Land Titles Registration Fees for a Home Purchase in Alberta

If you are buying a home in Alberta, you may have heard there is no land transfer tax. That is true, but it does not mean registering your ownership is free. You still pay charges when the transfer of land is registered at Land Titles.

This article explains how the transfer levy is calculated, how the property value changes the amount, and where exceptions apply. It also covers the separate mortgage levy, so you can ask your lawyer the right questions before closing.

This article covers the law of Alberta.

No land transfer tax, but a registration levy

Alberta charges no land transfer tax on a home purchase. Buyers instead pay Land Titles registration charges based on the value of the land, which is generally the purchase price.

The levy comes from the Land Titles Act. A transferee named in an instrument that creates a lease, transfers ownership, or is a qualifying court order must pay a levy of $50 plus $5 for each $5,000, or portion of $5,000, of the value of the land or interest in land.

How the transfer levy is calculated

The wording "or portion thereof" matters. Any part of a $5,000 increment is charged as a full increment.

For example, on the formula in the Act, a $400,000 value gives $50 plus 80 increments at $5 each, for a total of $450.

• Start with the value of the land, which is generally your purchase price.
• Count how many $5,000 increments fit in that value, rounding any leftover part up to a full increment.
• Multiply the number of increments by $5 and add the $50 base amount.

Because the amount rises with value, a higher-priced home means a higher levy, though the calculation itself stays the same.

The rate changed in October 2024

The rate of $5 per $5,000 for both transfers and mortgages applies to submissions received by the Land Titles Office on or after October 20, 2024. Before that date the levy was $2 per $5,000 for transfers and $1.50 per $5,000 for mortgages.

If you are reading an older guide, a government fact sheet from a few years ago, or a blog post, the figures may be outdated. Check the date before relying on them.

The mortgage levy and other fees

If you finance your purchase, a second levy applies. A mortgagor pays $50 plus $5 for each $5,000, or portion of $5,000, of the principal secured when the mortgage is registered.

It is charged only when a mortgage or mortgage caveat is registered, so a buyer paying cash with no mortgage does not pay it. It is calculated on the principal amount secured, not on the purchase price.

Other document and plan registration fees are listed in the Tariff of Fees Regulation (AR 120/2000) and must be paid at submission. A separate Common Documents Fee Schedule lists the most common documents. These schedules can be updated, so your lawyer should confirm the current amounts for items such as issuing a new title.

Exceptions that can change the amount

Most home buyers pay the standard levy, but the Act sets out some exceptions. These are mainly relevant to unusual transactions, but they show why the facts of your deal matter.

• The transfer levy does not apply to the Crown in right of Canada or the Crown in right of Alberta, but it does apply to agents of the Crown in right of Alberta, the Minister of Municipal Affairs acting under Part 10 of the Municipal Government Act, and the Public Trustee.
• The transfer-of-ownership levy does not apply where the transferee's sole purpose is to transfer the land to a person with whom it has a mortgage agreement, the mortgagor pays no interest, and an affidavit is provided.
• For a lease, the value used is either the land's value including intended leasehold improvements, or 5% of that value multiplied by the years remaining in the lease term.
• Where a new mortgage is from the same mortgagee as an existing one and is supplemental, collateral, a substitute or a partial replacement, the levy is calculated only on the additional interest or principal.
• An agreement amending a mortgage to increase the interest or principal carries the levy on the additional amount only.

If the Registrar does not accept the transfer instrument, the transfer levy is returned to the transferee. The same applies to the mortgage levy.

What to do next

• Ask your lawyer for the estimated transfer levy and mortgage levy before closing.
• Confirm the figures use the rate in effect when your documents are submitted.
• Ask what other registration fees apply and how they will be paid, since fees are due at submission.
• Budget for these costs along with your other closing costs.
• Raise any unusual feature of your deal, such as a lease or a mortgage change, so the right rule is applied.

Land Titles fees can be paid in person by cash, cheque, credit or debit, with cheques payable to the Government of Alberta. How these costs are handled and shown in your own purchase depends on your situation, so it is worth confirming with your lawyer.

Frequently asked questions