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LTSA Front Counters open by appointment only

LTSA’s Land Title Office front counters in Victoria, New Westminster and Kamloops are open by appointment only. Customers can contact the Customer Service Centre at 1-877-577-LTSA (5872) to book an in-person visit.

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LTSAProfessionalsSurveyor GeneralDirections to Land SurveyorsDirection No. 20 – Requesting Survey Instructions for Mineral Title and Coal Title Surveys

Direction No. 20 – Requesting Survey Instructions for Mineral Title and Coal Title Surveys

Direction to Land Surveyors No. 20 (September 14, 2026)

Requesting Survey Instructions for Mineral Title and Coal Title Surveys

This Direction provides information on applying for survey instructions for mineral and coal title surveys and plans prepared pursuant to the Mineral Tenure Act and Coal Act.

Under the Mineral Tenure Act and Coal Act, British Columbia Land Surveyors are responsible for conducting surveys of mineral and coal titles. The resulting survey plans are submitted to the Surveyor General for approval and filed in the Crown Land Registry. Circular Letter 440A discusses certain types of mineral title surveys and provides information on the fees associated with the resulting survey plans.

Historically, land surveyors have submitted their completed survey plan, along with all required supporting information, to the Surveyor General for review after the survey had been completed. There are many instances where a review of the supporting information by the Surveyor General prior to the start of the survey can be advantageous to the surveyor, their client, and the Province. For example, it allows for the Surveyor General to:

  • Consider cancelling Crown titles and surveys to simplify the cadastral fabric;
  • Seek guidance or direction from Mineral Titles Branch staff with respect to any tenure boundary questions; or
  • Confirm whether parks, watercourses or other features have any impact on the extent of a mineral or coal title.

For the above reasons, land surveyors must now submit a request for survey instructions to the Surveyor General before commencing a survey of a mineral or coal title.

The initial workflow between a land surveyor, their client, and Mineral Titles Branch staff, to develop a survey strategy in accordance with Mineral Titles’ Information Update No.31 will remain unchanged. Once the survey strategy has been confirmed, the land surveyor must submit their application to the Surveyor General to obtain survey instructions. The supporting information outlined in the Mineral and Coal Title Survey Instructions Checklist is to be submitted along with the application.

An application for survey instructions is made by completing the Web Filing form, setting the Application or Plan Type dropdown list to “Parcel Designation / Survey Instructions” and uploading supporting information to Surveyor General Operations through EFS. The Web Filing checklist for the Parcel Designation / Survey Instructions application type now includes specific reference to mineral and coal title surveys.

Once your survey is completed, the resultant plan image must be affixed to the  Survey Plan Submission to Surveyor General (CLRS) form and electronically signed. Both the completed plan and CLRS form are prepared in SurveyHub and can then be submitted to the Surveyor General through EFS. Supporting information is no longer required to accompany the plan submission, as this information is now provided as part of the application for survey instructions.

Once the plan is confirmed by the Surveyor General, it will be filed in the Crown Land Registry and the applicant will be notified of the plan approval by email.

Dave Swaile, BCLS, CLS

Senior Deputy Surveyor General