The county tax assessor or another local government body assigns a specific, multi-digit number to each parcel of land within a county or other local authority. Depending on where you’re located, tax officials may refer to it as a parcel number, a property index number, or an assessor’s parcel number.

The number doesn’t form a part of the legal description of the land; instead, it’s used to identify the property for tax purposes according to its boundary lines. It’s important to know what is a parcel number for the property. It’s one of the most crucial pieces of information you should have if you’re preparing to sell your land. Fortunately, there are several ways to obtain this number. 

What Is a Parcel Number Format?

This number is employed as an identifier on your local parcel maps and has a distinctive format. The parcel number for your property depends on the book your property is located in because parcel maps are organized into books. The majority of them consist of three or four sets. 

The first set contains the book number where your parcel is situated, and the second set includes the book page where your map is located. The actual parcel number is the last set, and its length can vary. The fourth set of numbers is typically used to identify the separate units on lots that have been divided into condominiums, apartments, or duplexes. Each of these sets is separated by a hyphen.

Some parcels will also have letters at the end. The purpose of these letters is to denote special circumstances:

• M stands for Mineral Rights like natural gas.

• P indicates Possessory Interest, meaning you don’t own the land but have something that can be taxed.

• S means Surface Rights only or that someone else owns the mineral rights on the land.

• T is for Tax Exempt  

• U stands for Utility  

Top 5 Steps on How to Find Parcel Number

Most counties provide numerous options for homeowners and potential buyers to acquire this information because these numbers are public data. Here are some steps you could follow to learn your property number fast.

Step 1: Check Your Tax Bill

Simply checking your annual property tax statement will provide you with the parcel number for any property you own. You may find it next to your name as the property owner, and it’s prominently posted. Parcel numbers can vary, which causes some people to become confused, but if you know how they are formatted, you can easily identify them.

Step 2: Renew Your Land Purchase Paperwork

It’s reasonable that many homeowners lose their original paperwork over time and need help locating it. Similarly, if an escrow account handles your property taxes, you might never see your property tax bill. In these cases, you can update your title and deed in order to obtain your parcel number for real estate. Although this process is costly, at least you will have all your paperwork ready when selling your plot of land.

Step 3: Research Your County Tax Assessor’s Office Website

The county Tax Assessor’s Office website is another common place where you could obtain the property parcel number. First, learn what county is your plot of land located in. The responsibility for tracking who owns what property and obtaining property taxes falls to the local county governments. However, in certain states, including Michigan, Ohio, and New Jersey, local townships handle property taxes. Therefore, you must be aware of which government body is in charge of determining the value of your property. If you are unsure which county your property is in, search for the closest city online while including the word “county.”

Most counties make it simple for you to conduct an internet search for information about your land. There is a Property Assessor office in every county. The assessor must evaluate each county property as part of their duties. Local governments use this valuation to calculate how much property tax is due.

Find the “property search” tool once you reach the Property Assessor’s website. You’ll need to know at least the most basic details about your piece of property, such as the street address or owner’s name, to conduct a search for it. You’ll get a lot of information about your undeveloped land on the website, including the parcel number.

Step 4: Review the Deed of Trust

If you have the documents from when you purchased the property, it would be easy to obtain the parcel number. Simply go over the Deed of Trust or other documents related to the acquisition of your land. You can find the property parcel number on the deed, along with the appraisal, title reports, and other important information.

Step 5: Get Help From a Professional

To identify the parcel number, contact a real estate expert, like a realtor or agency. Due to their access to property databases, real estate agents can frequently discover details about a home faster than the average person. If you’ve bought the land with the help of an agent, get in touch with them since they will likely still have records that include your assessor’s parcel number.

Final Thoughts on What Is a Parcel Number and How to Find It

Your local tax assessment office assigns a parcel number, to identify your property for tax, title, deed, and property line purposes. Knowing the property number is also a must if you’re looking to sell the land. 

If you decide to sell your land to SimpleLandSelling, you could get a free cash offer using your property parcel number and county. We’ll use this information to research the plot of land and evaluate it. Then, we’ll give you a lucrative offer, and once we agree on the price, we’ll create a purchase agreement for you to sign and then coordinate with a notary to sign the deed. We’ll take care of the paperwork to help fast-track the process. Yours is to sign and enjoy your cash!