Document
Officially certified copy of the registered title plan
Order a Certified Map for a Dublin Property
Quick Answer
For a Dublin property, a Certified Map is the sealed copy of the registered title plan - the parcel outlined, identified by its plan reference and certified as a true copy, supplied with the Certified Folio as one order. Planning applications, transfers of part and court matters routinely require certified mapping, and a printed copy will not do.
There is a difference between seeing the registered extent of a Dublin property and proving it. An ordinary map answers the first. The Certified Map answers the second, because the seal permits reliance by a reader who cannot verify the copy themselves.
Supply the Dublin address or folio number. The certified title plan and the Certified Folio are issued together under seal and posted to you within 15 working days.
Buy Certified MapKey Facts
Supplied with
The Certified Folio - certified register entry included in the same order
Shows
The registered extent of the property, identified by plan reference
Delivery
By post within 15 working days
Format
Sealed physical document - no electronic version
Needed for
Planning applications, transfers of part, lending and court use
Boundaries
General boundaries - approximate, not conclusive
County register
County Dublin
Faster option
Folio Search delivered electronically within 24 hours
What Is This Document
A Certified Map is an officially certified copy of the registered title plan for a property, issued under seal. Every folio carries a plan reference, and the parcel identified by that reference is the ground the folio describes in words. The certified version of that plan is what carries evidential weight where an ordinary copy will not be accepted.
The certificate speaks to one thing, and it is worth being precise about what. It states that this is a true copy of the registered map as at the date of issue – nothing more and nothing less. That is what allows a reader who did not obtain the document to act on it.
On Dublin property the practical question is usually what the plan covers rather than where exactly the line falls. Dublin holds the largest remaining share of unregistered stock, concentrated in the older city core, so establishing which registered parcel a plan relates to – and whether the holding runs to more than one – is frequently the substantive part of the work.
A Certified Map is the document a planning authority, a solicitor, a lender or a court office will expect when a registered extent has to be proved, and for that purpose it does the job completely. What it does not do is settle an argument about precisely where a boundary lies, which is resolved through the registered instruments, the physical evidence and, where it comes to it, the courts.
One caution matters more than every other point on this page. It does not make the mapped line conclusive. Registration in Ireland operates on general boundaries: the line shows approximately where the division between two properties runs, and certifying the copy does not change that.
So a certified plan proves what the register maps, and stops there. It does not prove where a Dublin boundary legally falls. If your question is whether the wall is yours, whether the fence line moved, or how wide a right of access actually is, the plan will not answer it – and a certified plan will not answer it any better than an ordinary one, because certification speaks to the copy rather than the content.
Those questions run on the registered instruments, physical evidence, and where necessary agreement or a court. Conclusive boundary fixing exists as a separate process, but it demands precise mapping and the participation of the parties affected, and it is uncommon. In practice, general boundaries is the rule you are working under.
Which Document Do I Need
Start with what has been asked of you, because the wording usually gives it away. “Certified copy of the map”, “certified site extent” and “certified copy of the folio” all point to this order – the certified plan and the certified register entry are supplied together, so a request for either is covered. “Who owns it” and “what is registered against it” are folio search questions, answered electronically within 24 hours and at a fraction of the wait. Where nothing formal is being submitted and you simply want to see the shape of the Dublin parcel, the ordinary title map is enough.
| Need | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| You need certified evidence of the extent for a planning or formal application | Certified Map | €149.99 |
| You want to know who owns it and what burdens are registered | Folio Search, within 24 hours | €32.99 |
| You need the register entry itself in certified form | Included - the Certified Folio comes with this order | €149.99 |
| You need the wording of a burden or a past transfer | Instrument Copy | €349.99 |
| You just want to see the extent for your own information | Ordinary title map | — |
| No folio exists for the Dublin address | The title is unregistered - start with a folio search | €32.99 |
What Information Is Included
- The plan reference: the identifier tying this drawing to the folio it belongs to
- The parcel outline: the registered extent of the Dublin property as the register maps it
- The certificate: the official confirmation that this is a true copy, applied under seal
- The issue date: what the copy speaks to, since dealings after it are not reflected
- Surrounding registered land: adjoining parcels shown for context and orientation
- Graphically mapped entries: rights of way and similar burdens where a route is defined
- County identification: confirmation that the folio sits in the County Dublin register
- The Certified Folio alongside it: the certified register entry is supplied with the plan as a single order, so ownership, class of title and burdens come certified too
What Is Not Included
Know what the certified plan cannot do before you rely on it.
The plan itself does not tell you who owns the property or what charges are registered – that is the certified folio supplied with it. And neither document sets out what a burden actually permits: for the wording you need the registered instrument, ordered separately.
It will not settle a boundary. This is worth repeating because it is where most disappointment comes from: general boundaries means the registered line is approximate by design, so a certified plan establishes what is mapped rather than where the boundary legally sits.
And it does not exist for unregistered Dublin property. No folio means no plan. Where you are unsure, a folio search against the address settles the question within 24 hours and costs a fraction of the time.
Why People Order
Certified plans for Dublin property are ordered in a fairly narrow set of situations, and it is worth knowing which one you are in before ordering.
Urban parcels are tight, and small differences matter. Where a plot adjoins a lane, a shared entry or a party structure, the certified plan is the document a solicitor or planner will require.
Apartment titles map the block rather than the unit interior. The certified plan is ordered to establish the registered extent of the scheme and any mapped areas that go with the unit, such as a designated space.
