Canada land maps · Canada · October 20, 2026
Canadian Parcel IDs Explained: PID, LINC, PIN, ARN
Each Canadian province numbers land its own way. A plain guide to PID, LINC, PIN, ARN, roll numbers and Quebec lot numbers, and where each is used.
There's no national land registry in Canada. Each province and territory runs its own system, so the number that identifies a piece of land changes when you cross a provincial border. Here's a quick guide to the ones you'll see.
Titles, deeds and cadastres
- Torrens land titles. The registered title is the proof of ownership. British Columbia and Alberta are examples.
- Registry of deeds. Ownership is traced through recorded deeds. Newfoundland and Labrador works this way.
- Cadastre. Quebec numbers every lot on the Cadastre du Québec and publishes rights in the Registre foncier.
The identifiers, province by province
| Place | Main identifier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | PID | Nine digits, e.g. 012-345-678 (LTSA) |
| Alberta | LINC | Land Identification Number; rural land also uses LSD-section-township-range-meridian |
| Saskatchewan | Parcel number | ISC Land Titles; quarter-section descriptions for farmland |
| Manitoba | Roll number / title number | Assessment roll number for tax; title number at Land Titles |
| Ontario | PIN and ARN | Nine-digit PIN in the land registry; ARN from MPAC for assessment |
| Quebec | Lot number | Cadastre du Québec, lot numbers 1,000,000 and up |
| New Brunswick | PID | Property Identifier, Service New Brunswick |
| Nova Scotia | PID | Eight digits, Service Nova Scotia Land Registration |
| Prince Edward Island | PID | Property Number |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Crown Lands title or application number | Private deeds at the Registry of Deeds |
| Yukon | Lot and plan | Certificate of title at Yukon Land Titles |
| Northwest Territories | Parcel description / tenure number | ATLAS map |
| Nunavut | Lot and plan | Canada Lands Survey Records |
Same letters, different numbers
"PID" means different things in different places. In BC it's a nine-digit Parcel Identifier. In Nova Scotia it's an eight-digit Property Identifier. In New Brunswick and PEI it's that province's own property number. Never reuse a PID from one province in another province's search.
Tax numbers vs registry numbers
Assessment numbers like Ontario's ARN or a Manitoba roll number identify a property for tax. Registry numbers like a PIN, LINC or title number identify the legal parcel. Both can lead you to the right parcel on a map, but only the registry record shows ownership.
Next: how to look up a Canadian property parcel for free, or browse all Canada land maps.
Sources
- The official map viewers linked above. Each was opened without a login on October 20, 2026.
- Platbookmapper Canada pages, checked against each province's and territory's registry and mapping sites in October 2026.