How to Register an LPA With the OPG
A step-by-step guide to submitting your Lasting Power of Attorney for registration and what to expect.
Written by Anthony Dalton · Reviewed by James Tyrrell · Last reviewed
A signed LPA sitting in a drawer is, legally, just a piece of paper. Until the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has registered it, no bank, no hospital and no care home will let your attorneys use it — and with the OPG’s published timeline currently sitting at 8 to 10 weeks, leaving registration until you actually need it can be a costly mistake. This guide walks you through the registration process from start to finish: what to send, what it costs, how long it takes and the small errors that send applications straight back. If you have not yet created your LPA, start with our guide on how to make an LPA in the UK.
At a glance
- Registration costs £92 per LPA (£184 for both types) and takes 8 to 10 weeks
- An unregistered LPA has no legal effect — banks, hospitals, and care homes will not accept it
- Register as soon as the LPA is signed; waiting until you need it risks months of delay
- Fee exemptions are available for those on means-tested benefits, and a 50% reduction if income is below £12,000
Why You Should Register Your LPA Straight Away
One of the most common mistakes we see is people signing their LPA carefully, witnessing it correctly, then tucking it in a drawer to register “when the time comes.” By the time the time comes, it is usually too late. Registration takes months, and if the donor has already lost mental capacity by the point the family realise they need to act, the entire family has to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship instead — a process that costs thousands and can drag on for the best part of a year.
There is no real downside to registering as soon as the document is signed. A registered Property & Financial Affairs LPA simply waits until you choose to let your attorneys use it — the donor stays fully in charge of their own finances in the meantime. A Health & Welfare LPA can only ever be used once the donor lacks capacity to make a particular decision, no matter when it was registered.
Key point: Register your LPA as soon as it has been signed and witnessed. Even with the OPG’s 8 to 10 week processing time, an unregistered LPA cannot help your family in an emergency — and a single mistake on the form means starting the queue over again.
The Registration Fee
The OPG charges £92 per LPA for registration. If you are registering both a Property & Financial Affairs LPA and a Health & Welfare LPA, the total cost is £184. Our guide on how much an LPA costs covers the full breakdown including service fees. The fee is payable by cheque (made out to "Office of the Public Guardian") or online if you created your LPA using the government's digital service.
Fee Exemptions and Remissions
You may be eligible for a reduced fee or full exemption depending on the donor's income:
50% Remission
If the donor earns less than £12,000 per year before tax, the fee is reduced by 50% to £46 per LPA.
Full Exemption
If the donor receives certain means-tested benefits (such as Universal Credit, Income Support, or Pension Credit), the fee is waived entirely.
To claim a remission or exemption, you will need to complete form LPA120 and provide evidence of the donor's income or benefits. This form should be submitted alongside the LPA registration application.
How to Submit Your LPA to the OPG
How you submit depends on how you created the document. The OPG accepts applications by post in every case, and will also accept some online registrations from people who used the government’s digital tool. Either way, the original signed paper LPA always has to reach the OPG by post — there is no fully digital option.
Online (Government Digital Service)
If you used the government's online tool to create your LPA, you can apply for registration online and pay the fee electronically. You will still need to print, sign, and post the LPA document itself.
By Post
Send the original signed LPA document, the registration fee (cheque or completed fee remission form), and any supporting documents to the OPG by post. Use recorded delivery to protect your documents.
Through a Professional Service
If you used a solicitor or professional LPA service (like UKLPA), they will typically handle the registration process on your behalf, ensuring everything is completed correctly.
What Happens After You Send Your LPA In
Once the OPG receives your application, it goes through four distinct stages. Knowing where you are in the process helps you plan around it — and gives you a clear point at which to chase the OPG if something has gone quiet.
Initial document check (week 1–2)
An OPG caseworker checks the LPA has been signed and witnessed in the right places, in the right order, by the right people. If anything is missing or wrong, you get a letter back — and the clock starts again once you resubmit.
Notification period (3 weeks, by law)
The OPG writes to anyone the donor named as a “person to notify.” Those people have a statutory three weeks to raise an objection. This window is fixed by the LPA Regulations 2007 and cannot be shortened, even if everyone signs to say they have no objection.
Final registration (week 5–9)
If no objection is raised, the application moves into the OPG’s registration queue for final processing. How long this stage takes is driven by OPG workload rather than anything specific to your application.
Stamping and return (week 9–10)
Each page of the LPA is stamped with the OPG’s official seal and the registration date. The stamped document is posted back to whoever submitted the application. Once this lands on your doormat, your attorneys can finally start using it.
Key point: The OPG’s current published processing time is 8 to 10 weeks from receiving a correctly completed application. Anything with a mistake goes back to the start of the queue once you resubmit, easily doubling the wait. Our guide on how long it takes to register an LPA has the latest published OPG figures.
