Lands Commission (LC)

The Commission is set up under the Constitution and works through four divisions:

• Public and Vested Land Management: manages state land and land vested in the State, and grants leases of it.
• Land Registration: registers deeds and titles, and records transfers and mortgages.
• Survey and Mapping: maintains the national maps and cadastre and approves survey plans.
• Land Valuation: values property, including for stamp duty assessment.

Services buyers use most:

• Official search on a site plan, to see who is recorded as owning the land and whether there are disputes or acquisitions. In Greater Accra this is applied for online.
• Stamp duty assessment of the indenture.
• Registration of the indenture (deeds) or of the title, leading to a land title certificate.
• Consents and concurrences, for example consent to assign a state lease, or concurrence to a stool land grant.
• Cadastral plans for title registration.

The Commission publishes its fees and target times in a Client Service Charter, which says the fees are under revision. Customary Land Secretariats must send the Commission records of the customary land transactions they handle.

Online services. The Commission runs an online portal for some services, including searches in Greater Accra. Use only the official portal and pay official fees through the channels the Commission names.

Dealing with the Commission. Keep copies of every application and receipt, note reference numbers, and follow up in writing. Many delays come from incomplete documents, such as a site plan without coordinates or an unsigned indenture.

The Commission has offices in all regions. Greater Accra has the most online services, including online searches. In other regions you usually apply in person at the regional office. Title registration, and therefore land title certificates, are only available in declared registration districts.