<![CDATA[General Background: Legal certainty in Indonesian land administration depends on properly documented and formally registered transfers of land rights. Specific Background: Under-the-table land sale practices remain common because they are often based on trust, lower cost, simpler procedures, and limited public understanding of formal land registration requirements. Knowledge Gap: Previous studies have mainly examined land registration certainty, transaction consequences, and general agrarian dispute protection, while specific dispute resolution mechanisms for informal land sales under Article 26 of Law Number 5 of 1960 remain limited. Aims: This study aimed to analyze dispute resolution for transfers of land rights through informal sale transactions based on Indonesian agrarian law. Results: Using normative juridical research with statutory and conceptual approaches, the study found that informal land sale agreements may remain binding under civil contract law when they meet agreement validity requirements. However, such transactions cannot be formally registered because they lack a Land Deed Official deed and do not meet Article 26 of Law Number 5 of 1960 and Article 37 paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 24 of 1997. Their evidentiary strength is limited, and disputes may be resolved through non-judicial or judicial mechanisms, with negotiation generally pursued first before litigation. Novelty: This study specifically links informal land sale disputes with Article 26 of Indonesian agrarian law and available settlement pathways. Implications: The findings emphasize compliance with formal deed and registration procedures to secure legal certainty, protect parties, and validate land rights transfer. Highlights: Civil agreements remain binding when validity requirements are fulfilled. Missing PPAT deed blocks administrative recognition. Negotiation generally precedes litigation in settlement practice Keywords: Under the Table Land Sale, Land Rights, Sale and Purchase Agreement, Transfer of Land Rights]]>
