How to Find the APN for a Property
By AcreBound Editorial Team Updated:
Quick Answer
Search the property’s address on the county assessor’s website and read the parcel number from the record. With paperwork, it’s usually printed on the property tax bill and often on the deed or title report.
With no address, tap the parcel on a parcel map. Confirm the number against a second source before relying on it.
The fastest way to find an APN is to search the property's address on the county assessor's website and read the parcel number from the result. If you're holding paperwork, the number is usually printed on the tax bill. Not sure what the number is? Start with What Is an APN?
Step by Step: Find an APN From an Address
- Pin down the county. Parcel records are kept by county, and some cities straddle two. If the city name doesn't settle it, check the county on the tax bill or on a map.
- Search for the county's property search. Try "[county name] assessor property search." Some places call the office the appraiser, auditor or assessment office.
- Enter the address the way the county wants it. Start with the number and street name only. Leave off the city, ZIP and suffix if the first try fails.
- Open the record. The parcel number is normally at the top of the page, next to the site address and the owner of record.
- Confirm it. Compare the acreage or outline on a map with what you expect, or look the number up a second time from a different page.
Which Method Should You Try?
| You have | Try |
|---|---|
| A street address | The assessor's property search or an address search on a parcel map |
| Only a spot on the ground | A parcel map: zoom in and tap the parcel (see finding a property with no address) |
| GPS coordinates | A map that accepts coordinates (see finding a property by coordinates) |
| The owner's name | Owner-name search on the assessor's site, where the county offers it |
| A tax bill, assessment notice, deed or title report | Read it off the document |
| An old number from an old document | Search it, and if nothing comes back, search the address to find the current one |
Read It Off a Document
The tax bill is the easiest source. Maricopa County's assessor prints the parcel number on its Notice of Value, and New York's tax department tells homeowners that the tax map number on the bill must be entered exactly as printed, periods and hyphens included. The label changes from place to place (Parcel No., APN, Tax Map Number), but it sits near the top.
Deeds, title reports, closing statements and mortgage papers often carry the number too, usually near the legal description. Some recorders require it. San Diego County's recorder lists the APN among the requirements for deeds under a local ordinance. Other counties don't, so a deed without an APN isn't a red flag. Try another source.
Bills carry other codes too. A Los Angeles County bill includes a PIN, which the county's treasurer defines as a code for electronic transactions. It isn't the parcel number (the county's parcel number is the AIN). Copy the one labeled for the parcel.
Use a Parcel Map
Open a map, find the property by address or by zooming in, and tap the parcel. The details usually list the parcel number, and you can see the outline to confirm it's the right piece of land. It works without any paperwork, and it's often the only practical route for a lot with no address. If the map itself is new to you, How to Read a Parcel Map covers the basics.
Search the County's Own Records
Counties differ a lot in what their search accepts. Maricopa County lets you search by parcel number, owner name, address, subdivision, city or ZIP code. Its assessor suggests entering the owner's first name in full rather than abbreviating it, and says street direction should be N, S, E, W and street types abbreviated. Miami-Dade's property appraiser searches by address, owner name, folio number or subdivision.
If the county has no online search, call the assessor's office. With an address, a nearby cross street or the owner's name, staff can usually find the number.
What If the Address Search Fails?
- No result. Los Angeles County's assessor says a missing address is often a multi-unit complex, a corner lot or a brand new development that hasn't been entered yet. Its advice is to search by the nearest cross streets, check the deed or contact its help desk.
- Several parcels come up. One property can include more than one parcel. Open each and check its outline and acreage.
- Condos. Units may have their own parcel numbers, or the whole building may have one. Search with the unit number and then without it.
- A vacant lot. Maricopa's assessor notes that vacant land typically has no site address assigned. In the Lancaster area, Los Angeles County lists some vacant lots by a nearby intersection, with "VAC/VIC" (vacant in the vicinity of) in the address field. Search the map instead of the address.
- The county has no online search. Call the assessor.
Use AcreBound
AcreBound is an iPhone app that searches by address, APN, owner name, city, county, ZIP code or coordinates, and can also search near your current location. Tap the parcel and you'll see its outline, acreage and APN. Owner details are part of AcreBound Pro and show up where county data includes them. Coverage varies by county, so check the coverage pages for yours, and see APN search in AcreBound.
Check the Number Before You Rely on It
One wrong digit sends you to a different parcel. After you get the number, confirm it somewhere else: match the acreage and outline on the map against your documents, or run the number through the county site again. If you plan to quote it on a permit application or an offer, it takes a minute and saves a mix-up.
Common Mistakes
- Copying the account number or PIN instead of the parcel number.
- Searching without the county.
- Dropping a leading zero or the letter at the end.
- Using an old APN after the parcel was split. APN vs Parcel ID explains the look-alike numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find an APN with just an address?
Usually, yes. Search the address on the county assessor's site or on a parcel map. New buildings and multi-unit complexes are the common failures.
Can I find the APN of a property I don't own?
Generally, yes. County assessor sites and parcel maps are built for public lookups, though what each one shows differs.
Is there one national place to look up APNs?
No. A University of California extension program says there is no standardized place to view all free parcel data across the US, so the county's own site is the best starting point.
How do I find the APN from coordinates?
Enter them into a map that highlights the parcel at that point, then tap the parcel. How to Find a Property by GPS Coordinates covers the format.
What if I only know the owner's name?
Try the owner search on the assessor's site if the county has one. Not every county does. Los Angeles County's assessor, for example, doesn't offer owner-name search on its public website.
Once you have the number, How to Find Out Who Owns a Property shows how to use it, and How to Find Property Lines by Address lists reasons an address and a parcel don't line up.
Sources
- Maricopa County Assessor: Frequently Asked Questions Search options, address format tips, vacant land.
- Los Angeles County Assessor: Mapping help Missing addresses, vacant lots, owner search.
- Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector: General Request for Information AIN and PIN definitions.
- Miami-Dade Property Appraiser: Property Search Search by address, name or folio.
- New York State Tax Department: Property tax bill examples Tax map number on the bill.
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk: Recording APN on deeds.
- UC ANR Informatics and GIS Program: Finding and Using Parcel Data in California County-by-county parcel data.