Guides · Updated 29 October 2026
How to read a French cadastral plan: sections, plot numbers and what the plan does not say
In short
The French cadastral plan splits each commune into sections, named by one or two letters, and then into numbered plots. A plot is therefore named by its commune, section and number, for example "Giverny, C 1719". The plan can be viewed free of charge on cadastre.gouv.fr. It is a tax document: it does not fix property boundaries and does not show owners' names.
Reading and getting the plan of a plot
1. Find the plot
Search for the address on the OpenParcels map and click the land. The plot sheet shows the section, number, 14-character identifier and official area.
2. Open the official plan
On cadastre.gouv.fr, choose the commune, then search by address or by section and number. Searches only work within one commune.
3. Print an extract
An A4 or A3 extract of the plan is free. A whole A0 sheet costs €9.50 on paper and €18 on plastic film.
4. Check the boundaries on site
Before buying, fencing or building on a boundary, ask whether the land has been surveyed. Only a bornage by a géomètre-expert fixes the line between two properties.
What the cadastre is for
French cadastral records have two parts: the plan, which draws the plots, and the matrice cadastrale, a register listing each plot’s owner and the details used for property tax. Anyone can ask for these documents.
The plan is a tax record. As the government’s Service-Public site puts it, it does not fix property boundaries, and owners' names do not appear on it. The exact line between two plots is set by a boundary survey (bornage) carried out by a géomètre-expert, a chartered land surveyor.
Commune, section, sheet, plot
The plan is kept commune by commune. Each commune is divided into sections named by one or two letters (A, B, AB, ZK). A section may run over several map sheets. France has 598,756 sheets, as images or vectors, according to the tax authority’s viewing service.
Within each section, plots are numbered. A plot is named by its commune, section and number: "Saint-Véran, AB 418". When a plot is divided, the cadastre office gives new numbers to the plots that result.
The 14-character identifier
France’s open cadastral files and OpenParcels write each plot as a 14-character identifier. The first 5 characters are the commune’s INSEE code. The next 3 are the prefix, 000 except on the land of a former commune merged into another. Then comes the section in 2 characters, padded with a zero when it has a single letter, and the number in 4 digits.
So 272850000C1719 reads: commune 27285 (Giverny), prefix 000, section 0C, that is C, plot 1719.
What the plan shows
The open data published by Etalab from the tax authority’s digital cadastral plan keeps commune boundaries, sections and their sheets, named localities (lieux-dits), plots, tax subdivisions and buildings.
Each plot’s area appears in the cadastral records as its contenance. It can differ from the area measured by a surveyor, since the plan does not fix boundaries.
Finding the owner
The plan carries no names. The owner is listed in the matrice cadastrale, which can be consulted at the local land tax office, or requested by post with a form. Searches are by name or by cadastral reference, within a single commune. Only the owner receives the full details, such as date of birth or the grounds for a tax exemption.
At the town hall, searching by owner’s name is not possible: you search by address or by cadastral reference.
What OpenParcels shows
Three real plots broken down
Three identifiers read on the map, each with its commune, section and number.
Giverny (Eure), 84 rue Claude-Monet. Identifier 272850000C1719: section C, plot 1719, official area 9,895 m².
Open the plot →Saint-Véran (Hautes-Alpes), 1 place de l’Église. Identifier 05157000AB0418: two-letter section AB, plot 418, 428 m².
Open the plot →Le Verdon-sur-Mer (Gironde). Identifier 33544000BW0001: plot BW 1, a disc of 1,340 m² out at sea, under the Cordouan lighthouse.
Open the plot →
Frequently asked questions
Does the French cadastral plan prove where my boundaries are?
No. The plan is a tax document and does not fix property boundaries. To set the limits of a plot, you need a boundary survey (bornage) by a géomètre-expert.
How much does an extract of the cadastral plan cost?
Information printed on A4 or A3 sheets is free. A copy of a whole A0 sheet costs €9.50 on paper and €18 on plastic film.
How do I find out who owns a plot in France?
Owners' names are not on the plan. They are in the matrice cadastrale, which can be consulted at the land tax office or requested with a form, searching by cadastral reference. Only the owner receives the full details.
What does the zero in a section such as "0C" mean?
In the 14-character identifier, the section always takes two characters. A one-letter section is padded with a zero: 0C means section C.
Where can I see the French cadastral plan?
On cadastre.gouv.fr, free of charge for the whole of France, and at land tax offices and town halls. OpenParcels shows the same plots on its map, with the PLU zone and natural risks.
Sources
- Comment consulter le cadastre ?, Service-Public.gouv.fr (vérifié le 13 mars 2025)
- Service de consultation du plan cadastral, DGFiP
- BOFiP, BOI-CAD-DIFF-20-10 : consultation des documents cadastraux
- Cadastre Etalab : données ouvertes du plan cadastral, cadastre.data.gouv.fr
- API Carto, module cadastre (IGN) : champs de la parcelle, dont le code de commune absorbée