Property Search
Maricopa County property search services help residents, property owners, buyers, researchers, and other users locate parcel information maintained by the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office. Searches can be performed with an Assessor Parcel Number, owner name, street address, subdivision, MCR number, city, ZIP code, legal land description, and certain personal property identifiers. This article explains which official search system to use, how the available search methods work, what information to prepare, how to interpret common search results, and where to direct questions involving assessments, parcel mapping, recorded documents, or property tax bills.
Property Search Systems
The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office maintains the primary county systems for searching real and personal property information. Two related tools are especially useful: the Assessor’s main property search and the map-based Parcel Viewer.
The Maricopa County Assessor’s Office website provides access to parcel and address searches and detailed property information. It is generally the appropriate starting point when you know an owner name, street address, or parcel number and want to identify the corresponding property record.
The official Parcel Viewer adds a geographic interface. It lets users locate parcels on a county map, search by known information, select properties graphically, view parcel-related features, measure or draw on the map, change map layers, and follow links to additional property information.
The two systems should not be treated as identical. A parcel may appear differently during a parcel split or activation process. For example, an old parcel may remain viewable on the Assessor’s main website even when a Parcel Viewer search returns no results. A newly assigned parcel can also appear as pending in the map system while activation is still underway.
Assessor Parcel Numbers
The Assessor Parcel Number, commonly called an APN, is one of the most direct ways to identify a real property parcel. The Assessor describes the parcel number as the APN, and it appears in the first column of property search results.
The Assessor’s search system accepts parcel numbers in different formats. Separators are not always required, so a number may work with or without hyphens or other characters between the book, map, parcel, and split portions. Examples provided by the Assessor include formats such as 111-11-111-A, 11111111, and 11111111a.
If you do not know the APN, the Find My Parcel Number page explains that you can search the Assessor’s main site using a name or street address. Once the correct property appears in the results, the APN can be taken from the first column.
APN Search Problems
A parcel number that previously worked may stop returning a matching parcel if the property has gone through a split or combination process. The Assessor advises users who cannot locate a parcel by number to request a parcel history report when additional history is needed.
It is also useful to distinguish a real property APN from a business personal property account number. The Parcel Viewer help information explains that the Treasurer’s Office may place a “9” in front of an Assessor business personal property account number so owners can use Treasurer search functions. That added number does not turn the account number into a valid real property APN.
Searching by Owner Name
An owner-name search can be useful when the parcel number is unknown but the recorded owner’s name is available. The Assessor instructs users to enter the owner’s full name and not abbreviate the first name.
Owner-name searches may return more than one result, especially for common names or owners associated with several parcels. In those situations, compare the property address and other identifying information in the results before selecting a record. Do not assume that the first matching name represents the intended property.
Owner-name searches also differ from business personal property searches. For business accounts, the Assessor allows searches using a business or account name and several other account-specific identifiers described later in this article.
Address Search Formats
Street address searches are another common way to locate a parcel. The Assessor defines its standard address format as the street number, street pre-direction, street name, street type, city, state, and ZIP code. However, the city, state, and ZIP code may be omitted from a query.
The Assessor specifies directional abbreviations such as E, N, W, S, NE, NW, SE, and SW. Street types should also be abbreviated, such as ST, AVE, PL, or LN.
If a complete address does not return the expected result, the Assessor recommends simplifying the search. Leaving off the street type and searching with the street number, direction, and street name can sometimes produce a better match. Examples of accepted formats include:
123 E Main
123 E Main St
123 E. Main St Phoenix
123 Main St 85001
Map-Based Address Location
The Parcel Viewer also includes an address locator for zooming to a known address or major cross streets. Accepted examples include a street number with a street name, a number with a direction and street name, or a fuller address including street type and ZIP code.
The map locator can also search intersections. According to the Parcel Viewer instructions, at least one street name must include a street type, and the streets can be separated with “and” or an ampersand. The locator displays suggestions when an intersection is formatted correctly, although only 10 suggestions are displayed at a time.
Subdivision and MCR Searches
Users researching a group of parcels rather than one street address can search by subdivision name. Entering the subdivision name can return parcels associated with that subdivision. The Assessor also allows users to select a subdivision name from search results or parcel details to view parcels within that subdivision.
MCR numbers can be searched in a similar way. If you know the MCR number, it can be entered directly. MCR links may also appear within parcel details or search results, allowing users to move from an individual parcel record to information associated with the relevant MCR.
The Parcel Viewer provides additional geographic options for subdivision searches, including subdivision name and subdivision number. Subdivision results may include a link to the recorded plat PDF maintained through the Recorder’s website.
