How to check a professional.

Before you hire a notary, a lawyer, an architect or any other licensed professional in Bali, check their licence yourself in the official government register. Do not rely only on a business card, a website, or what someone tells you in a meeting.

Ask for the licence or registration number before you agree to anything. A real licence has a number you can trace. Check it against the register while you are still deciding, not after you have paid.

A listing in an official register only means the professional is currently licensed to practise. It is not a recommendation, a ranking, or a guarantee of the quality of their work.

This page names no firms and no individual professionals. It lists the official registries for each profession and the questions worth asking, so you can check for yourself.

Notaries are governed by UU 30/2004 tentang Jabatan Notaris, as amended by UU 2/2014. A notary is appointed to a specific working area and is not allowed to practise outside it.

We could not find a working public search tool for notaries on ahu.go.id. The site's public pages lead to a notary registration system, not a name lookup, and the rest of the site requires a login. Ask the notary directly for their SK pengangkatan (letter of appointment) and their wilayah jabatan (working area).

By law, a notary must act amanah, jujur, saksama, mandiri and tidak berpihak (trustworthy, honest, careful, independent and impartial), keep the akta and its records, keep everything about the deed confidential, and read the deed aloud to the parties with two witnesses present before anyone signs. A notary must not practise outside their working area, be absent more than seven working days in a row without valid reason, or hold certain other positions, such as civil servant or advocate, at the same time. Breaking these rules can lead to a written warning, a temporary suspension, or removal from office.

A complaint against a notary goes to the Majelis Pengawas Daerah (MPD), the supervisory council for the notary's district or city, which the law itself names as the body that receives complaints from the public. MPD decisions can be appealed to the provincial Majelis Pengawas Wilayah (MPW), and then to the national Majelis Pengawas Pusat (MPP).

Ask to see the SK pengangkatan and the working area it covers. Ask whether the deed will be read aloud to you, in full, before you sign. Ask which Majelis Pengawas Daerah is responsible for them, in case you need to complain later. Ask whether they are also appointed as a PPAT, which is a separate licence.

PPAT stands for Pejabat Pembuat Akta Tanah, the official who prepares and signs the deed for a land transaction. The role is governed by PP 37/1998 tentang Peraturan Jabatan PPAT, as amended by PP 24/2016.

The Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning / National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) runs a public register of PPAT at atrbpn.go.id/daftar-ppat. Search by land office (kantor pertanahan) and you get a list of names, office addresses and an active or inactive status, with no login needed.

PP 24/2016 states that the Ministry carries out pembinaan dan pengawasan (coaching and supervision) of PPAT.

We could not find a published procedure for complaints about a PPAT. Because the Ministry supervises PPAT, ask the land office (Kantor Pertanahan) for the PPAT's working area how to file one.

Ask to see their SK pengangkatan (letter of appointment) and the working area it covers. Ask whether they will check the certificate directly at the land office before the deed is signed. Ask whether they are a full PPAT or a PPAT Sementara (temporary PPAT, often a camat), since the two have a different scope under PP 37/1998.

The business of a property agent is regulated as a trade activity: PP 28/2025 on risk-based business licensing and Permendag 33/2025 on the standards of the trade sector. The regulation calls an agency a Perusahaan Perantara Perdagangan Properti, P4 for short: a business with legal-entity status (badan hukum) that is set up and has its seat in Indonesia. The person who works and is responsible under a P4 is a Broker Properti (Permendag 33/2025, Lampiran I, standard for KBLI 68200, points 2 and 4.1).

Permendag 33/2025 took effect on 5 October 2025 and repealed Permendag 51/2017, the earlier regulation on these agencies and their SIUP-P4 licence (Pasal 17(a) and Pasal 18). A text that still describes SIUP-P4 describes a repealed rule.

