Starting on February 2, land ownership documents like girik and letter C will no longer be legally valid

Jakarta, Thekabarnews.com—Starting on February 2, 2026, some historic land ownership documents, like the girik, letter C, verponding, and other old Western land rights certificates, will no longer be legally valid.

This policy is based on Government Regulation (PP) No. 18/2021. It sets rules for managing land rights, apartment units, and registering land.

Owners of customary or individual land supported by these historical documents must register their land by February 2, 2021. This date is five years after the rule went into effect. Therefore, the deadline for registration is February 2, 2026.

Consequences of missing the deadline

If you don’t register your land by this date, you can’t use the girik or letter C as proof of title. Furthermore, Article 95 of PP No. 18/2021 says that documented proof of old Western land rights is no longer acceptable. If the land is not registered, it may become state-controlled.

The government has clarified that these rules do not automatically revoke the public’s land rights. The Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Ministry/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) has reaffirmed that communities can still process and register their land to obtain formal land certificates.

ATR/BPN clarified that the law no longer recognizes old land documents as proof of ownership, but landowners can still use them as references during the land registration process.

You can utilize documents like the girik, letter C, and other records as preliminary proof until you have an Ownership Certificate (SHM).

The government has told landowners who still use outdated land deeds to register their holdings at local land offices right now. Landowners should complete this process before the deadline. 

Early registration is essential to make sure that the law is clear, safeguard ownership rights, and stop land conflicts from happening in the future.

The government wants to make land registration and certification faster so that landowners have better legal protection. Moreover, Indonesia’s national land administration system will be more accurate and organized.