Paying off a mortgage doesn’t, on its own, remove the lender from your property’s title. When you took out the mortgage, the lender registered a charge on the property, a legal right to take it if the contract isn’t respected. Removing that charge is called discharging the mortgage. This page covers who does what, what it can cost, when a discharge is needed, and where each province’s registry is. It’s part of the refinancing and home equity hub; for getting to the last payment sooner, see how to pay off your mortgage early.
How a discharge works
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) describes a mortgage discharge as a process involving you, your lender and your provincial or territorial land title registry office. The process varies by province or territory.
| Who | What they do |
|---|---|
| You (or your lawyer or notary) | Ask the lender to confirm the mortgage is paid in full, and provide the land registry office with all the documents it requires. |
| Your lender | Typically provides a confirmation that you paid the mortgage in full. Most lenders don’t send it unless you ask, so check whether yours has a formal process for the request. |
| The land registry office | Once it has the documents, removes the lender’s rights to your property and updates the title. |
In most cases you work with a lawyer, a notary or a commissioner of oaths. Some provinces and territories let you do the work yourself, though you may still need documents notarized by a professional such as a lawyer or notary.
Steps after the final payment
- Pay off any related product as well: if you have a home equity line of credit (HELOC) with the mortgage, it has to be paid off and closed before the mortgage can be discharged.
- Ask your lender for confirmation that the mortgage is paid in full, and ask about its discharge process and fee.
- Have the discharge documents registered at your province’s or territory’s land registry office (by you, if your province allows it, or by a lawyer or notary).
- Check that the lender’s charge has been removed from your title, and keep the documents with your property records.
When a discharge is needed
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| You’ve paid the mortgage off | You, your lawyer or your notary can discharge it once it’s paid off, and any related product, such as a HELOC, is closed. If you plan to use your home as security for a loan or line of credit with the same lender, you may not want to discharge it. |
| You’re changing lenders | The title has to be updated: the old mortgage is discharged and the new lender added to the title. Some lenders charge other fees, including assignment fees, when you switch; you can ask the new lender whether it will cover the cost of the discharge. |
| You’re selling | You must get a mortgage discharge when you sell, completing the steps in your province’s or territory’s land registry process. |
In Ontario, a borrower who is entitled to pay off the mortgage can require the lender to transfer the mortgage to a third person, such as a new lender, instead of discharging it: section 2 of the Mortgages Act lets the borrower require the lender “to assign the mortgage debt and convey the mortgaged property to any third person as the mortgagor directs”, on the same terms on which the lender would have to discharge it. This right doesn’t apply if the lender is or has been in possession of the property. If a proper discharge can’t be obtained, or can’t be obtained without undue delay, for example because the lender can’t be found or a sole lender has died and no one has yet been appointed to deal with the estate, section 12(3) lets the court accept payment of the amount due into court and order the mortgage discharged.
What a discharge can cost
From the FCAC’s mortgage discharge page:
| Cost | What the FCAC says |
|---|---|
| Lender’s discharge fee | Your lender may charge a fee when you request a discharge. Some provinces and territories regulate the maximum; where the fee isn’t regulated, the lender sets it, and it typically ranges from no charge up to $400. A federally regulated lender, such as a bank, must disclose the fee in your mortgage contract. |
| Professional fees | If a lawyer, notary or commissioner of oaths handles it, fees are typically between $400 and $2,500. |
| Prepayment penalty | Paying off the mortgage before the end of the term may cost a penalty; see how mortgage penalties are calculated. |
Standard charge vs collateral charge
The type of charge your lender registered decides which loans it secures:
| Standard charge | Collateral charge | |
|---|---|---|
| What it secures | Only the mortgage, not other loans with the lender such as a line of credit | Can secure several loans with the lender, such as a mortgage and a line of credit |
| Amount registered | The amount of your mortgage | May be higher than the mortgage amount |
| Borrowing more later | Not covered: the charge secures only the mortgage | You can borrow more on top of the original mortgage without paying to discharge the mortgage and register a new one |
If a HELOC is secured along with the mortgage, it has to be paid off and closed before the mortgage can be discharged. For borrowing against your home while the charge stays in place, see HELOC vs refinance.
Where to find your province’s process
For your province’s or territory’s discharge process, the FCAC suggests its land registry, land title or government website:
| Province or territory | Registry or government site |
|---|---|
| Alberta | alberta.ca: land titles |
| British Columbia | ltsa.ca |
| Manitoba | gov.mb.ca/registrar-general |
| New Brunswick | Service New Brunswick: land registration |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | gov.nl.ca: registry of deeds |
| Northwest Territories | justice.gov.nt.ca: land titles office |
| Nova Scotia | novascotia.ca: land |
| Nunavut | Nunavut legal registries: land titles office |
| Ontario | ontario.ca: land registry |
| Prince Edward Island | princeedwardisland.ca: registrar of deeds |
| Quebec | quebec.ca: land information |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Registry Services (operated by ISC) |
| Yukon | yukon.ca: land and property |
Ontario’s land registry services are only available online: authorized users register documents in the electronic land registration system.
Related resources
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on October 1, 2026. How we check facts.
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Discharging a mortgage
- Ontario e-Laws: Mortgages Act