needed.

However, if the lender is a private individual, such as a family member who lent you money, they need an ID1 too.

Remortgaging with a new lender

A remortgage means a new charge on the register. HM Land Registry wants confirmation of identity for both the lender and the borrower.

But every mainstream lender insists on a solicitor to act for them, and that solicitor confirms your identity as part of the job. In a normal remortgage, then, you do not need an ID1.

The exception is a private loan secured on your home. For example, a family member lends you money and wants a charge as security. Then there is no conveyancer, so both of you need an ID1 to register it.

Lenders that ask for an ID1 anyway

A few lenders and brokers ask borrowers for a verified ID1 as part of their own fraud checks. That applies even where HM Land Registry does not need one, and it is their rule, not the Land Registry’s. So if your lender asks, the simplest route is to book a video appointment and send them the signed form.

Which forms go together

• DS1 — the lender’s signed discharge of the mortgage
• DS2 — your application to cancel the charge entries
• ID1 — for you as the applicant, with the ID5 if verified by video
• ID1 or ID2 — for the lender, only if it is a private person or an unrepresented company

There is no HM Land Registry fee for cancelling a charge. So the fee panel on the DS2 is “nil”. Our guide to downloading the forms has the current links.

Removing a person along with the mortgage

Sometimes “taking someone off the mortgage” also means taking them off the deeds. That is a transfer, and it needs a TR1 as well, so the identity rules for a transfer apply to everyone involved. If that is your situation, our guide to transfer of equity is the one to read.

What you’ll need for your appointment

• Valid photo ID — passport, UK driving licence, or biometric residence permit
• Proof of address dated within the last 3 months
• The DS1 or the property’s title number, if you have it — useful, but not needed for the ID1 itself

The ID1 must be signed no more than three months before HM Land Registry receives your application. So book once you have the DS1 in hand.

Each ID1 verification is a fixed £79 per person, which includes the ID5 video verification. See our pricing page for the full breakdown, or read more about our ID1 verification service.

Common questions

Do I need an ID1 form to remove a mortgage from the title deeds?

Only if you are sending the application yourself with a paper DS1. Most lenders discharge electronically, so no form and no ID1 is needed. If you lodge a DS2 yourself, you need an ID1 as the applicant.

Do I need an ID1 to remortgage?

Not normally. Your new lender’s solicitor confirms your identity to HM Land Registry. The ID1 only comes in for private loans where no solicitor is acting, or if the lender asks for one under its own checks.

Does the lender need an ID1 as well?

If the lender is a UK bank or building society that signed the DS1 itself, no. If the lender is a private individual or an unrepresented company, yes, they need an ID1 or ID2.

Is there a fee to remove a mortgage at the Land Registry?

No. Cancelling a charge is free. So the only cost is the ID1 verification if one is needed, which is £79 with us.

My mortgage was paid off years ago but is still on the register. What do I do?

Contact the lender and ask them to discharge it. If they send a paper DS1, lodge it with a DS2 and your ID1. If the lender no longer exists, contact HM Land Registry, because different evidence is needed.

My lender has asked me for an ID1 but I have a solicitor. Why?

Some lenders run their own fraud checks and want a verified ID1 regardless. It is their requirement, not the Land Registry’s. A video appointment gets you the signed form the same day.

Can a family member who lent me money register a charge without a solicitor?

Yes. But HM Land Registry needs identity evidence for both the lender and the borrower. So you each need your own ID1, verified separately.

How long is the ID1 valid for?

Three months. HM Land Registry must receive your application within three months of the date it was signed. So do not get it verified until you have the DS1.

How your video verification works

1. Book a time. Book online now and pay securely, or message us on WhatsApp first if you have a question — same-day, evening and weekend appointments are often available.
2. Verify by video call. Then a solicitor checks your ID on a short, secure call. This is the ID5 process.
3. Get your forms. So your signed, stamped ID1 and ID5 are sent to you the same day.
4. Send to Land Registry. Then submit your ID1 and ID5 alongside your DS1 and DS2.