HM Land Registry Now Accepts Qualified Electronic Signatures

Key takeaways

• Goodbye to witnesses: HM Land Registry (HMLR) is now accepting Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for conveyancing, eliminating the need for a witness when executing deeds.

• Streamlined transactions: The adoption of QES streamlines workflows and offers a faster and trusted experience for all parties involved in a property transaction.

• A game-changer for conveyancing: This change, which follows a successful pilot program with Docusign, is a significant step in the digital transformation of property transactions, leading to greater efficiency.

HM Land Registry and Qualified Electronic Signatures: An overview

HM Land Registry (HMLR) has made considerable progress towards accepting Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for conveyancing paperwork. The outcome of a pilot which Docusign played a key role in, is that this advancement will streamline property transactions by eliminating the need for witnesses.

A QES helps protect your most critical agreements with robust identity verification required as part of the signature process.

As a result, HMLR is now actively encouraging lawyers and their clients to start using Qualified Electronic Signatures.

HM Land Registry electronic signatures and why QES is the next step now

The digital transformation of conveyancing has moved well beyond its COVID-19 origins. While remote working initially prompted HMLR to accept electronic signatures, today's evolution is driven by efficiency and security demands. HMLR has fully embraced Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for property transactions, marking a significant advancement in the digitisation journey.

For customers, conveyancers and lawyers navigating a property purchase, QES offers greater flexibility, simplicity and confidence. Rather than requiring a witness when signing agreements, the integrated identity verification component baked into the QES process enables signers to complete the necessary checks in their own time.

In an announcement that could transform property transactions across the UK, Katherine Crowley, Legal Director at Womble Bond Dickinson, called the Land Registry's intention to accept Qualified Electronic Signatures "a significant and exciting one."

Katherine noted that this change would largely benefit everyday consumers. She explained,

What does the HMLR guidance say?

HM Land Registry is encouraging lawyers and their clients to start using Qualified Electronic Signatures now.

To ensure customers are supported, and their QES applications are handled correctly, Docusign customers who are interested in using the technology should contact their Docusign account manager.

What are the benefits of HMLR accepting a QES?

The Land Registry's shift in guidance represents a significant enhancement in conveyancing processes. This digital transformation provides substantial benefits across the conveyancing ecosystem:

• For conveyancers and legal professionals:

  Streamlines workflows with faster document processing and reduced administrative burden, creating more efficient legal processes while maintaining a consistently high level of signer assurances. Providing greater legal effect, this change could even help to reduce fraud risk in property transactions.

• For property buyers and sellers:

  Delivers a smoother customer experience with quicker transaction completions, reducing what once took weeks to hours or even minutes. Signers complete all the necessary processes from the convenience of their homes or offices.

• For estate agents and lenders:

  Enables faster deal progression and improved client satisfaction through paperless processes that eliminate printing, scanning and posting. Removing the need for a third party to witness the execution of a deed offers greater flexibility and simplicity.

Considered the legal equivalent to a handwritten signature, QES offers enhanced security through face-to-face, or equivalent, identity verification and removes the need for a witness, as signers maintain sole control of their signature process.

For the folks at Womble Bond Dickinson, the benefits listed above are already a reality. Katherine said,

Hugh James Qualified Electronic Signature pilot with HMLR

In a significant step towards digitising property conveyancing, HM Land Registry initiated a pilot program to test the use of Digital Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). The law firm Hugh James was a key participant in this program, successfully completing the first-ever UK property deal using the Docusign QES solution. This pioneering effort by the top 100 UK law firm, marked a major milestone in the industry's journey toward fully electronic conveyancing.

Qualified Electronic Signatures vs witnessed signatures in conveyancing

Why conveyancers are moving to QES

Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) are transforming the conveyancing landscape. Since Docusign and HMLR's successful pilot programme, spanning several years, QES has been called a "game changer" for property transactions. The key benefit? No witness requirement. QES eliminates this step through embedded identity verification, allowing parties to sign at their convenience. QES delivers remarkable efficiency gains while maintaining the highest level of trust and security through face-to-face identity verification.

Trust services

Perhaps a further reason for this change is that the Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) responsible for creating the QES is independently certified, removing the need for HMLR to verify the compliance of the identification and signing process itself.

As a result, ‘HM Land Registry is encouraging lawyers and their clients to start using Qualified Electronic Signatures now.’

Key compliance checklist

To implement QES in your conveyancing process, ensure you have:

• A qualified certificate issued from a EU/UK eIDAS-compliant QTSP

• Face-to-face or equivalent identity verification method (can include video identification)

• Integration with a qualified trust service provider that meets eIDAS standards

• Compatible document formats (PDF) that maintain data integrity and security

How can Docusign help?

