The short answer
Your parcel number is almost always printed on your property tax bill, usually near the top. If you don’t have the bill, search your name or the property address on the county appraisal district or assessor website. It’s also on your deed, sometimes.
What a parcel number is
Every piece of land in a county has an ID number. The county uses it to track who owns the land and what taxes are owed. It goes by different names depending on the state:
- APN (assessor’s parcel number)
- Parcel ID or PIN
- Property ID or account number
- Tax map number, in some eastern states
They all mean the same thing for our purposes. Formats vary a lot. It might be all numbers, like 184520, or a mix of numbers, letters and dashes, like 12-4S-08-00310-027.
Three places to find it
- Your property tax bill or a county letter. Look near the top, next to your name and the property description. Any letter from the county tax office will have it too.
- The county website. Search “[your county name] [state] appraisal district” or “[your county name] assessor parcel search.” Most counties let you search by owner name. Try last name first, then first name. Vacant land often has no street address, so owner name works better.
- Your deed. Some deeds list the parcel number. Many older deeds only have a legal description, a paragraph describing the land by lot, block, subdivision, or survey lines.
If you still can’t find it
Call the county tax assessor or appraisal district. Give them your name and roughly where the land is. They can look it up in a minute.
Why everyone asks for it
With the parcel number, anyone can pull up the land’s size, location, map, tax status, and owner of record in the county records. It’s the fastest way for a title company, a buyer, or the county to know exactly which piece of land you mean. When you call us, it saves us both time. It isn’t required, though. County and state plus your name is enough for us to find it.
Common questions
Is the APN the same as the property address?
No. Vacant land often has no address at all. The APN is the county’s ID for the parcel.
Is the parcel number private?
No. Parcel numbers are public record.
Does the parcel number change?
Sometimes, if land is split or combined. Otherwise it usually stays the same.