I lost my title deed in Lebanon. How do I get a replacement?

Also asked as: “How do I replace a lost title deed in Lebanon?” · “Badal an da'i title deed Lebanon” · “Lost sanad tamlik, what do I do?” · “Can I get a new title deed from abroad?”

What a lost deed means for your ownership#

The Land Registry is kept by property, not by owner. As Kallas reads the 1926 registry decree, each property has its own real folio under its survey number, and the title deed the owners receive is a copy of that folio^[6]. What you lost is your copy, and the folio stays at the registry. Legalmondo still calls the deed the sole proof of ownership^[3], so replace it.

Your own papers matter for another reason. The Finance Minister said in April 2026 that the State keeps no images of the documents behind registrations, and that the paper registers have no comprehensive backup^[7]. Annahar described a worst case the same month: if registry files were destroyed, every owner would be asked to prove ownership again. When the new deed arrives, scan it and keep copies in more than one place.

First, pin the property down on paper#

You request a replacement for one specific property, so you need its identifiers. Registry requests ask for governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[3,5], the last two where they apply. In a building divided into apartments, each unit has its own number added to the plot number, and private units are numbered from 4^[8]. Here is how to find your property number, zone and section.

If you have no number at all, the registry can be searched by owner name. Kallas describes a search using your full name, birth year and mother's name that lists every property registered to you, with its number, district and shares^[7,9], and gives about 10 days for it^[9]. Older entries may lack the mother's name^[7]. No source says which office runs this search or who may ask for it, so ask the registry office.

Then get a fresh Land Registry extract (ifadeh aqariyeh). It shows the owners, their shares, mortgages, seizures and pending court actions^[3,9], so you can confirm you are still the registered owner before you file. Legalmondo (June 2025) says the official extract is issued only in person at the registry office for the property^[3]. The Finance Minister said in April 2026 that the registry database allows extracts to be issued electronically, but he did not say whether or how the public can ask for one^[7]. An OMT copy is unofficial^[5,10], though it gives you a quick first look. More in how to get a Land Registry extract and what it costs.

Where to apply, and what is not published#

You apply at the registry office for the area where the property lies^[2,3]. In April 2025, the published schedules of the Baabda, Chouf, Aley, Metn and Keserwan-Jbeil offices listed applications for lost-deed replacements, written بدل عن ضائع in Arabic^[1]. That month several of those offices worked only on set days, so check the current days before you travel.

Beyond an ID copy or a POA copy, we found no published document list, no fee for a replacement, no rule on whether the request is published and no objection period. Flat registry fees give a sense of scale, but sources disagree on them. Kallas lists LBP 150,000 for a title deed, about USD 1.67^[11], while the consolidated Art. 81 of Law 10/2022, as amended by decree 56/2025, lists LBP 300,000 for most items^[11,12]. Neither says which item applies to a lost-deed replacement.

At the counter, or through a notary (kateb adel), ask about these points and get the answers in writing if you can:

• The full list of documents for a replacement, for you in person and for an agent.
• The fee, and whether it is paid in LBP or USD.
• Whether the request is published, and how long objections stay open.
• Whether you get a dated receipt with a file number.

If you live abroad#

Someone in Lebanon can file for you. The Baabda notice of April 2025 asked an agent to attach a copy of the power of attorney^[1]. You sign the POA at a Lebanese embassy or consulate, or before a local notary followed by local authentication and Lebanese legalisation^{[13,14,15,16]}. An apostille is not enough, because Lebanon is not a member of the Apostille Convention^[17]. See how to give a power of attorney from abroad.

Missions ask a property POA to name the property by number and location, with a copy of the deed or a Land Registry extract^[13,15,18]. Since the deed is lost, have your agent get the extract first. Limit the POA to the replacement and the extracts, because this task needs no power to sell or mortgage. Forged POAs have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon, including an expatriate's property in Jounieh (Annahar, October 2025)^[19,20,21]. Read how to protect your property from a forged power of attorney.