Not very sexy unless you have a portfolio of properties that lacks proper address information and solely rely on the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) for identification. The APN, however, plays a crucial role in identifying these properties, making it a more reliable method than vague descriptions like "On 3rd St, 1000 yards north of D St."

An APN, or Assessor's Parcel Number, is a unique identifier assigned by the tax assessor to real property parcels for the purpose of identification. It's often referred to as a tax account number and serves as a vital key in property identification. Without a physical address, it becomes challenging to link a property to essential data like tax assessments, zoning, environmental considerations, or sales history.

However, working with APNs can be more complex than it initially appears. APNs can contain special characters like dashes, periods, and colons, and may have leading or trailing zeros that are sometimes omitted. Moreover, there are various IDs, such as Property Identification Numbers (PINs), Tax Account Numbers, Parcel APNs, etc., which can further complicate direct database matching, making it difficult to ensure that the correct property is identified.

To address these challenges, LightBox has developed an APN Matching service that accommodates various property identification methods, including those with special characters. Our APN Lookup API not only provides the SITUS address, if available, but also links to the Parcel and Assessment records through the unique LightBox ID.

If you're interested, you can explore our APN Lookup API by clicking on the link provided. This service complements the LightBox Geocoder and offers a comprehensive solution for property identification and data retrieval.

Click here to view the APN Lookup API