Docusign provides comprehensive solutions for electronically signing agreements that fully comply with HM Land Registry requirements. With an extensive portfolio of QES solutions, we can help streamline property transactions immediately, while ensuring that you continue maintaining the highest security standards.

Qualified Electronic Signature compliance

Docusign QES delivers the highest level of assurance for HMLR transactions. As QES is now accepted by HMLR without witness requirements, our platform enables buyers and sellers to complete the required identity verification process for a qualified electronic signature in minutes* with AI-driven digital identity proofing.

To experience what a QES process looks like, take a look at our interactive guided tour.

💡 Tip: Use your arrow keys ⬅️ ➡️ to move through the demo.

Docusign is continuing to work closely with HM Land Registry and leading UK law firms to refine our solutions for all conveyancing requirements, both today and in the future.

*Docusign customers sign Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) agreements in an average of seven minutes or less. When using our Identity Wallet, the average time it takes to complete a QES drops by 93%, taking less than 30 seconds to complete. Individual results may vary.

What's next for HMLR and qualified electronic signatures in the UK?

HM Land Registry has now fully embraced Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) as a cornerstone of its digital transformation strategy. HMLR is actively inviting conveyancers to submit applications with documents signed using a QES, marking a significant advancement from the initial pilot programmes.

This technology eliminates the need for third-party witnesses when executing deeds, bringing greater flexibility and simplicity to property transactions. Andy Roddy, Deputy Director of Digital Services at HM Land Registry, notes in the recent Gov.UK news story about HMLR accepting QES: "We are excited to enable our customers the option to use Qualified Electronic Signatures in their land registration applications."

Katherine Crowley, Legal Director at Womble Bond Dickinson, shares this enthusiasm stating that the Land Registry is, “uniquely positioned to support the successful adoption of QES in the real estate market” and that if it accepts QES on all transaction types and on all documents, she can “see another e-signature revolution on the horizon.”

With the evolution of eIDAS 2.0 , we can expect a future where clients will be able to apply a QES directly through their digital identity wallet. This would allow them to securely store and use their verified identity credentials in a single trusted application, enabling them to sign HMLR documents seamlessly, without the need for repeat identity verification checks. Such integrations could further streamline the conveyancing process, reduce administrative overheads, and further enhance trust in fully digital property transactions.

Qualified Electronic Signature online

As a result of our ongoing partnership with HMLR, Docusign customers currently using its QES solutions and who are interested in testing this new capability are invited to reach out to their account manager.

Qualified Electronic Signature: FAQs

Does Docusign provide a Qualified Electronic Signature?

Docusign has an extensive portfolio of QES solutions, with its flagship offering being its ID Verification for EU Qualified offering. This offering requires recipients to complete the necessary face-to-face, or equivalent, identity verification before applying their signature, adhering to strict QES obligations under eIDAS regulation.

Learn more about our QES offerings and experience what a QES process looks like.

What is a Qualified Electronic Signature in the UK?

A QES is the highest level of electronic signature in the UK, created using a qualified certificate issued by a trusted service provider. It requires recipients to complete face-to-face, or equivalent, identity verification before applying their signature, granting it the legal equivalence to handwritten signatures.

Qualified Electronic Signature example

Global Law Firm, DLA Piper, uses Docusign QES for agreements where they require customers to identify themselves during the signing process. By simplifying the documents agreement process, they're empowering their lawyers to prioritise legal advice over admin. Learn more about how DLA Piper are elevating the delivery of their legal processes using Docusign.

How does a Qualified Electronic Signature provide legal validity?

QES provides the highest legal effect under UK law, with self-proving status in Scottish courts and presumed validity across jurisdictions, as it creates an unquestionable audit trail that establishes authenticity beyond standard signatures.

What's the difference between an electronic signature and a Qualified Electronic Signature?

The use of a digital signature provides higher levels of signer assurances, given they must often confirm their identity prior to applying their digital signatures. Learn more about the difference between electronic signatures and a Qualified Electronic Signature.

In Summary: how can Docusign help with HM Land Registry conveyancing processes?

Having partnered closely with HMLR throughout the entire duration of the QES pilot, Docusign helped influence recent developments.

For the highest level of security and compliance, Docusign QES eliminates witness requirements while meeting HM Land Registry’s standards for Qualified Electronic Signatures, streamlining your conveyancing processes and enhancing security.

For organisations looking to adopt this technology, HMLR has established a dedicated contact point at QES@landregistry.gov.uk .

You can also speak to one of our Docusign experts by completing this form.