An address locates an entrance or a building; a parcel divides the cadastral map. Understanding how they relate avoids looking at the wrong plot.
Prepared by Carteparcelle · OPL Consulting Oy · Sources checked on
Who creates an address
Since the 3DS law of 21 February 2022, the municipal council names streets and lieux-dits (named localities), including private roads open to traffic, and the commune numbers houses and other buildings. These names and numbers are passed to the Base Adresse Nationale, which the French administration recognises as its single official address register.
An address is used to find an entrance, a letterbox or a building. It does not describe a plot’s boundaries and does not say who owns it.
Base Adresse Nationale — What the 3DS law changes for commune addresses · Base Adresse Nationale — About the national address register
How the card links an address to a parcel
When the Base Adresse Nationale states an address’s parcel, Carteparcelle uses that link. Otherwise the card says which method was used: the address point lies inside the parcel, or the building that carries the address stands on it. These links are for guidance only.
A parcel can therefore have several addresses, for example a building on the corner of two streets, or none, such as a field or a garden without its own entrance. Conversely, a house number may be linked to the parcel holding its entrance rather than the one holding the building.
Reading a mismatch without jumping to conclusions
Fictional example: the house at 12 rue des Lilas stands on one parcel, and its gate opens onto a narrow access strip recorded as a separate parcel. The card for the built parcel may show no address, while the strip carries number 12. The two parcels may or may not have the same owner: the map cannot tell you.
Before sharing a card, check on the map that the selected parcel really is the plot you have in mind, then use its cadastral reference when dealing with others. If your plot is made up of several parcels, note them all.
Reporting a wrong address
The commune is the only authority responsible for addresses: a missing, misplaced or misspelt address is reported to the town hall, which updates its local address base (Base Adresse Locale), taken up by the Base Adresse Nationale.
Carteparcelle does not edit addresses: a correction appears on the site once it is published in the Base Adresse Nationale and our data has been updated. For a linking error specific to our site, write to the address in the legal notice, giving the parcel reference.
Base Adresse Nationale — About the national address register
These guides provide general information. Before making a decision about a property, confirm the relevant details with the responsible authority or professional.
Official sources
The links below lead to official sources in French.