The Ministry of Trade's position is that the licence is the NIB plus a Sertifikat Standar. PP 28/2025 puts this business in the medium-high risk class (menengah tinggi). The company gets its NIB, then a Sertifikat Standar marked not yet verified, on its own declaration that it will meet the standard; that certificate only lets it prepare. After the Ministry of Trade verifies the documents, the certificate is marked verified (telah diverifikasi), and only the NIB with the verified certificate lets the company operate and trade (PP 28/2025 Pasal 132(1) to (6), Pasal 222 and Pasal 223; Lampiran I.G, no. 1; Permendag 33/2025 Lampiran I, point 5). The Ministry of Trade says in its FAQ that under the earlier PP 5/2021 an NIB alone was enough, and that an owner who only sells their own property needs no licence while a person who acts as an intermediary does. PP 28/2025 also says that its implementing rules for risk-based licensing do not apply to a business whose basic requirements and licences were issued, verified or approved before PP 28/2025 and are still valid, unless PP 28/2025 is more favourable to the business (Pasal 549(a)). We found no text that says how this fits with the one year that Permendag 33/2025 gives agencies licensed before PP 28/2025 (Pasal 16(a), below), so the texts we read do not settle whether an older agency without a verified certificate falls short of the standard. Ask the agency which licence it relies on, and ask the Ministry of Trade.

Every Broker Properti must hold a Sertifikat Kompetensi Kerja at qualification level 6 in property brokerage and must be an Indonesian citizen. The agency needs at least one certified manager at level 7, and each expert may be registered at one agency only (Lampiran I, points 2, 4.2 and 6). Brokers without a certificate and agencies licensed before PP 28/2025 had one year from 5 October 2025 to meet the standard (Pasal 16(a)). The Ministry of Trade gives 5 October 2026 as the last day. After that day an agency whose brokers are not all certified does not meet the standard.

A foreign individual cannot hold the licence in their own name, because it is for a legal entity, and cannot work as a Broker Properti, because every broker must be an Indonesian citizen. The standard lets the manager posts be filled by a foreign national, whose immigration identity papers are then submitted. The investment list does not bar a foreign-owned company (PT PMA): KBLI 68200 is in none of its three annexes, so it falls in the residual category open to all investors (Perpres 10/2021 as amended by Perpres 49/2021, Pasal 3(1)(d) and (2)). A foreign investor must use a PT and a large business with more than Rp10,000,000,000 invested outside land and buildings (Pasal 7). That is our reading of the list. We did not check the work-permit rules for a foreign manager.

The regulation uses the 2020 code 68200. OSS has applied KBLI 2025 since 15 June 2026 and splits 68200 into four codes; agency brokerage is 68210, Aktivitas Jasa Intermediasi Real Estat (Peraturan BPS 7/2025; OSS conversion table). OSS data for the brokerage scope of 68210 show the risk level menengah tinggi at every business scale, the licence Sertifikat Standar Jasa Perantaraan Perdagangan Properti and the Minister of Trade as the authority. A Ministry of Trade FAQ names a different code, 68120. Group 6812 of the BPS regulation is non-residential real estate and has only the codes 68121 to 68127 and 68129, so 68120 is not a code in KBLI 2025 and the code in the FAQ appears to be an error; the BPS regulation and OSS name 68210. Ask the agency which code its NIB carries.

Written agreement. The agency must have a written agreement with the client. At least it names the parties with their ID numbers, the agency's licence number and the brokers involved with their certificate numbers; the services agreed; the property with the number of its proof of ownership, its location, specification and condition; the rights and duties of both sides; the commission as an amount or a percentage, with how and when it is paid; the term; and how disputes are settled, including compensation if a party does not meet its duties. The agency must check that the data in the agreement match documents issued by the competent authority (Permendag 33/2025 Lampiran I, point 6, number 1).

Commission. For a sale the commission is at least 2 and at most 5 percent of the transaction value, adjusted to the scope of the service. For a rental it is at least 5 and at most 8 percent of the transaction value. For property management and investment consulting the written agreement sets it. The agreement must itemise the costs, including tax and other deductions (number 4). A rate outside the range does not fit the standard. The agency is entitled to the commission from the Pengguna Jasa, the client who engaged it, which the regulation defines as the party that uses the agency's service, such as the seller or owner, the buyer, the lessor or the tenant, so either side can be the one who pays (point 6, number 4; point 2, number 7). By our reading a long lease (hak sewa) is a rental in law, because the Civil Code defines a rental as giving the use of a thing for a fixed time for a price (KUHPerdata Pasal 1548) and the Basic Agrarian Law describes the lease right as using another person's land for a building against rent (UUPA Pasal 44(1)), and the regulation does not treat a long lease separately, so by its wording (number 4(b)) the 5 to 8 percent range applies. The Bank Indonesia rule on paying in rupiah lists agent fees in property sales among the transactions it covers; see the section on rupiah on Financing a property in Bali.