Common Reasons the OPG Rejects an LPA
The OPG rejects thousands of LPA applications every year, almost always for paperwork errors rather than anything to do with the donor or attorneys themselves. The frustrating part is that most rejections come from a handful of small, avoidable mistakes — and because the £92 fee is not refunded, every rejection means paying for the same registration twice. These are the ones that catch people out most often:
- Missing signatures: Every person named in the LPA must sign in the correct section. A single missing signature will cause the entire application to be rejected
- Incorrect witness details: Witnesses must be over 18, and an attorney's witness cannot be the donor (or vice versa)
- Certificate provider errors: The certificate provider must sign to confirm the donor understands the LPA and is not being pressured. They must meet certain eligibility criteria
- Signing in the wrong order: The LPA must be signed in a specific order: donor first, then certificate provider, then attorneys, then replacement attorneys
- Using correction fluid: Any corrections must be initialled by the donor and all attorneys, not covered with correction fluid or tape
- Outdated forms: Using an old version of the LPA form will result in automatic rejection
Important: If your LPA is rejected, the registration fee is not refunded. You will need to complete a new LPA document and pay the £92 fee again. This is one of the strongest reasons to use a professional service that checks your document before submission.
Notifying People to Be Told About the Registration
When creating an LPA, the donor can choose to name up to five people to be told when the LPA is registered (the OPG calls them “people to notify” or “people to be told”). This is an important safeguard. Each named person will receive a letter from the OPG informing them of the registration, and from the date that letter is sent they have three weeks to raise concerns — the statutory window set by the LPA Regulations 2007.
Named persons can object to the registration on specific grounds, such as:
- The donor was under undue pressure when they signed the LPA
- The donor did not have mental capacity when the LPA was created
- Fraud or forgery is suspected
- The attorney is unsuitable (for example, due to bankruptcy in the case of a financial LPA)
While naming people to notify is optional, it is strongly recommended as an additional layer of protection against potential misuse.
How to Track Your LPA Registration Progress
If you submitted your LPA online, you can track the progress of your registration through the government's "Use a lasting power of attorney" service. For postal submissions, you can contact the OPG directly by telephone to enquire about the status of your application.
The OPG's contact number is 0300 456 0300, and their phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You will need the donor's name and date of birth to make an enquiry.
More Guides About LPA Registration
The correct OPG postal address and how to package your documents safely How Long Does It Take to Register an LPA?
Current processing times and what affects how quickly your LPA is returned How to Track Your LPA Registration
Check the status of your application online or by phone Can an LPA Be Used Immediately?
When a registered LPA takes effect and the rules for each type Can an LPA Be Rejected by the OPG?
Why the OPG may refuse to register your LPA and what you can do about it Common Reasons an LPA Is Rejected
The most frequent mistakes that cause the OPG to send your LPA back What Happens After an LPA Is Registered?
Next steps once the OPG returns your stamped LPA document How Long Does an LPA Last?
Whether your LPA expires and when you might need to create a new one What Is the Office of the Public Guardian?
The role of the OPG and how it oversees LPA registration and attorneys How to Store Your LPA Safely
Best practices for keeping your registered LPA secure and accessible What If You Lose Your LPA Documents?
How to get a replacement if your original LPA is lost or damaged Can You Replace a Lost or Damaged LPA?
Options for obtaining a new certified copy from the OPG
Need to create your LPA before registering it? Our guided service helps you get everything right first time. See pricing.
Key Takeaways
- Register immediately — there is no downside to registering as soon as the LPA is signed, and delaying risks your family being unable to act in an emergency
- Mistakes reset the clock — a rejected LPA goes back to the start of the queue and the £92 fee is not refunded, so check everything before posting
- The 3-week notification period is fixed by law — this statutory window (LPA Regulations 2007) cannot be shortened even if nobody intends to object
- Either the donor or the attorneys can apply — in practice the donor usually registers shortly after signing while they still have mental capacity
- Use recorded delivery — the original signed LPA must be posted to the OPG, and losing it in transit means starting the entire process again
LPA Registration: Common Questions
How long does it take to register an LPA with the OPG?
The OPG’s current published processing time is 8 to 10 weeks from the date they receive a correctly completed application, provided there are no mistakes in the paperwork. That includes the statutory 3-week period during which named persons can raise objections. Mistakes or objections can extend the timeline significantly.
Who can apply to register an LPA?
Either the donor or the attorney(s) named in the LPA can apply to register it with the Office of the Public Guardian. In practice it is most common for the donor to apply shortly after the LPA has been signed, since the donor must still have mental capacity at the point of registration if they are the applicant.
Can I register my LPA online?
If you created your LPA using the government’s online digital service you can apply for registration and pay the fee online. The signed paper LPA document itself must still be printed, signed, witnessed and then posted to the OPG for checking and stamping — there is currently no fully digital LPA process in England and Wales.
What happens if someone objects to my LPA registration?
People named in the LPA as “people to notify” have three weeks from receiving the OPG’s letter to raise objections on specific grounds, such as fraud, undue pressure, or the donor lacking capacity. This is the statutory window set by the LPA Regulations 2007. If a valid objection is raised, the OPG must investigate before proceeding, which can significantly delay registration.
Can I use my LPA before it has been registered?
No. An unregistered LPA has no legal effect. Banks, hospitals, care homes and the Land Registry will all refuse to act on it. The donor must wait until the OPG has stamped and returned the document before any attorney can use it on their behalf.
This guide was last reviewed and updated on . Information is based on current legislation and OPG guidance for England and Wales.
Official Guidance
Relevant government resources
Ready to Create Your LPA?
Our guided process makes it simple. No legal jargon, no hidden fees.
