Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-102
§15 Issuance and Signing of Patents by Secretary of the Interior; Delegation of Authority; Notice
Title 43 › CHAPTER 1 — BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT › § 15
Summary
The Secretary of the Interior must sign and issue land patents for public lands in the name of the United States. The Secretary can let other Department of the Interior officers or employees do this, but must announce any delegation by publishing it in the Federal Register.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §15
Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
All patents for public lands shall be issued and signed by the Secretary of the Interior in the name of the United States: Provided, That the Secretary may delegate his authority under this section to officers or employees of the Department of the Interior, but notice of any such delegation shall be given by publication in the Federal Register.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 15, R.S. § 458; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 4 eff.
June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff.
July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100, related to issuance of patents, prior to repeal by section 2(c) of act
June 17, 1948.
Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
For
Transfer of Functions
of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 15
Title 43, Public Lands
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102