Here is some genuinely good news: Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax. When you buy a home there, the province does not charge you a percentage of the purchase price just for transferring ownership — a fee that costs buyers in Ontario and British Columbia thousands of dollars. That money stays in your pocket.
You still pay a small fee to officially record your name as the new owner in the provincial land registry. But there is a meaningful difference between a small administrative registration fee and a full percentage-based tax. Let’s walk through exactly what that means for you.
Fees as of June 2026 — confirm the current amounts with your real estate lawyer or notary before closing. The figures below reflect the fee schedule effective October 20, 2024. Always verify with your lawyer, as schedules can change.
What you pay instead: land title registration fees
When property changes hands in Alberta, two documents get registered at the Alberta Land Titles Office: the transfer of land (which records you as the new owner) and the mortgage (if you’re financing the purchase). Each registration carries a small fee.
According to the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Land Titles Office, the formula that has been in effect since October 20, 2024 is:
$50 base fee + $5 for every $5,000 of value (or part thereof)
This applies to both the title transfer and the mortgage registration separately. So on a $500,000 home with a $400,000 mortgage, you’d pay:
- Title transfer fee: $50 + ($5 × 100) = $550
- Mortgage registration fee: $50 + ($5 × 80) = $450
- Total registration fees: approximately $1,000
Compare that to the thousands a land transfer tax would cost at the same price. The registration fees are a fraction — a few hundred to roughly a thousand dollars on a typical home, depending on price and mortgage size.
Your real estate lawyer handles these payments on closing day and will include the exact amounts in your closing cost statement. There are no surprises if you plan for them early.
How this compares to other provinces
This is where Alberta stands out. In Ontario, a buyer pays a provincial land transfer tax starting at 0.5% and rising to 2.5% on higher values — and Toronto residents pay a second, identical municipal tax on top of that. On a $600,000 home in Toronto, the combined tax bill runs to roughly $19,000. First-time buyers get a partial rebate, but the baseline cost is substantial.
In British Columbia, the property transfer tax starts at 1% on the first $200,000 and steps up to 2% on most of the purchase price. On an $800,000 home without a first-time buyer exemption, that’s $14,000.
Quebec has the taxe de bienvenue, also known as the welcome tax or droits de mutation, levied by municipalities at rates that generally reach 1.5% or more on most of the purchase price.
Alberta buyers pay a few hundred to roughly a thousand dollars in registration fees. The difference is real, and it is one of the reasons Alberta’s housing market attracts buyers who are moving from higher-cost provinces.
A note on what your lawyer handles
In Alberta, real estate closings are handled by a lawyer (not a notary, as in some other provinces). Your lawyer registers the title transfer and mortgage documents on your behalf, pays the registration fees out of the funds you provide at closing, and confirms everything is in order with the Land Titles Office. This is part of their standard conveyancing service — you pay one legal fee and they take care of the filings.
Ask your lawyer for a closing cost estimate early in the process. Along with the registration fees, you’ll also budget for their legal fee, title insurance (recommended and often required by lenders), property tax adjustments, and any other items specific to your transaction.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alberta charge any form of land transfer tax?
No. Alberta has no provincial land transfer tax and no municipal land transfer tax. You pay only the modest land title registration fees described above.
Is there a first-time buyer exemption on the registration fees?
No exemption applies to the registration fees in Alberta — but since there’s no land transfer tax in the first place, there’s no large tax bill to exempt you from. The fees are small by design.
Do I pay the registration fee on the full home price or just the mortgage?
You pay two separate fees: one based on the purchase price of the property (the title transfer) and one based on the mortgage amount (the mortgage registration). They use the same formula but are calculated on different amounts.
What if I’m paying cash and have no mortgage?
Then you only pay the title transfer registration fee — there’s no mortgage to register. Your total land registry cost is just the one fee based on your purchase price.
Is Alberta unique in not having a land transfer tax?
No — Alberta is one of several Canadian provinces with no land transfer tax. Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia (in most cases), and Prince Edward Island (for certain buyers) also avoid a percentage-based provincial tax. But Alberta and Saskatchewan stand out because they have significant real estate markets and still skip the tax entirely.
Where can I find the official fee schedule?
The Alberta Land Titles and Surveys Common Documents Fee Schedule is published at alberta.ca. Your lawyer will also confirm the exact amounts for your specific transaction.
Sources
- Government of Alberta — Register a land title document or plan — official page describing when the levy applies and the formula effective October 20, 2024.
- Alberta Land Titles Office — Tariff of Fees Regulation — the legislative source for registration fee amounts.
- Alberta Land Titles and Surveys Common Documents Fee Schedule — published fee table for common document types.
This page is for general information only, not legal or financial advice. Fees shown reflect the schedule effective October 20, 2024, and are subject to change. Always confirm the current fees and your closing costs with your real estate lawyer before you commit.