Legal Protection for First-Time Land Registration Applicants Related to Transportation and Accommodation Costs in Medan City

Land registration for the first time is part of the land system that provides a guarantee of legal certainty for the owner. In Indonesia, including in the city of Medan, land registration does not only involve administrative aspects, but also costs that are often burdensome for applicants, especially related to transportation and accommodation. This research aims to explore legal protection for first-time land registration applicants, focusing on the cost aspect that must be borne by the applicant. This research uses a qualitative approach with an empirical juridical method, which involves interviews with various sources, such as applicants, employees of the Medan City Land Office, and agrarian law experts. The results show that despite the regulations governing land registration, in practice, applicants still face difficulties related to transportation and accommodation costs, especially for those who live far from the city center. The lengthy and bureaucratic registration procedure also increases people's expenses, as they have to go back and forth to the land office. Another obstacle is the inefficiency of procedures and lack of adequate information regarding the stages of land registration. In addition, the lack of oversight of the implementation of procedures leads to informal practices, such as the use of unofficial intermediaries, which add to the costs to the community. In the perspective of justice theory, especially John Rawls's social justice theory and Satjipto Rahardjo's view of progressive law, the state should provide affirmative treatment to vulnerable community groups, including providing cost subsidies or pick-up services to reduce access inequality. This research suggests the need for policy reform, digitization of services, and increased public legal literacy so that the land registration process is more transparent, efficient, and fair.