Regulated or personal? Choosing the right local authority search

Three things, often confused

An official search is carried out by the local authority itself. The LLC1 is issued as an official certificate and the CON29 responses come from the council’s own departments.

A regulated search is compiled by a search company from the local land charges register and other official sources, to the Search Code standard, with professional indemnity insurance behind it.

A personal search is compiled by an agent inspecting the registers and public records in person or online. Done properly and insured properly, it covers the same ground.

What actually differs

Speed

This is the honest reason most personal searches are ordered. Where a council is running many weeks behind, a personal search can be turned around in days. That is a real benefit to a client, not a corner being cut.

Insurance

An official search carries the authority’s own liability. A regulated or personal search carries the search provider’s insurance. Both are recoverable positions; they are not identical. Check the level of cover, and check it is per search rather than in aggregate.

Lender acceptance

Most lenders accept a compliant personal search. A minority require the official product. Part 2 of the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook is the place to check, and it is worth checking every time rather than relying on what was true last year.

Where we sit

We hold a regulated LLC1 and CON29 capability for the Wirral, which is our own authority, and we order official searches nationwide. We will tell you which is appropriate for a given property and lender rather than defaulting to whichever suits us.

Published 8 July 2026. This article is general information about conveyancing practice and property regulation. It is not legal advice, and the regulatory position changes — check the current position before relying on it.