Lodgement

Lodgement is the act of delivering a document or item to a formal authority or repository so that it becomes part of an official record. In practice, a lodgement marks the point at which a submission is officially received and time-stamped, establishing rights, deadlines, or eligibility for further consideration. The corresponding verb is lodge (to lodge a document), and "lodgement" is the standard noun in many Commonwealth jurisdictions; the American English variant is "lodgment" (without the second e).

Common contexts include legal and court filings, such as applications, pleadings, notices, or evidence lodged with a court or tribunal; government and regulatory filings, including registrations, permits, tax forms, and corporate disclosures; and real property matters, where deeds, charges, or other instruments are lodged with land registries or mortgage authorities. Lodgement is also used in immigration and visa processes, where applications are lodged with the relevant authority.

Process and requirements vary by jurisdiction but generally involve completing the correct form, satisfying any form-of-application rules, and submitting by a specified deadline. Applicants receive a lodgement receipt or number as proof of submission and may track the status of the lodgement online. In electronic systems, lodgement is often acknowledged immediately, with amendments possible only under formal procedures.

Impact: successful lodgement may enable further steps (curial review, examination, registration) while failure to lodge on time can incur penalties or loss of rights. The term remains primarily used in legal, governmental, and administrative contexts; in everyday US usage, "filing" or "submission" is more common.