Puerto Rico (U.S.)

Registering Property in

Puerto Rico (U.S.)

Listed below is a detailed summary of the steps, time and cost involved in registering property, assuming a standardized case of an entrepreneur who wants to purchase land and a building that is already registered and free of title dispute.

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Standard Property Transfer

  • Property Value: USD 864,000
  • City: San Juan

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No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
* 1 Obtain a property title report at the Property Registry

A Notary is an attorney licensed by the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to certify and attest as to, among other things, the legality of public deeds executed in his presence, the identity of the parties executing the public deed and the date and municipality in which the public deed was executed. Public deeds for the sale of real property must be prepared by a Notary and executed by the parties before the Notary. In order to prepare the public deed, the Notary requires a title report which shows the status of the real property at the Registry of the Property, i.e., owner, mortgages, easements and other encumbrances. The title report will also specify whether documents have been recorded or are still pending recordation in the Registry of the Property.

Agency: Property Registry 		3-5 days (simultaneous with procedure 2) USD 60
* 2 Obtain a property tax certificate from the Municipal Revenues Collection Center (CRIM)

Obtain a property tax certificate (Form AD-25) from the Municipal Revenues Collection Center (CRIM). This certificate will disclose property tax debts and the property tax liability of the property.

Agency: Municipal Revenues Collection Center (CRIM) 		2 days (simultaneous with procedure 1) USD 50
3 Obtain Title Commitment for Title Insurance

Buyer obtains a title commitment for the issuance of a title insurance policy. Although this is not required by law, it is highly recommended. Title insurance policies insure that the sale of the property will be recorded Registry of the Property.
2 days no cost
4 The notary public prepares and authorizes and the parties execute the purchase and sale deed

The Notary must prepare the deed of purchase and sale to be executed by the parties in his presence. The Notary attests as to the legality of the transaction, the identity and personal circumstances of the parties (marital status, legal age, profession and place of residence) or, in the case of juridical entities, the personal circumstances of the authorized representatives, when and where the deed of purchase and sale is executed and that it was executed in the Notary's presence.
Notary fees are negotiated between the parties and the Notary subject to the following requirements of law:

- If the purchase price for the property is equal to or less than $10,000, Notary fees are equal to $150.
- If the purchase price for the property is greater than $10,000 but not more than $5,000,000, Notary fees cannot be less than 0.5% nor more than 1% of the purchase price for the property.
- If the purchase price for the property exceeds $5,000,000, Notary fees are as set forth above up to $5,000,000 and, thereafter, are subject to negotiation between the parties.
Other documents such as a limited liability company resolution approving the transaction can also be prepared by the Notary for an additional fee.

4 days USD 300 (Corporate Resolution) + between 0.5% and 1% of property value (notary fees)
5 Purchase Internal Revenue Stamps and Registry of Property filling vouchers

Parties purchase Internal Revenue Stamps to be canceled on the original of deed of purchase and sale and first certified copy of deed to be filed in the Registry of Property. The original is kept by the notary and the certified copy is presented at the Registry. Vouchers for the Registry of Property must be bought before applying for registration. Both the stamps and the vouchers are available to the lawyers/notaries electronically.

This cost is based on the purchase price of the property and is calculated as follows:
Internal Revenue Stamps to be canceled on the original of the deed of purchase and sale (the original of the deed is kept by the Notary) are equal to (for amounts exceeding $5,000): $2 for the first $1,000 and $1 for every additional $1,000 or fraction of a $1,000 thereafter. The certified copy of the deed of purchase and sale which will be prepared and issued by the Notary in order to be filed in the Registry of the Property will cancel internal revenue stamps of $1 for the first $1,000 and $0.50 for every additional $1,000 or fraction of $1,000 thereafter. Legal Aid Stamps to be canceled on the original are equal to (for amounts exceeding $50,000): $5 for each $50,000 or fraction thereof. Legal Aid Stamps to be canceled on the certified copy of the deed are equal to $2.50 for every $50,000 or fraction thereof. The original and certified copy of the deed will each also cancel a Notarial aid stamp of $1. Registry of Property presentation vouchers are required for the presentation of the certified copy of the deed of purchase and sale in the Registry of the Property and are calculated as follows: When the value of the property exceeds $25,000, property vouchers are equal to $50 for the first $25,000 plus $4 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof plus one additional presentation voucher of $10 and one additional presentation voucher of $0.50.


Agency: Department of Treasury and Registry of Property 		2 days Stamps to be canceled on the original of the deed of purchase and sale: Internal Revenue Stamps = USD 792; Legal Aid Stamps = USD 80; and Notarial Aid Stamp = USD 1. Stamps to be canceled on the certified copy of the deed of purchase and sale: Internal
6 File and record the deed at the Registry of Property

The buyer files the sale and purchase deed at the Registry of Property in ten days. The Registry of Property records the sale and purchase deed in six months.

Agency: Registry of Property 		180 days USD 100
7 File the notice of sale with the Treasury Department

The Notary Public has to file to notice of sale with the Treasury Department on or before the 10th day of the month following the transaction

Agency: Treasury Department 		1 day USD 20
8 File the notice of change of owner with the CRIM

The Notary Public has to file the notice of change of ownership with the CRIM on or before the 10th day of the month following the transaction.

Agency: Municipal Revenues Collection Center (CRIM) 		1 day USD 20
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
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