Numbers shown. The agency must show its licence number at its place of business, on its website and app and on every publication, in print or electronic. Its brokers must show an ID with the agency's licence number, its brand, its business location and the broker's valid certificate number, and the agency must display the list of its experts. An online marketplace that lists property must ask for these numbers and refuse the registration if they are not given (numbers 2, 3 and 6).

Money. The agent's listed services include receiving a deposit (tanda jadi) or down payment from a buyer, but only with the approval of the seller or owner (Lampiran I, point 1, number 2(a), item 8). Every transaction must use the payment systems valid nationally (number 5). The listed services also include preparing the preliminary sale agreement and the list of documents for the notary or PPAT; the land deed itself is made by a PPAT, see above.

Not allowed. An agency must not give data that are untrue, do not match the facts or are not easy for the public to reach. It must not offer, promote or advertise uncertain promises or guarantees, or make misleading statements (number 9). It must not facilitate crowdfunding for property finance connected with its work, money laundering or the financing of terrorism, or unfair competition (number 5). A broker must not work for another agency (point 6). We found no rule in the regulation on acting for both buyer and seller. Bali's Perda 4/2026 separately bans acting as an intermediary for a nominee arrangement; see An open disclosure standard for developers.

Partners abroad. An agency that works with a business abroad that offers property must report the cooperation to the Minister within 14 working days of the written agreement, and the agreement must be in Indonesian or in two languages (number 1, rules 5 and 7). A business or agent abroad that offers property outside Indonesia to clients in Indonesia must work with an Indonesian agency or broker (number 1, rule 6). The text does not say in terms how these rules apply when an agent abroad sells property in Bali. If your agent is abroad, ask for the Indonesian agency's licence number and who signs the agreement.

Supervision. The Minister of Trade, the governor and the bupati or walikota supervise, and in a special economic zone (KEK) the head of its administrator, or in a free trade zone (KPBPB) the head of its authority, each within their powers (Pasal 11). Operating without the required licence can lead to a written warning, a temporary stop of the business, government coercion such as blocking a website or closing premises, and an administrative fine. A breach of the licence can lead to a warning, coercion, suspension or revocation of the licence (Pasal 14(1) and (2)). Each year, by 30 April, the agency reports to the Minister with the list of its brokers and their valid certificates (point 6, number 7). We found no published procedure for a complaint about an agency.

A property company or agent is a reporting party (Pihak Pelapor) to PPATK, the financial intelligence unit: UU 8/2010 Pasal 17(1)(b)(1), repeated in PP 43/2015 Pasal 2(1)(b)(1) as amended by PP 61/2021. Advocates, notaries and PPAT are reporting parties too (PP 43/2015 Pasal 3) for transactions that concern the purchase and sale of property (Pasal 8(1) as amended).

The agent must apply the principle of knowing the customer (prinsip mengenali pengguna jasa): identify you, verify what you give and monitor your transactions. The duty applies when the business relationship starts, for a transaction of at least Rp100,000,000 or the equivalent in another currency, when a transaction looks suspicious, and when the agent doubts the information given (UU 8/2010 Pasal 18(3); Peraturan PPATK 7/2017 Pasal 4). The rule covers agents with and without a licence (Pasal 2(3)). The notary and the PPAT apply the same principle (PP 43/2015 Pasal 4).

For an individual the agent collects at least: full name; the number of a national ID card, driving licence or passport; place and date of birth; nationality; the address on the ID card, the current address and, for a foreigner, the address in the home country; occupation; source of funds; the purpose of the transaction; and the tax number (NPWP). For a company: its name, the number of the decision that approves it as a legal entity, its form and line of business, the number of its business licence, its registered address, source of funds, who may act for it, who owns and directs it, its beneficial owner and its NPWP (Peraturan PPATK 7/2017 Pasal 11(1) and (2)). The agent must also find out whether you act for yourself or for someone else (Pasal 7(1)). You must give true identity and information, at least your identity, the source of your funds and the purpose of the transaction, with supporting documents, and the same about anyone you act for (UU 8/2010 Pasal 19(1) and (2)). If they are incomplete, the agent must refuse the transaction (Pasal 20(3)).

