About ALTA Membership

Welcome! We are glad that you'd like to join ALTA®, the title industry's premier resource for advocacy, education, information and networking. If you're ready to join now, you can Apply for Membership online or contact the ALTA Membership Department at 800-787-2582 x231 or membership@alta.org with questions.

Membership Benefits and Services

Quick Links

Advocacy Representation

Communications and Publications

Education and Training Programs

Meetings and Conferences

Professional Resources

Relationships and Networking

Small Business Programs and Services

Media Outreach Tools

Advocacy Representation

ALTA® is the only trade association serving as the national voice for the interests of the land title industry. ALTA is in constant touch with Congress on legislative issues, and may join with one or more affiliated state title associations in a position on state legislation. ALTA also has frequent contact with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and works with its state title affiliates on regulatory matters as appropriate. From time to time, ALTA files amicus curiae briefs with the United States Supreme Court in cases of major importance to the land title industry.

The Title Industry Political Action Committee (TIPAC) is the collective voice of the title insurance industry and the official PAC of the American Land Title Association®. TIPAC enables us to build and develop relationships with Members of Congress, while educating and advocating on behalf of our industry. ALTA® members who participate in TIPAC are very influential in the nation’s political process. TIPAC pools your contribution with contributions from other title professionals. TIPAC is the most effective tool we have to make sure our concerns are heard and our interests are protected in Washington, D.C.

ALTA®'s Grassroots Network works directly with the Government Affairs Department to ensure that ALTA®'s positions are heard by Congress and government agencies before they enact legislation and regulations. ALTA® members visit their Congressional representatives each year during ALTA®’s Federal Conference in Washington and invite Members of Congress to participate in special events during the conference. Throughout the year, ALTA members invite Members of Congress to visit their offices and utilize letter campaigns to inform Congress on important ALTA issues affecting our industry.

Communications and Publications

Through various media including Title News, News You Can Use, special action e-alerts, and the Web site, ALTA keeps members informed about changes in the industry, legislative and regulatory issues, and other factors that can potentially affect your business.

Title News -- ALTA®’s monthly's magazine
Title News contains information and articles geared specifically for the land title industry as well as general business articles on subjects that affect everyone in the real estate industry. This premier magazine keeps you up-to-date on land title issues as well as general business articles on subjects that affect everyone in real estate.

Title News Online
Twice a week the top stories impacting the title industry are brought to you by email. This news vehicle provides business strategies, sales and marketing tips, industry trends, professional profiles, shows how ALTA initiatives help promote the title insurance industry, gives updates on grassroots efforts, and much more. Much like the printed version of Title News, Title News Online strives to provide timely industry updates that you need to maintain a competitive edge over your competition.

ALTA® Industry & Information E-Newsletter
A timely, electronic newsletter, ALTA®’s E-news is an exclusive, member benefit. When industry or regulatory news breaks, ALTA brings it right to your e-mail, making you one of the first to know and giving you a competitive edge.

Home Closing101.org is a free link for ALTA members to use as a resource to generate new business and to educate homebuyers. It is designed to provide the essential information that explains title insurance to consumers in preparation for closing day.

ALTA Office Security and Privacy Guidelines Booklet
ALTA has developed this document to provide guidance on how to protect sensitive customer and company information and should be considered as your company develops office security and privacy policies.

Standard Procedures and Controls for the Title Industry
ALTA has created this guide to act as minimum internal control procedures that should be implemented within each title company to insure the acquisition or transfer of property is handled with a maximum degree of efficiency, security, and safety. These guidelines will help improve the title industry by imposing consistent and fair standards against which every company is measured.

Education and Training Programs

Continuing education is important to any profession. ALTA®’s Land Title Institute is educational arm that provides telephone and regional seminars, correspondence courses, CD-ROMs and videotapes to keep you and your employees up-to-date and to help your company attain a new level of personnel excellence. In addition, continuing education and continuing legal education credits are offered as a service to participants at many ALTA events.

