Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Protected areas and environmental permits

Protected areas and environmental permits

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Protected areas are national patrimony. Their limits can be cut only by a law with a two thirds vote. Private titles registered before Ley 64-00 are recognized, but the State has a right of first purchase before any transfer. Any project that may affect the environment needs a permit or licence before it starts.

USD figures use the Banco Central de la República Dominicana reference selling rate of RD$60.9007 per US dollar for 29 October 2026, the latest row in its published rate file on the verification date, rounded to the cent.

Key facts

State right on transfer of private land in protected areas	Preferential right to acquire Ley 202-04 art. 9 paragraph, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Vote to reduce an area	Two thirds of members Constitución art. 16, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Protected areas are inalienable, immune from seizure and imprescriptible. Their limits can be reduced only by law with two thirds of the votes of the members of the chambers.Constitución de 2024, art. 16, 2024-10-27 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. State land in the system is imprescriptible and inalienable, and no private right can arise on it.Ley 202-04 Sectorial de Áreas Protegidas, art. 9, 2004-07-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Private land with a title registered before Ley 64-00 inside a protected area is recognized, but before any transfer to third parties the State has a preferential right to acquire it, with payment or compensation.Ley 202-04 Sectorial de Áreas Protegidas, art. 9 paragraph, 2004-07-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. If no agreement is reached with owners, the State moves to expropriate.Ley 202-04 Sectorial de Áreas Protegidas, art. 31 paragraph I, 2004-07-30 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Projects that may affect the environment need a permit or licence from the Ministry before starting, by the size of the effect.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, art. 40, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Art. 41 lists the projects that need an environmental impact assessment, such as ports, docks, dams and aqueducts.Ley 64-00 General sobre Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, art. 41, 2000-08-18 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Foreign investment that affects the ecosystem needs a project to repair the damage.Ley 16-95 sobre Inversión Extranjera, art. 5 paragraph I, 1995-11-20 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

A foreign buyer agrees RD$25,000,000 (about US$410,504.31) for a titled farm inside a protected area. Before transfer, the State must get its chance to buy. Build that step into the timetable and the deposit clause.

Step by step

Check the land against the law's area descriptions and the Ministry's maps.
Check when the title was registered.
Notify the Ministry before transfer if inside.
Scope the permit or licence at feasibility stage.

Common traps

A title granted after Ley 64-00 inside an area does not get the recognition in art. 9.
Area limits are in long descriptions in Ley 202-04, and some were changed by later texts. Check the current map.
Ley 202-04 was read in a non government copy of the text; its gazette date varies by source (30 July 2004 used here).
Environmental fees were not verified.

Sources

← Beaches, coast and public domain landWater rights →

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