How Are Alberta Land Titles Fees Calculated?
Alberta charges two Land Titles fees on every purchase that closes with a mortgage: one to register the transfer of land, one to register the mortgage. Both use the same formula, $5 per $5,000 of value plus a $50 base fee. Below are the real numbers at several price points and a comparison with an Ontario land transfer tax bill on the same purchase.
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What are Alberta Land Titles fees, exactly?
Land Titles fees are what the Alberta government charges to register documents at the Land Titles Office. On a typical purchase with a mortgage, two fees apply: one to register the transfer of land into your name, and one to register the new mortgage against the title. Both are calculated the same way, on the value being registered.
These are registration fees, not a tax. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax, so this is the closest thing the province charges on a purchase.
Your lawyer pays both fees to the Land Titles Office as part of registering the deal, then bills them back to you as a closing cost. They are separate from your lawyer’s own legal fee.
The citable fact: Alberta charges two separate Land Titles registration fees on a financed purchase, one on the transfer and one on the mortgage, and neither is a land transfer tax.
What are the two components of the Land Titles bill?
Every Land Titles registration fee has two parts: a variable amount based on the dollar value being registered, and a flat $50 base fee. The variable part is $5 per $5,000 of value. This applies separately to the transfer registration and again to the mortgage registration.
| Registration | Value used | Variable rate | Base fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer of land | Purchase price / value transferred | $5 per $5,000 | $50 |
| Mortgage registration | Principal amount of the mortgage | $5 per $5,000 | $50 |
$5 per $5,000 of value is the current rate. It replaced the older $2 per $5,000 on transfers and $1.50 per $5,000 on mortgages for submissions received on or after 20 October 2024.
Every worked example on this page uses a purchase price and mortgage amount that land exactly on a $5,000 line, so the math below is exact either way the Land Titles Office treats a partial increment. If your own purchase price or mortgage amount does not land on a round $5,000 figure, ask your lawyer’s office to confirm the exact fee from the Land Titles Office before you budget to the dollar.
The citable fact: Alberta’s Land Titles fee is $5 per $5,000 of value plus a $50 base fee, charged once on the transfer and once on the mortgage registration.
How is the transfer registration fee calculated?
The transfer registration fee is based on the value of the land being transferred, which is normally the purchase price. Take the value, divide by $5,000, multiply by $5, then add the $50 base fee. On a $500,000 purchase that comes to $550.
Show the math: transfer fee on $500,000
This fee is charged once, on closing, when your lawyer registers the transfer that puts the property in your name.
The citable fact: the transfer registration fee is the purchase price divided by $5,000, multiplied by $5, plus a $50 base fee.
How is the mortgage registration fee calculated?
The mortgage registration fee uses the same formula, applied to the principal amount of the mortgage instead of the purchase price. On a $400,000 mortgage, the fee is $450. Cash buyers who register no mortgage do not pay this second fee at all.
Show the math: mortgage registration fee on a $400,000 mortgage
Because this fee tracks the mortgage amount, not the property value, a buyer who puts more money down pays less on this half of the bill. A bigger down payment lowers this fee in addition to lowering your monthly payment.
The citable fact: the mortgage registration fee is calculated on the mortgage principal, not the purchase price, so a larger down payment reduces it.
What is the $50 base fee, and how solid is that number?
The $50 base fee is added once to each registration, on top of the variable amount, and applies on both the transfer registration and the mortgage registration. It is confirmed against Alberta’s published Land Titles fee schedule material.
The $5 per $5,000 variable rate and the $50 base fee both come from the same Alberta fee schedule material. Your lawyer’s office will show the exact line items on your own statement of adjustments.
The citable fact: Alberta’s Land Titles base fee is $50 per registration, charged once on the transfer and once on the mortgage.
What does a $500,000 purchase actually cost in Land Titles fees?
On an illustrative $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, the transfer fee is $550 and the mortgage registration fee is $450, for a total of $1,000. This is illustrative only. Your own mortgage amount changes the second half of the bill.
Show the math: $500,000 purchase, illustrative $400,000 mortgage
The citable fact: on an illustrative $500,000 purchase with a $400,000 mortgage, total Alberta Land Titles fees come to $1,000.
What does a $750,000 purchase cost in Land Titles fees?
On an illustrative $750,000 purchase with a $600,000 mortgage, the transfer fee is $800 and the mortgage registration fee is $650, for a total of $1,450. The formula scales evenly, so a higher price does not push you into a different rate band.
Show the math: $750,000 purchase, illustrative $600,000 mortgage
The citable fact: on an illustrative $750,000 purchase with a $600,000 mortgage, total Alberta Land Titles fees come to $1,450.
What does a $1,000,000 purchase cost in Land Titles fees?
On an illustrative $1,000,000 purchase with an $800,000 mortgage, the transfer fee is $1,050 and the mortgage registration fee is $850, for a total of $1,900. There is no upper cap or top rate band in the confirmed formula.
Show the math: $1,000,000 purchase, illustrative $800,000 mortgage
The citable fact: on an illustrative $1,000,000 purchase with an $800,000 mortgage, total Alberta Land Titles fees come to $1,900.
Who pays the Land Titles fees, and when?
The buyer pays both Land Titles fees. Your real estate lawyer collects them as part of your closing costs and pays the Land Titles Office directly when the transfer and mortgage are registered on closing day.