An agent reports to PPATK a transaction of a client made in rupiah or another currency with a value of at least Rp500,000,000, within 14 working days (UU 8/2010 Pasal 27(1) and (2); PP 43/2015 Pasal 7(2)); the text does not say that the transaction must be in cash. If the agent suspects that a transaction is linked to money laundering or terrorism financing, and believes that going on with the checks would tip off the client, it stops the checks and reports the transaction to PPATK as suspicious (Peraturan PPATK 7/2017 Pasal 8). An agent that does not report faces an administrative sanction (UU 8/2010 Pasal 27(3)), and reporting does not breach confidentiality (Pasal 28). Permendag 33/2025 separately forbids an agency to facilitate money laundering.

Expect these questions when you sign the agreement with the agent, and keep the documents at hand that you give your notary.

Ask for the agency's name and licence number before you agree to anything. By rule the number is shown at its premises, on its website and app and on every advertisement, and each broker carries an ID with that number and a certificate number (Permendag 33/2025 Lampiran I, point 6, numbers 2 and 3).

Search the company in AHU Online and test the NIB in OSS, as Check a developer or seller before you pay explains. The OSS result does not show the licence. Ask to see the printed Sertifikat Standar Jasa Perantaraan Perdagangan Properti, check that the company name matches and that it carries the note that it has been verified (telah diverifikasi); a certificate marked not yet verified lets a company prepare, not trade. An agency that was licensed before PP 28/2025 may rely on an older licence (see Property agent and agency (broker)): if it cannot show a verified certificate, ask which licence it relies on, ask the Ministry of Trade and tell your notary. Do not take a missing certificate as proof either way.

Ask for the broker's certificate number and check it on the BNSP form (bnsp.go.id/check-certification). It takes a certificate number or a blank number and, according to the page, shows the details of the certificate and its validity. The page says its data are updated periodically and that you should contact the certification body that issued a certificate if the number is not found. We did not run a search.

Read the written agreement before you sign: the licence and certificate numbers, the description of the property, a commission within the range above, the tax and other deductions, the term, and how disputes are settled.

Signals that count for little. AREBI (Asosiasi Real Estate Broker Indonesia) is an association of agencies. Its site lists a member search (Cari Anggota), which returned a server error to our tools on 4 October 2026, so we do not know what it shows. Membership is not a licence and does not replace the checks above. A portal listing, a brand, a large office or a long history proves nothing either. We found no public search of agencies or brokers by name.

What you cannot check yourself, ask your notary to check before you sign.

If an agent is used: the agency's NIB tested in OSS, and its verified Sertifikat Standar Jasa Perantaraan Perdagangan Properti shown; if an agency licensed before PP 28/2025 cannot show it, it says which licence it relies on and the notary is told.

The competency certificate number on the broker's ID checked at BNSP.

The written agreement with the agent names the commission, which is between 2 and 5 percent of the value for a sale and between 5 and 8 percent for a rental (by our reading a long lease counts as a rental), and lists tax and other deductions.

A deposit to the agent only with the seller's approval and through the national payment system.

Advocates are governed by UU 18/2003 tentang Advokat. An advocate can be disciplined for, among other reasons, neglecting a client's interests or behaving improperly (Pasal 6).

There is no single official public register that covers every advocate in Indonesia. Each advocate belongs to an organisasi advokat (advocate organisation), and under Pasal 27 of the law, each organisasi advokat forms its own Dewan Kehormatan (honour council), at both Daerah (regional) and Pusat (national) level. We could not find a single government registry you can search to verify an advocate, so ask the advocate directly which organisation they belong to and for their Kartu Tanda Pengenal Advokat (KTPA).

A complaint about an advocate goes first to the Dewan Kehormatan Daerah of their own organisasi advokat, which decides at first instance, then to the Dewan Kehormatan Pusat, which hears appeals.

Ask which organisasi advokat they belong to, and ask to see their KTPA. Ask for the Berita Acara Sumpah (record of the swearing in) from the relevant high court, which a properly sworn advocate holds. Ask which Dewan Kehormatan you would complain to if something went wrong. Ask to agree the fee and the scope of work in writing before the work starts.

