What happens to my ownership proof if registry records in the south are damaged in the war?

Key facts#

What the register is

Paper books, with minimal electronic copies and no comprehensive backup (April 2026)^[1]

Supporting documents

The State keeps no images of them^[1]

Electronic database

Surveyed, numbered properties only, searchable by name or number^[1]

If files were destroyed

Owners would be asked to prove ownership again, in Annahar's worst case^[1]

Southern offices

Bint Jbeil and Ain Ebel unreachable; Nabatieh and Marjayoun at minimum service, as of April 2026^[1]

Official extract

USD 5^[3] per Legalmondo (June 2025), in person at the office for the property's area; may be charged in LBP

Unofficial copies

At OMT outlets, or online for USD 4^[3] per Legalmondo (June 2025); for reference only^[3,4,5,6]

Who runs the registry

General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, Ministry of Finance^[4,7]

How to secure your proof now, from abroad#

1. 1
   Write down exactly how your property is identified. You need the governorate (muhafaza), district (caza), real estate zone and property number, plus the section and block where they apply^[3,4]. They are on your title deed; see how to find your property's number, zone and section. If you only know the owner's name, Kallas describes a general search by full name, birth year and mother's name that lists the properties registered to that person^[1,6], and gives about 10 days for it^[6]. Who may request a name search, and at which office, is not published, so ask a lawyer or the registry office. Old entries may lack the mother's name^[1].
2. 2
   Get an official extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) now, while the books are intact. It lists the owners, their shares, mortgages, seizures and pending court actions^[3,6]. Legalmondo (June 2025) says it is issued only in person at the competent office and costs USD 5^[3]. We could not read the official fee table, and the fee may be collected in LBP, so ask the registry office before anyone goes. Kallas gives about 2 business days for a physical certificate^[6]. No certificate is issued while a lien or a registration on the plot is still in process. Certificates are public, so a lawyer or someone you trust in Lebanon can request one without showing a legal interest. More in how to get an extract and what it costs.
3. 3
   Add an unofficial copy as a backup. OMT outlets show a property's title register and give an unofficial copy on paper, with a digital copy by SMS or, on request, by email^[4,5]. The outlet asks for the property details above plus your mobile number and email address^[3,4]. OMT publishes no fee, so ask at the outlet. Legalmondo (June 2025) also describes an unofficial information form on the Land Registry's own website for USD 4^[3], which you could try from abroad yourself; we could not check that the service still runs. None of these copies can be used for a sale or in court^[3,4,5,6], but each is a dated record of what the register showed.
4. 4
   Scan your papers and store copies outside Lebanon. Keep the title deed, the extract, and the contract or inheritance papers behind your ownership. The State keeps no images of the documents behind registrations^[1], so your copies may be the only ones. Keep the originals in one safe place and the scans in another, and tell your heirs where both are.
5. 5
   Get the survey plan for a surveyed plot. Where boundaries on the cadastral plan differ from those on the ground, the plan prevails^[8,9]. The Cadastre supervises sworn surveyors^[7], but we found no published route or fee for ordering a plan. Ask a sworn surveyor for a copy of the cadastral plan of your plot and what it costs; see how to get a cadastral map or survey.
6. 6
   Re-check the extract from time to time. Forged powers of attorney have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon, including one against an expatriate's property in Jounieh^[13,14,15]. A fresh extract shows the owner and any mortgages^[8,16]. Here is how to protect your property from a forged power of attorney.

It depends on#

• Whether the plot is surveyed. The database covers only surveyed, numbered properties^[1], and rebuilding would be hardest where land is not fully surveyed. Ask the registry office or a lawyer whether your plot is surveyed.
• Whether your sale was ever inscribed. Arab News reported in September 2026 that many southern properties are held under older documents, and that some sales are registered only with notaries^[17]. A sale not inscribed at the Land Registry gives you only a claim against the seller, not ownership^[10,16]. See what an unregistered sale contract is worth.
• When it was registered. Older entries often lack the owner's mother's name and how the property was acquired^[1], so your own acquisition papers matter more.
• Which office holds the folio. Bint Jbeil and Ain Ebel could not be reached in April 2026^[1], and the UK advises against all travel to the South and Nabatiyeh governorates as of October 2026^[2]. Ask the office or a local lawyer before sending anyone.
• Whether the town is occupied. In September 2026 the Cabinet approved a draft law that would bar sales in Israeli-occupied towns of the south until the occupation ends; it is not law and needs Parliament's approval^[17,18]. More in buying or selling land in the south after the draft ban.

Common questions#