Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-102
§900 Suits to Cancel Patents to Lands Erroneously Issued Under Railroad or Wagon-road Grants
Title 43 › CHAPTER 21 — GRANTS IN AID OF RAILROADS AND WAGON ROADS › § 900
Summary
The United States can only sue to cancel land patents wrongly issued under railroad or wagon-road grants within six years after the patent was issued. A good-faith buyer’s patent cannot be canceled. No suit or recovery is allowed for lands substituted when grant lands were lost because the Government failed to withdraw them from sale or entry.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §900
Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Suits by the United States to vacate and annul any patent to lands erroneously issued under a railroad or wagon-road grant shall only be brought within six years after the date of the issuance of such patents. But no patent to any lands held by a bona fide purchaser shall be vacated or annulled, but the right and title of such purchaser is hereby confirmed: Provided, That no suit shall be brought or maintained, nor shall recovery be had for lands or the value thereof, that were certified or patented in lieu of other lands covered by a grant which were lost or relinquished by the grantee in consequence of the failure of the Government or its officers to withdraw the same from sale or entry.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 900
Title 43, Public Lands
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102