Architects are governed by UU 6/2017 tentang Arsitek. The law names Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia (IAI) as the Organisasi Profesi for architects, and requires every architect to hold a Surat Tanda Registrasi Arsitek (STRA) before they can practise. The detailed procedure for issuing and cancelling an STRA is set out in a government regulation (PP 15/2021), not in the law itself (UU 6/2017 Pasal 13, as changed by UU 6/2023).

The STRA is issued by the Dewan Arsitek Indonesia (DAI), the council that the Organisasi Profesi forms (UU 6/2017 Pasal 1 angka 14 and Pasal 34, as changed by UU 6/2023; PP 15/2021 Pasal 31(1)). The law says the council is independent and is confirmed by the central government (Pasal 34(1) and (3)). Its register is at appv2.dewanarsitek.id/direktoristra. The search form itself loads without a login, but a CAPTCHA blocks the actual search, so we could not confirm what the results look like.

An architect who breaks the rules on the standard of performance, on the STRA or on the duties of foreign architects can be given administrative sanctions: a written warning, a temporary stop of practice, or the freezing or revocation of the STRA (UU 6/2017 Pasal 38(1), as changed by UU 6/2023).

The sanction is given by the Organisasi Profesi, the architects' professional organisation (Pasal 38(2)). The Dewan Arsitek Indonesia is a council that the Organisasi Profesi forms to help the central government with the profession of architects (Pasal 1 angka 14 and Pasal 34, as changed). We did not find where a complaint against an architect is lodged.

Ask to see their current STRA number. Ask who is legally responsible for the safety and reliability of the building, since an STRA ties that responsibility to the individual architect, not only to their firm. Ask whether the design will go through the PBG (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung) process, which needs an architect who holds a licence (Lisensi). A simple house may be designed without an architect, but the PBG process then still goes through a licensed one (UU 6/2017 Pasal 6A; PP 15/2021 Pasal 30); the page on the construction contract explains this.

Construction is governed by UU 2/2017 tentang Jasa Konstruksi, as amended by the Cipta Kerja changes in UU 6/2023. A construction company must hold a Sertifikat Badan Usaha (SBU), and an individual worker or engineer on a project must hold a Sertifikat Kompetensi Kerja (SKK).

Since the Cipta Kerja amendment, the law itself states that SBU certification is issued through the central government (Pemerintah Pusat), and SKK is registered by the Ministry (Kementerian PU). The name LPJK, Lembaga Pengembangan Jasa Konstruksi, does not appear in the law itself, but LPJK is the body that runs certification in practice, under the Ministry of Public Works.

LPJK runs a public form to check a worker's SKK at lpjk.pu.go.id/cek-tkk-di-bujk, by keyword and by NIK or name. The form loads without a login, but a CAPTCHA blocks the search itself, so we did not submit a search and could not confirm the results. LPJK also runs a search of firms, by NPWP or name, at lpjk.pu.go.id/pencarian-bu-index; it carries the same kind of check that the visitor is a person, and we did not run a search. Company certificates (SBU) are listed as a service at perizinan.pu.go.id, but we could not confirm whether the public can search that register without logging in.

The law restricts a client (Pengguna Jasa) from using a contractor (Penyedia Jasa) that is affiliated with it only in construction for the public interest, and only where the contractor was not chosen through a tender, a selection or the electronic catalogue (Pasal 44, as changed by UU 6/2023). The regulation defines such construction as a building that has an impact on the interests of the nation and the state and/or of the community (PP 22/2020 Pasal 72(3); PP 14/2021 changed only ayat (2)); we found nothing that applies the rule to a private house. Since the Cipta Kerja amendment, working without a required SKK can lead to dismissal from the site, and using uncertified workers can lead to fines or suspension for the employer (Pasal 99).

LPJK, under the Directorate General of Construction (Ditjen Bina Konstruksi) at the Ministry of Public Works, administers SBU and SKK. It runs a complaint service on SIKI behind a login; we did not confirm whether it acts on a private owner's complaint (see the page on the construction contract).

Ask to see the company's SBU number and the SKK number of the person responsible for the technical work on your project. Ask whether the SBU classification and qualification actually match the kind of work being done, such as a building versus civil works. Ask who the Pengguna Jasa and Penyedia Jasa are on the contract. Ask to see the company's construction business licence (the Perizinan Berusaha, shown by the NIB, and the SBU: UU 2/2017 Pasal 26 to 30, as changed by UU 6/2023). The contract, supervision, handover and building failure are on the page on the construction contract.