City and ZIP Searches
The Assessor permits searches by city or ZIP code when the goal is to identify parcels within a broader area. Enter the city name or ZIP code as the search value rather than a specific owner or parcel identifier.
These searches can produce many matches. The Parcel Viewer limits feature selections to 1,000 records, so broad geographic searches may display only the first 1,000 matching features even when additional matches exist. A result limit should therefore not be interpreted as proof that no additional parcels match the search criteria.
Section, Township, and Range
Property can also be searched using section, township, and range information. For the Assessor’s targeted STR search, all three components must be present in the query. The Parcel Viewer provides search options for PLSS section, township, and range as well as township and range.
This method is different from searching by mailing address or owner name because it is based on geographic land-reference information. Users should enter the known section, township, and range values rather than attempting to substitute an APN or street address into that search field.
Personal Property Searches
The Assessor also maintains personal property accounts, and the search options are not limited to real estate parcels. For business personal property, users can search using a business or account name, address, account or roll number, multiple number, or lease number.
Mobile home searches can be performed using an owner name, address, account number, or VIN. These identifiers are specific to the personal property or mobile home search process and should not be confused with the APN used for real property parcels.
Parcel Viewer Search Tools
The Parcel Viewer offers more advanced ways to identify properties than a standard text search. Its Search By tool can work from information you already know, a shape drawn or selected on the map, or a buffer around an existing selection.
Searching With Known Information
The “What I Know” portion of the Parcel Viewer includes search choices for parcels, subdivisions, PLSS information, ZIP codes, and map IDs. Parcel searches can use an APN or parcel owner name. Subdivision searches can use a subdivision name or number. Other options include section, township and range; township and range; ZIP code; and Map ID number.
After choosing what type of feature to search and selecting the corresponding search field, enter the known value and run the search. Matching items appear on the map and in the Search By Results tab.
Selecting Parcels on the Map
Users can also identify properties by selecting areas directly on the map. Available shapes include point, line, polyline, extent, circle, polygon, and freehand polygon selections. The map can create a new group of results or, when the relevant option is selected, add to or remove from an existing set.
An advanced multipart option allows more than one selection shape to be placed before the search is processed. A search tolerance can also be added to a point selection.
Buffer-Based Parcel Selection
The buffer function is useful when the goal is to locate parcels around a selected feature or area. After generating initial results, enter a search distance and measurement unit and apply a buffer. The system can then select parcels that are entirely within the buffered area or parcels that are within or touching the buffer.
This is a geographic selection tool rather than a statement about legal parcel boundaries. The Assessor specifically warns that mapped parcel boundaries are illustrative and may not match the exact relationship shown in recorded documents.
Reading Parcel Viewer Results
A Parcel Viewer result can provide more than an APN. Selecting a result can zoom the map to the feature and populate the Feature Information panel. Parcel results may also contain buttons leading to Property Information, Property Sketch, Pictometry, Google Street View, and Tax Summary.
The Parcel Viewer search instructions describe several ways to work with a group of search results. Users can zoom to the result set, pan to the selected features, flash them on the map, view the features in an attribute table, run statistics, or export result data in supported formats. Available exports include a feature collection, GeoJSON, CSV, and a shareable search URL.
These functions can be useful for organizing search results, but the presence of a parcel in a map result should not be treated as proof of exact legal boundaries, title status, or current tax information.
Detailed Property Information
Parcel Viewer is designed to work with the Assessor’s more detailed property information pages. The map help documentation explains that users can open detailed property information by selecting the Property Information icon in a Search By result or the Property Information button in the Feature Information panel.
The Feature Information panel is populated after selecting a feature or a search result. This makes it possible to begin with a geographic map search and then move into the corresponding Assessor property record when more detail is needed.
The property information help page explains these connections between the map and the Assessor’s detailed parcel pages.
Property Boundaries and Dimensions
The Parcel Viewer can display parcel boundaries and some dimensions, but the Assessor does not treat those mapped boundaries as an authoritative determination of property lines. Its Parcel Viewer warning states that boundaries are presented for illustrative purposes and that the exact relationship between neighboring parcels should be independently researched and verified.
The Parcel Labels layer can display Assessor property dimensions. Those dimensions are also described as non-authoritative. For property located in a platted subdivision, the Assessor identifies the recorded plat as the authoritative source for dimensions when the dimensions are shown there.
If the parcel is not within a platted subdivision, or if a parcel within a subdivision has been modified, the deed may contain a legal description that provides useful dimensional information. The Assessor also makes clear that its map is not the equivalent of a title report or real estate survey.
