Land cadastre
The cadastre is the administrative land registry maintained by France's tax authority (DGFiP) that identifies every land parcel in France with a unique reference, a surface area, and a registered owner. It underpins the calculation of property tax and serves as the primary parcel identifier in any real-estate transaction.
Key points
- Each parcel has a unique code: department, municipality, section, and number.
- The cadastre is freely accessible at cadastre.gouv.fr or at the town hall.
- It is not legally binding for exact boundary disputes — only a licensed land surveyor's boundary survey (bornage) is authoritative.
- Cadastral references are mandatory in every notarial sale deed.
- The cadastral surface area may differ from the actual measured area; a survey measurement takes precedence in disputes.
Frequently asked questions
Does the cadastre prove ownership of a parcel?
No. The cadastre is a fiscal document, not a title of ownership. It lists the presumed owner and the fiscal surface area, but legal proof of ownership rests solely on the title deed recorded in the land register. A buyer cannot rely on the cadastre alone to verify the chain of title.
How do I verify the exact boundaries of a plot before buying it?
You must engage a licensed land surveyor to carry out a contradictory boundary survey (bornage) in the presence of neighboring landowners. The survey is then recorded in the land register and is binding in any dispute. The cadastre provides a starting point, but its outlines can be imprecise, especially for older parcels.
Why do cadastral references appear in a loan offer?
The bank must precisely identify the property it is taking as mortgage collateral. Cadastral references unambiguously link the loan agreement and the security interest to the exact parcel, preventing any confusion with an adjacent plot. They are repeated in the mortgage registration published at the land-publicity service.
In practice
A broker reviews a file for the purchase of a house with land. The cadastral reference indicates 850 sq m, but the seller has fenced off a 60-sq-m strip belonging to the adjacent parcel. The notary, cross-checking the cadastre against previous title deeds, detects the encroachment before signing, allowing the boundary to be corrected and avoiding post-sale litigation.
Official sources
- How to consult the cadastre? · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Sale agreement and loan condition precedent · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Housing and financing information · ANIL