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X12 transaction guide · Finance

EDI 197 Real Estate Title Evidence

The X12 document used to transfer the data in standard title reports, title commitments and title policy forms.

Sent by
Title insurance company or agent
Received by
Mortgage lender, closing agent or other party
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 197?

The EDI 197 Real Estate Title Evidence is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transfer the data contained in standard title reports, title commitments and title policy forms of the American Land Title Association, as well as the corresponding state forms.

Before a mortgage closes, the lender needs evidence that the borrower holds clear title to the property: the vesting, liens, easements and exceptions. Receiving title evidence as data lets lenders review it in their loan systems rather than reading paper commitments. The mortgage industry has since adopted MISMO XML standards widely, so the 197 is found mainly in older integrations.

How the EDI 197 worksDiagram of the EDI 197 Real Estate Title Evidence. Title insurance company or agent sends it to mortgage lender, closing agent or other party. It usually follows 265. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required PID loop with PID (Product/Item Description), REF (Reference Information) and the required FGS loop with FGS (Form Group). 5 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 197 worksReal Estate Title Evidence: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS265Real Estate TitleInsurance Services OrderEDI 197SENDERTitle insurancecompany or agentRECEIVERMortgage lender,closing agent or otherparty997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code TOGS … GETransaction set 197ST … SEHEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 5N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop PID · repeats many timesPIDProduct/Item DescriptionREFReference InformationRequired loop FGS · repeats up to 10FGSForm Group+ 5 optional loops, starting with:NM1NX1IN1LQLXBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 197. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 197 worksDiagram of the EDI 197 Real Estate Title Evidence. Title insurance company or agent sends it to mortgage lender, closing agent or other party. It usually follows 265. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required PID loop with PID (Product/Item Description), REF (Reference Information) and the required FGS loop with FGS (Form Group). 5 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 197 worksReal Estate Title Evidence: who sends it, whereit fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS265Real Estate Title Insurance ServicesOrderEDI 197SENDERTitle insurancecompany oragentRECEIVERMortgagelender, closingagent or otherparty997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code TO (GS … GE)Transaction set 197 (ST … SE)HEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop N1 · repeats up to 5N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop PID · repeatsmany timesPIDProduct/Item DescriptionREFReference InformationRequired loop FGS · repeatsup to 10FGSForm Group+ 5 optional loops, starting with:NM1NX1IN1LQLXBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 197. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 197, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 197 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Delivering title commitments to lenders
  • Delivering final title policies
  • Reporting liens and exceptions on a property

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 265 Real Estate Title Insurance Services Order
This document 197 Real Estate Title Evidence
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 197 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BGN
  • N1
  • PID
  • REF
  • NM1
  • EFI
  • NX1
  • FGS
  • IN1
  • LQ
  • LX
  • SE

Practical example

The 197 in practice

A lender orders title insurance for a refinance. The title company searches the records and sends the lender a 197 title commitment with the current owner, the existing mortgage to be paid off, an easement and the requirements to issue the policy. The lender's closing team clears the requirements before closing.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 197

  • Check whether partners use MISMO XML instead of X12.
  • Map exceptions and requirements to closing checklists.
  • Identify the property and transaction consistently with the order.
  • Track commitments through to the final policy.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 197 with ECOM

Industry

Financial Services

Secure file transfer and B2B integration for banks and financial institutions.

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

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