Parcel number

Parcel number is the unique identification number assigned to a parcel within a specific cadastral district in the real estate cadastre. Together with the cadastral district designation and the cadastral number, it forms the complete official cadastral identification of a property. It is permanently linked to the property and appears in land registry extracts, purchase agreements, and official site plans.

Structure of the Parcel Number

Parcel numbers generally consist of a numerator and-in the case of subdivided parcels-a denominator, separated by a slash (e.g., “345/6”). The original numerator remains unchanged upon division; the denominator is incremented. This allows the history of a parcel to be traced by reading the number: A parcel “345/6” is the sixth subdivision of the original parcel 345. New parcels are assigned sequential numbers; deleted numbers are not reused.

Use in Official Documents

The parcel number appears in the following documents and must always be read in conjunction with the cadastral district and parcel number:

• Land Register Extract: Inventory, Section I
• Notarized Purchase Agreement: For the unambiguous identification of the object of purchase
• Official Site Plan: For building permit procedures
• Property tax assessment: As a reference to the cadastral object

Parcel number and address: no direct connection

Caution: House numbers and streets do not indicate the parcel number. A parcel may not have a postal address (e.g., undeveloped parcels), and an address may span multiple parcels. Therefore, for legally secure transactions, the cadastral designation is always decisive, not the postal address.

Changes to the parcel number

A parcel number changes only as a result of official actions by the surveying office:

Land readjustment: In the case of a government-mandated land readjustment (e.g., as part of a land redistribution procedure under Sections 45 et seq. of the German Building Code (BauGB)), all parcels in an area are renumbered. Owners are notified; the land register is corrected accordingly.

Division: If a parcel is divided, the old number is split into several new numbers with a common denominator.

Merger: When multiple parcels are merged, the old numbers are canceled and a new one is assigned.

In all cases, the following applies: Canceled parcel numbers are never reused. This ensures that the history of each property remains traceable in the cadastre.

Importance in Real Estate Transactions

The correct specification of the parcel number in the purchase agreement is legally mandatory. Errors or ambiguities in the parcel designation can delay or complicate the transfer of ownership. The notary verifies the parcel number against the land register and the cadastre; any discrepancies are clarified before the deed is notarized. As a buyer or seller, you should know the parcel number and verify it against the location of the property in question.

Practical Tip for Property Owners in Nuremberg and Franconia

In Nuremberg and the surrounding Franconian municipalities, many properties have a long history of subdivision, so parcel numbers like “128/14” are not uncommon. We recommend that owners obtain the current cadastral extract from the ADBV Nuremberg or via the Bavarian Geoportal (BayernAtlas) before a sale. This allows discrepancies between the actual property layout and the land registry entry to be identified early on. Especially in the historic town centers of the metropolitan region-such as in Hersbruck, Altdorf, Schwabach, or Neumarkt-there are properties where the parcel numbers originate from various historical subdivision processes and may seem confusing at first glance. A quick look at the BayernAtlas quickly clarifies the location, boundaries, and ownership of the property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the parcel number of my property change?

Yes, new parcel numbers may be assigned during official surveying procedures such as land readjustment or land redistribution. However, this is done only by the responsible surveying office and is officially communicated to the owners. The land registry entry is updated accordingly.

How do I find the parcel number for my property?

The easiest way is to search for free in BayernAtlas (geoportal.bayern.de) by entering the address. The complete official certificate with parcel number, cadastral number, and municipal district is provided by the Parcel and Ownership Certificate from the ADBV.

Do I, as the buyer, need the parcel number myself?

In practice, the notary determines all necessary parcel data based on the land registry extract. As a buyer, however, you should verify whether the parcels listed in the purchase agreement match the property you actually viewed-a quick look at BayernAtlas provides clarity.

What happens if the purchase agreement contains an incorrect parcel number?

An incorrect parcel number can be corrected via a notarial declaration of correction, provided both parties intended the same property. In extreme cases-if the misidentification leads to a different property-the notarization may need to be repeated.

Parcel Number and Property Tax

In Bavaria, the new property tax (based on the Bavarian area model since 2025) is calculated using cadastral data-specifically, the parcel number and the associated area information. The tax office uses the parcel number to retrieve the correct property record from the ALKIS system and calculate the property tax value. Owners who wish to review their property tax assessment should therefore verify whether the parcel number listed in the assessment matches the property they actually occupy or rent out.

Historical Parcel Numbers and Their Significance

In established towns within the Nuremberg metropolitan region-such as the historic centers of Schwabach, Altdorf, or Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz-the parcel number often provides insights into the property’s history. A number such as “45/12” indicates that the property was created in at least twelve steps from an original, larger parcel 45. Such properties that have been subdivided multiple times often have irregular shapes and can lead to setback or access issues during construction or renovation, which only become apparent through a detailed cadastral analysis.

Parcel Numbers Upon Division: Process and Costs

When a property is officially divided-for example, to develop a rear lot and sell it separately-the surveying office assigns new parcel numbers to all resulting sub-parcels. The process in Bavaria is as follows: commissioning a publicly appointed surveyor or the ADBV, on-site boundary determination, preparation of the boundary demarcation certificate, registration in ALKIS, and finally correction of the land register. The costs are based on the fee schedule of the Free State of Bavaria and typically range between 600 and 2,500 euros, depending on the scope of work. We recommend initiating this process at least three to six months before the planned sale, as processing times at the ADBV can vary.

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