A reference like T36936/03 identifies exactly one document at one Deeds Office: the letter tells you the document type, the first number is its sequence, and the part after the slash is the year of registration. T is a deed of transfer, ST a sectional title deed, and B a bond. If you have that reference, you are one step away from the document itself, because the Deeds Office has digitised a large share of its records and digitised documents can be retrieved through a live link in minutes.
Where deed numbers hide
People usually think they do not have a deed number when they do. It appears on the property report from any deeds search, on your bond statement or bank correspondence about the property, on municipal rates records, in the conveyancer's file from when you bought, and on the old copy of the deed you are trying to replace. An antenuptial contract has its own registration number on the contract and on the marriage certificate file from the attorney who registered it.
If you genuinely have no reference, you search first. An instant property search (R235.00) returns the current title deed number for any property, and an instant person document search (R85.00) lists documents registered against an ID number, which is the usual route to a lost ANC's reference.
How the download works
The instant document download costs R640.00. You enter the document reference, select the Deeds Office it was registered at, and pay. If the document is electronically available, the copy is delivered to your inbox within minutes. The copy is marked for information purposes, which is the standard format the Deeds Office issues for all copies; it covers building plan submissions, checking title conditions and servitudes, bond paperwork, and record keeping.
There is a pricing detail worth knowing. If you ran an instant property or person search first, the amount you paid for that search is deducted from the document price when you order a copy of a document that is electronically available. The search that found your deed number effectively becomes part of the document's cost rather than an extra on top of it.
When the document is not digitised
Not everything is electronic. Older deeds, and documents at some of the smaller registries, may only exist in the physical archive. In that case the instant route cannot deliver, and the document is retrieved manually instead: an information copy of a title deed ordered this way costs R685.00 and takes between one and ten working days depending on the archive.
One more boundary. A downloaded or archive copy is for information. If you need a certified copy for a legal matter, that is a separate order, and if you have lost the original deed and need to sell the property, replacement falls under Section 68 of the Deeds Registries Act and must go through a conveyancing attorney. A download cannot substitute for either.
Common questions
What do the letters in a deed number mean?
They identify the document type. T is a deed of transfer, ST a sectional title deed, and B a bond. The number after the slash is the year of registration, so T36936/03 was registered in 2003.
How do I know if a document is electronically available before paying?
Enter the reference in the instant document download and the system checks availability against the live Deeds Office link. If it is not available electronically, you will be offered the manual retrieval route instead.
Can I use a downloaded copy to sell my property?
No. All copies, including certified ones, are marked for information. Selling with a lost original requires a Section 68 replacement through a conveyancing attorney. The download covers almost every other purpose.