The Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) was set up by the Government of Jamaica to tackle one of the country’s oldest property problems: the large share of land held without a registered title. It aimed to make titling faster, cheaper and easier for ordinary owners, especially in rural districts and older communities where family land and informal sales are common.
How it works
LAMP pioneered systematic land registration in Jamaica. Instead of waiting for individual owners to apply, teams map an entire area, survey parcels, collect ownership evidence from residents, and process applications in bulk. Owners whose claims are clear can obtain titles through simplified procedures; where the paper trail breaks down, claims can be heard by adjudication committees, which sit in the community, hear evidence and objections, and decide who is entitled.
The legal backbone is the Registration of Titles, Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification (Special Provisions) Act, often called the Special Provisions Act. Among other things, it allows adjudication certificates that the Registrar can act on directly, and waivers of subdivision approval for long-standing informal divisions that meet set criteria.
Where it stands now
In 2018 Cabinet approved the merger of LAMP into the National Land Agency (NLA). Its work now continues through the NLA’s Land Administration and Management Division and Adjudication Services Division. Areas served have included St Catherine (including Portmore), St Thomas, St Mary, Portland and several communities in Kingston and St Andrew, with adjudication hearings held in other parishes as titling projects expand. People still commonly refer to the work as LAMP.
Why it matters
For owners of family land, or buyers who purchased on receipts years ago, a systematic titling exercise in their area can be the cheapest chance to get a registered title. A title makes land easier to borrow against, sell, insure and leave to heirs.
Anyone whose community is listed for a titling exercise or adjudication hearing should attend, bring documents and declare any interest, since claims not raised may be harder to pursue later. Costs and subsidies vary by project, so they should be confirmed with the NLA.
Related terms: Systematic Land Registration Programme, First Registration, Family Land, The National Land Agency, Unregistered Title, Squatting and Informal Settlement.
Accurate as at October 2026.