These fees show up on your statement of adjustments alongside legal fees, disbursements and any adjustments for prepaid property tax. They are not something you pay separately in advance.
A refinance that registers a new mortgage triggers a new mortgage registration fee, calculated the same way on the new principal amount.
The citable fact: the buyer pays both Land Titles fees through their lawyer on closing day, as part of standard closing costs.
How does Alberta’s Land Titles bill compare with Ontario’s land transfer tax on the same price?
Alberta’s registration fees are far smaller than Ontario’s land transfer tax on the same purchase price, because Ontario charges a percentage-based tax on the full price while Alberta charges a flat, low rate on registration only. On a $500,000 purchase, Alberta’s illustrative total is $1,000 against roughly $6,475 in Ontario provincial land transfer tax alone.
| Purchase price | Alberta Land Titles total (illustrative mortgage) | Ontario provincial land transfer tax |
|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $1,000 | $6,475 |
| $750,000 | $1,450 | $11,475 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,900 | $16,475 |
Show the math: Ontario provincial land transfer tax on $500,000, marginal brackets
This does not include the Ontario first-time buyer land transfer tax refund, of up to $4,000, which lowers the Ontario figure for an eligible buyer. It also excludes Toronto’s separate municipal land transfer tax.
The citable fact: on an illustrative $500,000 purchase, Alberta’s Land Titles fees total roughly $1,000 compared with roughly $6,475 in Ontario provincial land transfer tax alone.
Can a lawyer or buyer estimate the fee before closing?
Yes. Because the formula only needs the purchase price and the mortgage amount, your lawyer or broker can estimate both Land Titles fees as soon as those two numbers are set, well before closing day. The number will not move unless the price or mortgage amount changes.
This makes Land Titles fees one of the more predictable closing costs on an Alberta purchase, unlike legal fees or title insurance, which vary by firm and file.
The citable fact: Alberta Land Titles fees can be calculated precisely in advance once the purchase price and mortgage amount are known.
Is the Land Titles fee different from your lawyer’s fee or title insurance?
Yes. The Land Titles fee is a fixed government registration charge, set entirely by the formula above. Legal fees, title insurance and other adjustments are separate costs set by your lawyer and your insurer, and they vary from file to file, unlike the Land Titles fee.
Buyers often see these costs bundled on one closing statement and assume they are one charge. They are not, and only the Land Titles portion is government-set and formula-driven.
For the rest of the closing cost picture, including legal fees, title insurance and adjustments, see the sibling page on Alberta closing costs.
The citable fact: the Land Titles fee is a fixed, formula-based government charge, separate from legal fees and title insurance, which vary by firm and file.
Where do Land Titles fees fit in your full closing cost picture?
Land Titles fees are one line on a longer closing statement. For legal fees, title insurance and adjustments, the full breakdown lives on a sibling page.
- What are all your closing costs on an Alberta purchase?
- What first-time buyer programmes can you use in Alberta?
- What does a condo reserve fund study tell your lender?
The full set lives on the Ask a Broker hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Land Titles fee the same as a land transfer tax?
No. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax. The Land Titles fee is a registration fee tied to the cost of processing the transfer and mortgage documents, calculated at $5 per $5,000 of value plus a $50 base fee.
Do you pay the Land Titles fee twice on one purchase?
Most financed purchases generate two separate fees, one for the transfer of land and one for the mortgage registration. A cash purchase with no mortgage only pays the transfer fee.
When did the current Land Titles fee rate start?
The current rate of $5 per $5,000 of value applies to submissions received on or after 20 October 2024. It replaced lower rates that had applied separately to transfers and mortgages before that date.
Who actually pays the Land Titles Office?
Your real estate lawyer pays the Land Titles Office directly when registering your documents on closing day, then includes that amount in your final closing statement.
Does a bigger mortgage mean a bigger Land Titles fee?
Yes. The mortgage registration fee is calculated on the principal amount of the mortgage, so a larger mortgage produces a larger fee on that half of the bill. A larger down payment reduces it.
Does refinancing trigger a new Land Titles fee?
Registering a new mortgage as part of a refinance creates a new mortgage registration, which is charged the same $5 per $5,000 plus $50 base fee formula on the new principal amount.
Is the $50 base fee charged once or twice?
It is charged once per registration. On a purchase with a mortgage that means it applies twice in total, once on the transfer and once on the mortgage.
How much smaller are Alberta’s fees than Ontario’s land transfer tax?
On an illustrative $500,000 purchase, Alberta’s total Land Titles fees come to roughly $1,000, compared with roughly $6,475 in Ontario provincial land transfer tax alone, before any rebate.
Can you calculate your Land Titles fee before you have a mortgage amount?
You can calculate the transfer fee as soon as you know the purchase price. The mortgage registration fee needs the mortgage principal, which is usually set once your financing is arranged.
Are Land Titles fees included in a mortgage, or paid in cash?
They are a closing cost, paid through your lawyer’s trust account on closing day, separate from the mortgage itself. They are not added to your mortgage balance.
Does the property type change the Land Titles fee formula?
No. The formula applies to the value being registered, regardless of property type, residential or otherwise. Your lawyer’s office applies the same calculation whatever kind of property is on title.
Where can a broker help with this cost?
A broker can estimate your Land Titles fees alongside your other closing costs once your purchase price and mortgage amount are known, and flag anything unusual on your specific file before you sign.
Want your Land Titles fees calculated for your actual purchase?
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