What is an escritura pública?
An escritura pública is a public deed: the formal document, drawn up and certified by a notary, that transfers ownership of real estate in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is then recorded in the public property registry.
Last updated · Buying & ownership glossary
About Escritura pública
The escritura names the buyer and seller, describes the property and the price, and is signed before the notary, who checks identities and the seller's right to sell.
Signing the deed is not the last step: until the escritura is recorded in the public registry, the buyer's ownership is not protected against third parties.
- Also called
- escritura, public deed
- Where it applies
- Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Spain
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with a licensed local attorney before you buy.
Related terms
- Notary (notario)
- In Latin America and much of Europe, a notary (notario, notário) is a legal professional with public authority to draft, certify and record deeds, including the deed for a property sale — a far larger role than a notary public in the United States.
- Public property registry
- The public property registry is the government record of who owns each parcel of land and of the mortgages, liens and easements attached to it. A buyer's title search starts there.
- Titled property
- Titled (fee-simple) property is land held in full private ownership and recorded in the country's public property registry in the owner's name. It can be sold, mortgaged, leased or inherited without a government grant behind it.