This section covers requesting extracts and plain copies of entries or documents from the Registers of Assignations (RoA) and Registers of Statutory Pledges (RSP) along with evidential status and authentication.
References in this section to the “2023 Act” refer to the Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023.
Anyone can request extracts or copies of entries or documents from RoA and RSP.
You can apply for an extract of:
- an entry, or part or an entry, in the Assignations Record or Statutory Pledges Record
- an entry, or part of an entry in the RoA archive or RSP archive
- a document, or part of a document, in the RoA archive or RSP archive.
Extracts carry the evidential status necessary for court purposes.
You can also apply for a plain copy of:
- an entry, or part or an entry, in the Assignations Record or Statutory Pledges Record
- an entry, or part of an entry in the RoA archive or RSP archive
- a document, or part of a document, in the RoA archive or RSP archive.
Plain copies contain the same information as extracts but they do not carry the same evidential status.
Introduction
Under section 35(1) and 106(1), of the 2023 Act, a person can request, respectively, an extract of an entry in the RoA or RSP, including documents in the Assignations Record, Statutory Pledges Record and respective archives.
The RoA archive and the RSP archive are a statutory part of the RoA and RSP, under sections 20(b) and 82(b), respectively, of the 2023 Act. As a result, it is possible to obtain an extract that is acceptable for court purposes of either a record entry or a document in the statutory archive record.
It is possible to request a “point in time” extract i.e. an extract of the contents of an entry in the RoA or RSP as at a specific date and time. This may be useful where, for instance, a live record entry has been corrected and someone wants to know how the record entry looked pre-correction.
The Keeper need only comply with such a request, however, it is reasonably practicable to do so.
The Registers of Scotland (Information and Access) Order 2014 (as amended by The Registers of Scotland (Fees and Plain Copies) Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2025)also provides that a person may request a “plain copy” of certain entries and documents, including those listed above.
A plain copy is essentially a copy of the same information available as an extract but without evidential status.
It follows that, provided applicants are careful not to provide personal information in documents submitted for registration in the RoA or RSP, then it will not be unnecessarily disclosed by the Keeper.
For clarification, if such personal information is not redacted prior to submission then the full un-redacted document would be available to someone searching either register or requesting a plain copy/extract of a record entry from either register.
Evidential status
An extract issued under either section 35(1) or 106(1) of the 2023 Act, is to be accepted for all purposes as sufficient evidence of the contents of the record entry, archive entry or document to which the extract relates as at the date on which it was issued or, if a point-in-time extract was requested, the time to which the extract relates.
This means that any RoA or RSP issued by the Keeper will carry the evidential status required for court purposes.
Plain copies are available to offer customers a quicker and cheaper alternative to extracts where copies with evidential status are not required.
Requesting an extract or plain copy
An extract can be requested through the Keeper's online RoA or RSP system.
You can order a plain copy by:
- downloading a copy of the report after searching the relevant register
- contacting Customer Services.
The Registers of Scotland (Fees) Order 2014 (as amended by The Registers of Scotland (Voluntary Registration, Amendment of Fees etc.) Order 2015, The Registers of Scotland (Fees) Amendment Order 2021, and The Registers of Scotland (Fees and Plain Copies) Miscellaneous Amendments Order 2024 sets the fee for an extract at £35 plus VAT and the fee for a plain copy at £25 plus VAT.
Where the requester is a non-RoS account holder, the requester must have a valid credit/debit card in order to make payment.
RoA and RSP Extracts will be issued in default electronic form and issued by email.
Digital extracts send by email will be available for download for a 30-day period.
Validation
The Keeper can validate an extract as she considers appropriate in terms of section 35(4) and 106(4) of the 2023 Act. The Keeper will validate electronic RoA or RSP extracts by applying a digital seal and digital certificate to the document. A digital certificate verifies the identity of the organisation (in this case Registers of Scotland) responsible for the preparation of the file.
Paper extracts will be issued on watermarked paper and will be physically signed.
Extracts from the live register will also contain the following statement:
"This extract has been issued in terms of either section 35(1) or 106(1) of the Moveable Transactions (Scotland) Act 2023 and shall be accepted for all purposes as sufficient evidence of the contents of the original."