Who Can Sign or Verify an ID1 Form?

Choosing the wrong person to sign your ID1 is a costly mistake. You still pay for the appointment, but HM Land Registry sends the form straight back.

This guide explains who may sign or verify an ID1 and who may not. It also covers the people most often asked, such as doctors, police officers and Post Office staff. Our full set of ID1 guides covers the rest of the process.

The short answer

Only a practising legal professional can sign an ID1 form. That means a solicitor, licensed conveyancer, notary public, barrister, Chartered Legal Executive or CLC-regulated licensed probate practitioner. HM Land Registry calls all of these people conveyancers.

The key word is practising. In other words, the person must hold a current practising certificate on the day they sign your form.

Who is allowed to sign an ID1

Section B of the form is where the verifier signs. Any one of these professionals can complete it for you.

• A solicitor.
• A licensed conveyancer.
• A notary public.
• A barrister.
• A CILEX Conveyancing Practitioner.
• A Chartered Legal Executive.
• A CLC-regulated licensed probate practitioner.
• A lawyer or notary qualified overseas, where no UK conveyancer can verify you.

Scottish solicitors are accepted as well. Meanwhile, armed forces members serving overseas may be verified by a serving officer. That officer gives a passport number instead of a roll number.

It does not have to be your own solicitor

This surprises almost everyone, and it saves people a lot of trouble. The verifier does not need any link to your sale, purchase or transfer.

Practice guide 67 says this plainly. It can be any conveyancer, so it need not be the buyer’s solicitor or anyone else in the deal.

As a result, you are free to shop around on price and speed. That is exactly why a booked video appointment works well for this task.

Who cannot sign an ID1

The exclusions matter more than the list above, because this is where most forms fail.

• A paralegal. Practice guide 67 says so directly, even inside a conveyancing firm.
• A retired or non-practising solicitor. Without a practising certificate, they cannot verify you.
• An employee of a law firm, unless they are a conveyancer in their own right.
• A doctor, dentist or accountant. They may only use form ID3, which has its own strict rules.
• A police officer. Police officers are not on the ID1 list, and they are not on the ID3 list either.
• Post Office staff. They are not conveyancers, so they cannot sign section B.
• A friend, neighbour or relative, even one in a professional job.

If your verifier writes on the form that they are retired, expect the form to come back. Our guide to rejected and requisitioned ID1 forms explains what happens next.

Signing, witnessing and verifying are not the same

People often search for who can “witness” an ID1. However, an ID1 is not witnessed like a deed. Instead, a conveyancer checks your identity documents, certifies your photo and then signs section B.

A transfer deed such as a TR1 is different. There, a witness simply watches you sign, and that witness can be an independent adult who is not a party to the deed. So a neighbour may witness your TR1, but they cannot verify your ID1.

Why the rules are so strict

HM Land Registry is not being fussy for no reason. The ID1 exists to stop property fraud. Therefore the person signing it must answer to a regulator.

For example, a solicitor is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and has an SRA number. Licensed conveyancers answer to the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Chartered Legal Executives answer to CILEx Regulation.

The verifier writes their roll or licence number on the form. As a result, that number leads back to a live public record. You can also check any solicitor on the SRA register before you book.

You cannot use a Land Registry office or the Post Office

Older articles suggest booking an appointment at a Land Registry office. That option no longer exists, and it has not come back since the pandemic.

HM Land Registry staff have confirmed this on their own customer forum. So if a letter or website points you towards a Land Registry appointment, the advice is out of date.

The same goes for a Post Office counter. Staff there cannot sign an ID1, as our guide on whether the Post Office can verify an ID1 explains.

The ID3 route is a different form, not an easier one

A small group of other professionals may verify identity, but only on form ID3. The list is short. It covers doctors, dentists, chartered or certified accountants, regulated financial advisers, MPs and Members of the Senedd.

The conditions are strict. First, you and your verifier must both hold a current full passport from the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Next, you must have known each other for at least a year, and you must not be related.

In addition, you cannot both be involved in the same transaction. Both of you send a copy of your passport details page. Finally, video calls are not allowed on an ID3 at all.

Can an ID1 be done online?

Yes, but only when a conveyancer does it. The video option for non-conveyancers was withdrawn on 5 February 2024.

When a conveyancer verifies you by video, they complete form ID5 instead of section B. Then a screenshot from the call goes to HM Land Registry with the forms. Our ID5 guide explains how that works.

Before the call, you will need the right identity documents. Our guide to the ID documents you need lists exactly which ones are accepted.

If you live outside the UK

Living abroad is not a reason to skip the form. Where no UK conveyancer can verify you, a lawyer or notary qualified in your country may complete section B.

However, they must enclose written evidence of their right to practise there. If that evidence is not in English or Welsh, a certified translation must go with it. Our overseas guide covers the other options.

Land Registry checks that your verifier is real

This part is rarely mentioned, yet it explains the extra paperwork. HM Land Registry contacts verifiers to confirm that a form signed in their name is genuine.

For this reason, verifiers keep a record of everyone they check, plus a copy of the certified photo. If a verifier cannot confirm the check, a new ID form may be needed.

Choosing a verifier sensibly

Prices vary widely, and so do waiting times. Since any conveyancer may act, you do not have to accept the first quote you get. Likewise, a long wait is usually avoidable.

Just check that the person signing is a practising professional from the list above. Our online ID1 form verification service and ID5 video verification both use a practising solicitor. Meanwhile, the pricing page shows the fixed fee before you book.

Frequently asked questions

Who can sign an ID1 form?

Only a practising conveyancer. That means a solicitor, licensed conveyancer, notary public, barrister, Chartered Legal Executive or CLC-regulated licensed probate practitioner with a current practising certificate.

Can an ID1 form be done online?

Yes, but only by a conveyancer. They verify you by video call, complete form ID5 and send a screenshot from the call with your ID1.

Can I get my ID1 form verified at the Post Office?

No. Post Office staff are not conveyancers, so they cannot sign section B of an ID1.

Can a police officer sign an ID1 form?

No. Police officers are not on the list of ID1 verifiers, and they cannot use form ID3 either.

Can a doctor, dentist or accountant sign an ID1 form?

Not on an ID1. Doctors, dentists, chartered or certified accountants, regulated financial advisers, MPs and Members of the Senedd may only verify identity on form ID3.

Who can witness an ID1 form?

An ID1 is not witnessed like a deed. Instead, a practising conveyancer checks your identity and signs section B. A friend or neighbour cannot do this.

What do I need for an ID1 form?

You need a recent passport-style photo, your original identity documents and a practising conveyancer to check them.

Can a paralegal verify my ID1 form?

No. Practice guide 67 states that a paralegal is not a conveyancer and cannot verify identity, even when working inside a conveyancing firm.

Does it have to be my own solicitor?

No. Any practising conveyancer may verify you, and they need no link to your transaction. You can choose whoever is convenient.

Can a retired solicitor verify my identity?

No. The verifier must hold a current practising certificate. A form signed by a retired or non-practising person will be sent back.

Can I book an appointment at a Land Registry office?

No. That option no longer exists, and HM Land Registry has confirmed this on its own customer forum. You need a practising professional instead.

Who can verify my identity if I live abroad?

A lawyer or notary qualified in your country of residence, provided they enclose written evidence of their right to practise there.

How do I check my verifier is genuine?

Ask for their roll, licence or membership number and check it against their regulator’s public register. Solicitors appear on the SRA register.