Meetings and Conferences

ALTA® offers several major meetings throughout the year using a diverse array of professional development programming formats including:

Federal Conference
ALTA®'s Federal Conference is undoubtedly the most time-sensitive title industry event of the year. If it is a legislative, regulatory, or political issue affecting the title industry

Business Strategies Conference
For more than a decade, this meeting has offered attendees the opportunity to hear from the industry’s best experts covering topics on leadership, management, sales and marketing as well as industry technology.

Annual Convention,
ALTA®’s Annual Convention is the premier source for professional development education and a chance to be updated on the upcoming economic and regulatory trends affecting the market.

Small Agents and Abstracters Meeting – This meeting is attended by small to medium-sized agents and abstracters from across the nation. Participants meet one or two times per year to discuss important issues relevant to their operations and business management strategies. Engaging roundtable discussions provide an atmosphere of learning and sharing during this 1½ day educational event.

Large Agents and Abstracters Meeting– Geared toward the largest agencies in the industry, this meeting is a chance for some of the most successful title company owners and employees to share insight on best practices and address some of the pressing issues related

Professional Resources

Errors and Omissions Insurance (exclusive for members only)
ALTA® also offers many discounted member benefit programs including a members-only errors and omissions insurance program offered by the Title Industry Assurance Company. The Title Industry Assurance Company (TIAC) offers E&O insurance exclusively to ALTA members. An independent risk retention group, TIAC has been issuing policies since 1988 and continues to insure more and more title professionals, all of whom are ALTA members.

ALTA® Membership Directory
This number one resource of title industry professionals is available in both print and online versions. The Directory is a valuable resource for both member referrals and consumer business.

MERS® Online Subscription (an exclusive member benefit)
The Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) was created by the real estate finance industry to eliminate the need to prepare and record assignments when trading mortgage loans. ALTA members are able access this service at a significant discount of just $75.00 per year.

Online ALTA Policies & Endorsements
The American Land Title Association® is responsible for the forms upon which nearly all title insurance is written in the United States. By having a standard form for each transaction necessary to a title insurance policy, the system of land exchange remains remarkably smooth throughout the country. Several forms are available at no charge and all forms are available via subscription to ALTA® Policy Forms Online.

Relationships and Networking

The key to any association is the people who comprise it. ALTA members develop lasting friendships and business relationships via committee service, receptions at ALTA events, meetings and conventions. ALTA offers you the opportunity to build successful business and personal relationships with peers through the exchange of ideas and solutions at any one of the educational meetings offered by the association.

You can also enhance your career by serving on one of ALTA®’s Volunteer Leadership Committees. Volunteer leadership opportunities are extensive if you want to serve on an ALTA committee. By serving on a committee, you are able to take gain even more benefit from your ALTA membership by contributing your talents and expertise to the industry. For more information on how to serve on a committee, visit the ALTA® Leadership Committee Service pages.

Media Outreach Tools

ALTA has created and provided material exclusively for members to explain the important role the industry plays in the safe and efficient transfer of real estate.

Educational Article on Title Insurance to Submit to the Media
ALTA has developed an article titled “Title Insurance Vital to Protecting Homebuyers” that members can submit to newspapers to help combat misconceptions in the marketplace about the value of title insurance.

Responding to Negative Defalcation Media Reports
ALTA has created a model letter to the editor to help members respond quickly to negative media coverage regarding defalcations.

Types of Membership

Active Membership
Active membership is restricted to business entities that primarily engage and are legally qualified to engage in the business of land title evidencing as an abstracter, title insurance agent or title insurance underwriter. Active members may vote in Association elections and hold committee and elected positions.

Associate Membership
This membership is reserved for those people or firms engaged in providing services to the land title industry. Examples of such persons or firms are attorneys, surveyors, automation vendors, counsels to lenders or life insurance companies and governmental agencies.

Emeritus Membership
This class of membership is open to retired members of the title industry, provided that they are not eligible for any other type of membership.

Apply for Membership

Questions? Contact Us!

We'd love to hear from you! Please address any questions regarding ALTA membership to the Membership Department at membership@alta.org. You may want to check out our Frequently Asked Questions page, too.