Sales, usually purchase agreements for agricultural land, above a certain exemption limit (in Thuringia from 2500 m²) and the granting of co-ownership shares, usufruct and the sale of hereditary shares (for businesses) require approval in accordance with the Land Transfer Act. Without this, the land register entry by the land registry and thus the change of ownership (or entry of the right) may not take place. The applicant is the notary.

Private individuals or notaries can also submit draft contracts for approval.

If a farmer acquires agricultural land because he wants to use it for his business, the contract is approved.

Approval may be subject to conditions or requirements, or it may be refused if the sale constitutes an unhealthy distribution of land, z. e.g. because the purchaser is not a farmer. In this case, a right of first refusal can be exercised by the settlement company. The prerequisite is that at least one farmer who needs the land and is willing to buy it needs it. The settlement company then sells the property on to a farmer in need of an increase. The authority notifies the contractual partners and the notary of the exercise.

In Thuringia, approval for the sale of land is only required from an exemption limit of over 2,500 m². Smaller plots of land are not subject to approval.