Legal Conflicts between Customary Land and Certificates of Ownership in Indonesia’s National Land Registration System

• Amiludin Amiludin

  Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara

  Author

  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0335-4800

• Septian Cahyo Bintoro

  Author

• Muhammad Asmawi

  Universitas Banten Jaya

  Author

This study examines the legal conflict between customary land and Certificates of Ownership within Indonesia’s national land registration system. The issue arises from the coexistence of state law and customary law, in which customary communities base their land claims on hereditary occupation, communal recognition, customary norms, and historical attachment, while certificate holders rely on formal evidence issued by the state through land registration procedures. This research employs a normative juridical method supported by a socio-legal approach. It uses statutory, conceptual, and case approaches to analyze the legal position of customary land, the evidentiary strength of Certificates of Ownership, and the weaknesses of the current land registration system in accommodating communal land rights. The findings show that although customary land and ulayat rights are normatively recognized under Indonesian agrarian law, their protection remains conditional and often weak in practice. Customary land that has not been formally mapped, registered, or recognized by local governments tends to be administratively invisible, creating opportunities for the issuance of Certificates of Ownership over land historically controlled by customary communities. This condition produces legal uncertainty and agrarian injustice, particularly when formal certificates conflict with long-standing customary claims. The study argues that land registration should not be understood merely as an administrative mechanism for legal certainty, but also as an instrument for protecting customary rights and preventing land disputes. A balanced model of legal protection is required by strengthening customary land mapping, improving socio-historical verification, involving customary communities in land registration processes, and ensuring fair dispute resolution for both customary communities and good-faith certificate holders

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Copyright (c) 2026 Amiludin Amiludin, Septian Cahyo Bintoro, Muhammad Asmawi (Author)

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