Blair County – Parcel Identification Number Structure
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Overview of PIN Changes in Blair County
The Blair County Assessment Office has updated its Parcel Identification Number (PIN) system to improve data management, automation, and public access. While the historical District-Map-Parcel structure remains, formatting has been standardized for better sorting and data handling.
Key Updates
- Standardization: All tax parcels, including buildings on leased land, now have unique PINs.
- Legacy Issues: Some existing parcels required significant changes due to length, duplication, or other issues.
- Logan Township Changes: Three specific tax maps in Logan Township (District 14) were renamed:
- Map 15A-AA became 15A1
- Map 15A-CC became 15A2
- Map 22B-2-A became 22B3
- New Suffixes: Approximately 7% of the county’s 65,000 parcel IDs were assigned new suffixes (the split-off part of the PIN).
Transition and Search Support
To assist users accustomed to old formats, the Assessment Office maintains backward compatibility:
- Search Capability: Computers and the CourthouseOnline. com web service support searching by "Old Map Number" for parcels existing as of June 1, 2014.
- Cross-Reference: A data file linking old and new numbers is available from the Assessment Office.
Examples of PIN Conversion
- Typical Example: 2000-09 -6-2 became 20. 00-09. -006. 02-000 (no change)
- Parent Example: 2000-09 -6-1-A became 20. 00-09. -006. 01-000 (letter dropped)
- Double-Split-off:
2000-09 -6-1-1became20.00-09..-006.09-000(new suffix)- Note: Double-split parcels with new suffixes require searching by "Old Map Number. "
PIN Structure Breakdown
The new PIN format follows the structure: DD. WW-NNAA-PPP. SS-LLL
| Section | Positions | Description & Rules |
|---|---|---|
| DISTRICT | 1-2 (DD) | District Number (01–25). Example: 01 |
| Minor Separator | 3 | Period (. ) |
| WARD | 4-5 (WW) | Used in Altoona, Hollidaysburg, Tyrone. 00 = No Ward; 01 = Ward (01-99) |
| Major Separator | 6 | Hyphen (-) |
| BASE MAP | 7-8 (NN) | 00 = Non-Surface Map (e. g. , Minerals); 02 = Base Map Number (01-99) |
| INSET MAP | 9-10 (AA) | AA = Two Letters; A2 = Letter & Number; A. = Single Letter; . = Not an Inset Map |
| Major Separator | 11 | Hyphen (-) |
| PARCEL NUMBER | 12-14 (PPP) | Parcel Number (001–999). Example: 201 |
| Minor Separator | 15 | Period (. ) |
| PARCEL SUFFIX | 16-17 (SS) | 00 = Parent; 23 = Suffix (01-99). Letters from former parent PINs are dropped. |
| Major Separator | 18 | Hyphen (-) |
| LEASEHOLD NUMBER | 19-21 (LLL) | 000 = Surface Parcel; 123 = Leasehold Number (possibly lot number) |