Land records · Parcel maps · October 7, 2026
Cash Entry Land Patent: Buying Federal Land
What a cash entry land patent was: a federal patent issued after a buyer paid cash for public land at a land office, starting many chains of title.
Cash entry land patent is a federal land patent issued to a buyer who purchased public land from the U.S. government by paying cash at a local land office. Cash sales were one of the most common ways federal land passed into private hands in the 1800s. Under the Land Act of 1820, buyers could purchase as little as 80 acres at a minimum of $1.25 per acre. After paying, the buyer received a receipt or certificate, and later a patent signed on behalf of the President, which became the first link in the private chain of title. This page is general land-records background, not legal advice.
How cash entry worked
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Survey | Land surveyed into sections |
| Offering | Land offered at public auction, then private sale |
| Payment | Buyer paid at the land office |
| Certificate | Receipt or certificate of purchase issued |
| Patent | Patent issued, sometimes years later |
Cash entry vs credit sales
Before 1820, buyers could purchase on credit, which led to widespread defaults. The 1820 law required cash and lowered the minimum price and acreage.
Preemption and cash entry
Preemption claims were often completed through cash entry, as settlers paid for land they occupied.
Cash entry vs homestead
Homestead patents required residence and improvement over five years but no purchase price beyond fees. Cash entry required payment but no residence.
Records
BLM General Land Office records online include cash entry patents searchable by name and location. The National Archives holds land entry case files with receipts and certificates. Survey plats and GLO field notes describe the land. See what is a land patent.
Why patents matter today
The patent is the root of title for land in public land states. Title examiners rarely need to go back that far, but researchers and some disputes do.
Example
In 1836, a buyer pays $100 at the land office in Indiana for 80 acres. He receives a certificate, and in 1838 a patent is issued. Later deeds for the farm trace back to that patent.
Research tips
Search federal land records by name, state, and legal description. Note the land office, document number, and authority, such as sale-cash entry.
Reading a cash entry patent
A cash entry patent typically names the buyer, the land office where the sale occurred, the certificate number, the legal description by section, township, and range, the acreage, and the date. Patents were signed in the name of the President, often by a secretary. The document may say that the buyer paid in full under the act of April 24, 1820.
Why patents were delayed
Patents were often issued months or years after the sale because of backlogs at the General Land Office. The certificate of purchase was evidence of the buyer’s claim in the meantime, and some buyers sold land before receiving the patent.
Bottom line
A cash entry land patent was issued when a buyer paid cash for federal land at a land office, starting many chains of title. Records are searchable online, with case files at the National Archives. Explore historic land via the Platbookmapper map.
Cash entry land patent FAQ
What is a cash entry patent?
A federal patent issued after buying public land for cash.
How much did federal land cost?
Often a minimum of $1.25 per acre after 1820.
Where are cash entry records?
BLM land records and National Archives case files.
How is cash entry different from homestead?
Cash entry required payment; homestead required residence.
Does a patent matter for title today?
It is the root of title in public land states.