Where a title is still unregistered there is no folio and no title plan to certify. The certified plan applies only once registration has taken place, which is why the folio search is the sensible first step.
- A planning application where certified evidence of the site extent is required at validation.
- A transfer of part, where the ground being sold has to be defined against the existing registered parcel.
- A sale where the purchaser’s solicitor raises a query about the extent shown on the plan.
Not sure which was asked for? The certified plan and the certified folio come together, so both are covered.
Order Certified MapReal World Use Cases
These are the parties who most often need the certified plan for a Dublin property:
Homeowners: Extension and alteration applications, boundary queries with a neighbour, or selling part of a garden.
Solicitors and conveyancers: Transfers of part, replies to requisitions on extent, and applications requiring certified mapping.
Architects and planning consultants: Site extent evidence for planning applications, and establishing what is registered before design work.
Farmers and landowners: Multi-parcel holdings, site transfers to family, sales of individual fields and lease arrangements.
Executors and personal representatives: Establishing and proving the extent of a deceased person’s registered holding.
Developers and site assemblers: Confirming the registered extent of an acquisition target before committing to it.
Land Registry Context
Dublin is the capital and its suburbs, from Georgian streets to coastal villages and modern development land. Demand here rests on the country’s busiest property market, with continuous transaction volume across every property type, which is what generates the mapping questions.
Locally, two issues recur: leasehold folios for apartments, sitting within development structures with management arrangements alongside; and first registrations moving long-held city terraces onto folios each time they change hands. Both are worth knowing before you read a plan.
The practical consequence for mapping is that a Dublin plan often needs reading rather than glancing at. Dublin holds the largest remaining share of unregistered stock, concentrated in the older city core, so the first question is usually which registered parcel the plan relates to and whether the holding runs to more than one.
Common Mistakes
Treating the mapped line as the legal boundary – the most frequent error, and the reason many Dublin boundary discussions start from the wrong premise
Assuming a printed screenshot will be accepted – planning authorities and court offices ask for the certified version specifically
Ordering the plan when the question is ownership – that is the folio, not the map
Overlooking that a holding runs to several parcels – common on rural and multi-parcel titles
Measuring off the plan – it is not drawn to be scaled for legal purposes
Expecting to see the wording of a right of way – the plan shows where it runs, the instrument says what it permits
Relying on a plan issued years earlier – the certificate speaks to its date of issue
Need the wording of a burden shown on the plan? That comes from the Instrument Copy, ordered separately.
Order Certified MapHow To Order
- Tell us what you have – an address or Eircode is enough, and a folio number is faster
- We confirm the registered title and check whether the holding runs to more than one parcel
- The plan is obtained in certified form, under seal and dated
- You supply a postal address, since there is no electronic version of a sealed document
- The certified plan and the certified folio are issued together as a single order
- Posted within 15 working days, with fast track available where the timeline is tight
- Where no Dublin folio is found, we come back to you rather than proceeding
Turnaround & Delivery
Certified Map: delivered by post within 15 working days, together with the Certified Folio, which is supplied as part of the same order. Both are sealed physical documents, so there is no electronic equivalent – the certification is what gives them standing and that has to travel on paper.
Where you need the information before the certified pack arrives, order a Folio Search alongside it. That comes back electronically within 24 hours and answers the ownership and burdens questions while the certified documents are still in the post.
Fast track delivery is available at an additional charge where the timeline is tight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certified Map for a Dublin property?
It is an officially certified copy of the registered title plan, issued under seal, showing the extent of the registered land. Certification means a planning authority, lender or court can rely on it as a true copy of the register as at its date of issue.
Does the Certified Map prove where my boundary is?
No, and this is the most important thing to understand about it. Ireland registers general boundaries, so the mapped line shows approximately where the division runs rather than fixing its exact legal position. The certified plan proves what the register maps - not where the boundary legally falls.
How long does a Certified Map for Dublin take?
Delivered by post within 15 working days. It is a sealed physical document, so there is no electronic version. Fast track delivery is available at an additional charge if the timeline is tight.
Can I get the Certified Map by email?
No. The certification and seal are what give the document its standing, and they only exist on the physical copy. If you need information quickly, order a Folio Search alongside it - that arrives electronically within 24 hours and covers ownership and burdens.
Do I need the folio number to order?
No. The Dublin property address is normally enough for us to identify the registered title. If you already have the folio number for the County Dublin register, supplying it will save a step.
Does the map show my apartment?
It shows the block and the registered extent of the scheme, not the interior of the unit. Any mapped area going with the unit, such as a designated space, may be shown, but the internal layout is not a register matter.
What is the difference between the Certified Map and the Certified Folio?
The folio is the register entry in words - registered owner, class of title and burdens. The map is the plan showing the extent of the ground. They answer different questions, and both are supplied together on this order, so you do not have to work out in advance which one the request was aimed at.
Do I get the folio as well as the map?
Yes. The Certified Folio is supplied with the Certified Map as a single order, so you receive the certified register entry for the Dublin property alongside the certified plan. Both arrive under seal, by post, within 15 working days.
What if the property has never been registered?
Then there is no folio and no title plan to certify. Title is evidenced through the Registry of Deeds, and the sensible first step is a folio search against the address to establish which system applies.
Request the Certified Map for Dublin
The certified title plan for a Dublin property, supplied with the Certified Folio as one order and posted within 15 working days. Fast track delivery available.
Order Certified MapProperty Records Team
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