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Letters Patent

Definition of 'Letters Patent'

Letters Patent, also called "land patent", is a legal document issued by the US government in which an individual is granted the title to a land, which can be passed on to the individual's heirs forever.

What are Letters Patent:

A land patent is generally obtained and treated as any deed. Through a letters of patent, the right to a land is, indeed, granted forever, which also means that the land cannot be sold or bought.

Example:

Here's a real-life example from one of the properties researched on PropertyShark:

References:
http://definitions.uslegal.com/l/land-patent/
http://www.ehow.com/how_6102084_obtain-land-patent.html

Disclaimer:
The glossary is intended to provide real estate professionals and home buyers with a basic understanding of various specialized terms related to legal rights over a property. All terms appear in public records such as ACRIS. We do not take responsibility for the legal accuracy of the definitions provided and ask that use of these explanations in a legal setting be made only after checking with a lawyer or another specialist in the field.