What is My APN Number?
In this article, we will define an APN number and provide a few ways for your to find yours!
Have you ever wondered what an APN number is? An Associated Parcel Number (APN) is a way to identify rural land property. Rural land properties are usually not numbered in the same way as city or suburban properties, so they need their own parcel identification system. These numbers are assigned by your local county government and can be found on the tax records for that county online. They may also show up on any deed you have for the property if it was purchased recently enough to have one filed with the courthouse- but again, these numbers are unique to each county and may vary from state to state!
This blog post and the accompanying Youtube video will help answer some of your questions about this topic.
APN numbers are assigned by your county government and can be found on any deed you have for property if it was purchased recently enough to have one filed with the courthouse- but these numbers vary from state to state, so they need their own parcel identification system. They will most likely be available to a land owner if they call the County Circuit Recorder or Land Surveyor in the county where their property is located.
A County Circuit Recorder or Land Surveyor may request additional information from the caller to confirm their identity. Assuming you have that information, the County Circuit Recorder will be able to provide you with your APN number tied to your land parcel.
Here is a brief history on the use of APN numbers :
– 1897: The U.S. Department of Agriculture devised a system for identifying parcels of land, but the plan never became widespread because it was hard to use and took too long to map properties.
– 1936: Each state sets its own parcel identification system – mostly based on APN numbers which are assigned by counties in rural areas. This system is still used till this day.
– 1982: The U.S. Department of Agriculture passes new regulations to allow APN numbers on any parcel in the country, not just rural parcels with no street address.
APN number is an identifier for a property that contains two parts – first three letters are assigned by county and second part varies from local office to local office depending on which US State where your property is located.
When working with a Title company, they will be able to determine the title record of the property by researching the APN number.
Rural land is often identified only by its APN number and not the street address, due to how rural properties are sometimes located in very remote areas with no street names.
The US Department of Agriculture uses an 11-digit APN numbering system which consists of two parts: a three letter prefix assigned by county followed by four numbers.
This eleven digit identification code can be used for any parcel nationwide, regardless if it’s urban or rural. The state sets up rules for what these 11 digits will represent – whether they’re describing a single family lot on a townhouse or farmland that spans several states.”
Steps To Take If You Are Looking For Your Rural Land Property Associated Parcel Number (APN).
Check your county’s website (please note, not all counties keep records online).
If your parcel is not listed on the county website, you can contact a local land surveyor for assistance.
When contacting a land surveyor, it’s important to provide them with as much information about your property that you know including:
– Your name and address
– The approximate size of your property in acres or square feet
– A list of any structures on the property (condos are considered buildings)
Contacting an attorney specializing in real estate law may be helpful if there has been recent development at this location. They will also have extensive knowledge of all transactions involving APN numbers and their corresponding legal documentation from previous deals.
If you need additional assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you would like to submit your property to our network navigate to our submission form here: Checklands Property Submission Page
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