Public accountants are governed by UU 5/2011 tentang Akuntan Publik. Supervision is a function of the Minister of Finance (Pasal 51), who can inspect a public accountant or KAP (Kantor Akuntan Publik) directly or delegate the work. In practice, that delegated work is carried out by PPPK, the Kemenkeu unit for financial profession development; the term PPPK itself is not used in the 2011 law.

Kementerian Keuangan runs a public register, Find-ProfKeu, at find-profkeu.kemenkeu.go.id/Ap/PeriksaAp for individual Akuntan Publik and /Ap/PeriksaKap for their KAP. Both are searchable by name and registration number, with no login needed, and show a status such as active, on leave, suspended or revoked.

The professional association, Institut Akuntan Publik Indonesia (IAPI), is authorised under Pasal 44 to set professional standards, run the qualifying exam, run continuing education, and review the quality of its members' work. An accountant must not breach client confidentiality under Pasal 29(1); doing so can lead to being listed and, under Pasal 53, to a written warning, a limit on the services they can offer, suspension of their licence, revocation of their licence, or a fine.

A complaint against a public accountant or KAP goes to PPPK, Kementerian Keuangan, which exercises the Minister's supervisory power.

Ask for their registration number and the name of the KAP they work through, so you can check the status yourself on find-profkeu.kemenkeu.go.id. Ask whether their licence is currently active, or under any restriction. Ask who the engagement partner is for the specific audit or report you are relying on.

Tax consultants (Konsultan Pajak) are registered and licensed by the Ministry of Finance. Kementerian Keuangan's own SIKOP register describes itself as the official site for consultants who are resmi terdaftar (formally registered) with the Ministry.

Kementerian Keuangan runs a public register, SIKOP, at sikop.kemenkeu.go.id/front/carikonsultan, searchable by NPWP, name, address or Nomor KEP, with no login needed. It shows a status of Aktif, Ditegur, Dibekukan or Dicabut, and listed 8,937 entries when we tested it. The same register is mirrored at find-profkeu.kemenkeu.go.id/Kp/PeriksaKp.

PPPK, Kementerian Keuangan, supervises tax consultants and can issue a Ditegur (reprimand), Dibekukan (suspension) or Dicabut (revocation) status, which is the basis for a complaint about a tax consultant.

Ask for their NPWP and check their status on sikop.kemenkeu.go.id before you start working together. Ask what licence grade they hold (A, B or C) and whether it covers the kind of tax work you need. Ask directly whether their status is currently Aktif, or whether they have ever been Ditegur or Dibekukan.

Persatuan Insinyur Indonesia (PII), the professional association for engineers, states on its own site that every engineer who practises engineering in Indonesia must hold a Surat Tanda Registrasi Insinyur (STRI), issued through PII, under UU 11/2014 tentang Keinsinyuran.

We could not find a public, login-free tool to verify an individual engineer's STRI. The PII site describes STRI and SKIP (Sertifikat Kompetensi Insinyur Profesional), but the member system we found, at updmember.pii.or.id, requires a login.

We could not confirm the complaint procedure for engineers in this research. Ask PII directly what it is, and ask the engineer for their PII membership details so you have somewhere to start.

Ask to see their STRI number and which engineering discipline it is registered for. Ask whether they hold an SKIP, and at what level (Pratama, Madya or Utama).

'Konsultan perizinan', a permit or licensing consultant, is not a licensed profession in Indonesia. We searched for a profession-specific law, a supervising body and a public register for this occupation and found none.

This means a licensing consultant cannot be checked against any government list, because there is not one. The closest available checks are the consultant's own company registration (NIB), which you can look up on OSS, and, separately, whether the specific licensed professional actually doing the regulated work for you, such as a notary, PPAT or architect, is themselves properly registered, using the sections above.

There is no profession-specific complaint body for a licensing consultant. A dispute with one is an ordinary consumer or contract matter.

Ask what business licence (NIB) their own company holds. For any part of the work that needs a licensed profession, such as a notary, PPAT or architect, ask for that professional's name so you can verify them yourself. Ask for a written agreement on scope, fee and what happens if a permit is not delivered as promised.