Original or certified copies of Belize land documents registered with the Lands Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources are proof of ownership. Any land transaction in Belize will require proof of ownership. Oftentimes, these documents are misplaced or sometimes destroyed. A certified copy can be obtain from the Lands Department but relevant information must be provided for the document to be found. Over the years, the Lands Department has made great effort to computerize its systems and while this should have made data more readily available for the public, some experiences may dispute this. At present the Department runs simultaneous systems. One for land in declared areas and another for those in undeclared areas. Declared area lands are registered in the Land Registry by the Registrar who issues a Land Certificate only after being satisfied with the evidence presented. The information is computerized and the system can issue a certified report showing particulars including owner if there was a First Registration. Without First Registration, land in a declared area do not have a Land Certicate and one is necessary for any land transaction in Belize. An Abstract of Title verifies ownership and one is required for the First Registration application. Replacement of a Land Certificate is costly and the original is requested for most Belize land matters, particularly land transfers. The Land Title Unit is responsible for those properties that are located in undeclared areas. These are transfered with conveyances and deeds in a system that closely follows procedures that have been in place since the start of land distribution in Belize. A certified copy of any registered instrument can be purchase by providing details. Without specific information the Department cannot locate registered document. With two systems in place, dealing with the Lands Department can sometimes be complicated. Those who decide to help themselves in these matters may make several trips to Belmopan where there is likely to be long lines especially on busy days. Identifying the property by its assigned parcel number in declared area is a starting point. The name if the owner, location and size are also important in trying to get copies of registered documents. The Mapping and Survey Unit along with the Land Information Center (LIC) can provide maps that may be useful in identify properties and providing cadastral information. Mapping information is required for further research, development plans and building. Officers at the Land Department service the public in several sections each usually having a line. Frontline officers accept documents to be registered with the Department after thorough checking and process pick up of registered originals. They also provide copies of requested registered documents and inform about the status of documents being processed. There is line for Debt Management where information about taxes can be obtained and a cashier line to pay taxes and fees. the Mapping Section also has a service line. If you do not want to travel to Belmopan or like waiting in a line, a trip to the Lands Department is likely to create some frustration for you, Officers are generally helpful but cannot retrieve your documents if proper information is not being presented. If you need someone to stand in line for you our service is always available. Contact us
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sandragrant
Thanks for asking. Yes, this service is still available, and it would be our pleasure to assist you.
Sandro
Hi, is this service still available in 2023?
Karen Blake
How can I find out who owns land left in a will if not resident in Belize?
sandragrant
Hi Brandon,
You will need to take your Belizean ID, a map of the property and the application for lease wich requires a $5 stamp to the Lands Department. If the property is available your application will be processed. A lease agreement informing you of the terms will be send to you if the lease is approved.
Brandon
How could i lease a 30-40 acre farm land that is government property
Mrs. Tandila Card
Good day. My deceased father had a lease land for over 30yrs. The lease expires in 2019. All I have is the payment receipts. How can I or will I be able to still live or build on the land. How can I lease or buy the land. Will it be possible for me to that. Or will the land go back to the government.
Please let me know know what options I have. Thank you. I want to build a home on the land but don't want to be told I have to go in the future because the land is not in my name.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Tandila.
sandragrant
Hi Coni
You can only purchase land leased by the Government from Government. However, you can have a lease transferred to you and compensated the leaser for any development to the property.
Before you pay, you should confirm that the Government will lease it to you and that the person is authorized to cancel the lease and apply for a transfer. You will need to pay the application fee and after receiving your lease you can later apply to purchase from GOB after doing the required development.
Please let us know if this was helpful and if there is anything more we can do for you.
Sandra
Coni
Is it OK to purchase a lease land from someone?? If yes, how do I go about purchasing a land with out a lease paper. The lease paper has been misplaced by one of the past minister when trying to make it property. Also the land is in his parent’s name. And I don’t know where to start.
Thank you
sandragrant
Hi Anne,
We recently recovered your comment and hope that our reply will be relevant still.
You can apply for a Grant of Administration from the Belize Supreme Court to claim his land. However, you will need to provide a death certificate and if he is still only missing that would be a problem.
Please send a requset from our contact page if you need assistance.
Anne Porter
How can I go about obtaining the land of my missing spouse? We are legally married and have children together.
Joe
Hi Grace, did you figure out how to do this? i have the same request. [email protected]
Grace
How can i go about (the steps) to do a title search at lands department?
sandragrant
All land matters are registered at the Lands Department on Queen Elizabeth Blvd in Belmopan. Additional search for older documents at the National Archives on Unity Blvd, Belmopan may be necessary.
Kadz
Where can i do a research on a land thay was own by someone who didnt have any relatives and has been deceased for the past 20 years
sandragrant
With almost all crown land reserved, leased or sold, the easy way would be purchasing from a private land owner. This could be just a house lot with or without a building or it could be a portion of a property. Farmland ranging from 10 – over 1000 acres are also readily available. If you have cash that would be accepted. If not, banks and other lending institution would be willing to finance the purchase. In Belize squatting (unauthorized occupancy) can also get you land. There are two types of squatting. Some squat on unused crown land outside reserved areas. After a while they can apply for lease and eventually a title. This is risky as what may appear to be unused governent land could hold a lease or title and the owner can lay claim at any time, using the court if necessary. Others squat on abandon property or properties where deceased owners have no heirs. After 30 years, they can apply for ownership through squatters rights. Buying is always the best way to go and we can help to find that perfect piece of Belize.
Michelle bowman
I want to find out how I can own a piece of land. Let me know please…
sandragrant
You can use this converter http://www.latlong.net/lat-long-utm.html. Google Earth has an option to use lat/long for place markers.
ian
How do I change the old lat/Long reference given on land servay maps to WGS84 to use with Google maps?
Is there an online calculator?
Thank you