For recorded parcel materials, users may be able to follow MCR or deed links from a detailed property record. Questions about recorded documents belong with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office rather than the Assessor’s mapping staff.
Pending and Missing Parcels
Search results can be affected by parcel splits. The Parcel Viewer documentation uses “PENDING” for a new parcel created through the split process when activation in the Assessor’s system has not yet been completed.
According to the Assessor’s published Parcel Viewer information, activation of a new parcel may take two to three weeks after it reaches pending status. The total processing of a split resulting from a recorded deed averages eight to twelve weeks. Split requests and new parcel activation during July, August, and early September may take up to ten to fourteen weeks to complete.
An old parcel involved in a split can produce “No Results” in Parcel Viewer even though information for that older parcel remains visible on the Assessor’s main website. A newly created parcel may appear as pending instead.
Meaning of No Results
“No Results” does not have only one possible meaning. The Parcel Viewer help information says it can indicate an invalid APN, a cancelled parcel, or a parcel that has not yet been mapped. A cancelled parcel can be identified on the Assessor website where the record is marked “CANCELLED.”
Because the map system and the Assessor’s main property information system may reflect different stages of a parcel split, checking both systems can help clarify an unexpected result before assuming that a parcel record does not exist.
Data Accuracy and Updates
The Assessor warns users not to rely on Parcel Viewer data without independent verification. Information in the dataset is used by the Assessor to identify, classify, and value real and personal property, but the Assessor does not guarantee that every item is accurate, complete, or current.
Some information is gathered from independent sources, and errors or omissions can occur while information is collected, interpreted, and reported. Parcel Viewer information is also not updated in real time.
This limitation matters when a property is being split, ownership has recently changed, a deed has recently been recorded, or a user is comparing the map to legal documents. The visual location of a parcel line on the map should not be substituted for recorded documents or an appropriate property survey.
Technical Search Problems
If the Parcel Viewer search box or parcel details fail to display, the application advises users to clear the browser cache. The Parcel Viewer supports major browsers including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Edge. The application also works on iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices, although the help library warns that zooming on a mobile device can cause visual distortion.
The Parcel Viewer help library provides instructions for common map functions, including searching, printing, viewing property information, obtaining data, and working with the map interface.
Questions About Parcel Records
Different property-related questions belong to different county offices. The Assessor’s Office handles parcel information, ownership and mapping issues, address changes, and questions about the Parcel Viewer. Property tax bill questions belong to the Maricopa County Treasurer’s Office. Questions concerning recorded documents belong to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office.
Users who need to submit a property-related question to the Assessor can use the Assessor inquiry form. The form asks for identifying and contact information, a category and topic, property type, parcel or account number, and a description of the question. Supporting documents can also be uploaded in the file formats accepted by the form.
The inquiry system states that requests are delivered to the Assessor’s Public Assistance Department and warns that higher-than-normal request volume may cause processing delays. Users submitting an inquiry should provide the correct parcel or account number whenever available so the request can be associated with the intended property.
Common Property Search Mistakes
Many unsuccessful searches result from using the wrong identifier, entering too much address information, or assuming that every county property system contains the same information at the same time. Several practices can reduce those problems:
Use the real property APN rather than a business personal property account number when searching for a real estate parcel.
Try the APN with or without hyphens if the initial parcel-number format does not return a result.
Do not abbreviate an owner’s first name when performing an owner-name search.
Simplify an address by removing the street type if a fully formatted address does not produce the expected result.
Include section, township, and range together when using the Assessor’s targeted STR search.
Remember that Parcel Viewer selections are limited to 1,000 features, so broad searches may have additional matches beyond those displayed.
Do not assume a “No Results” response proves that the property does not exist; parcel splits, cancellations, mapping status, and invalid identifiers can produce that result.
Do not use Parcel Viewer boundaries as a substitute for recorded documents or a property survey.
Direct tax bill questions to the Treasurer rather than the Assessor’s property search staff.
Direct recorded-document questions to the Recorder rather than relying on map information alone.
Property Search Office
Maricopa County Assessor's Office
301 W Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
602-506-3406
Property Search FAQs
How do I fix an incorrect property address?
The process depends on whether the problem involves a mailing address or the physical location address assigned to the property. The Maricopa County Assessor directs owners with an incorrect mailing address to submit a Mailing Address Update Request. If the physical property address is incorrect, a Physical Property Address Notification is required, and the Assessor verifies the requested change with the city or town where the property is located. Including the parcel number helps identify the correct record. The official Parcel Viewer FAQ explains the distinction between these two types of address corrections.
Why doesn’t my property record have a building sketch?
Not every parcel has a property sketch available through the Assessor’s system. When a sketch does exist, the online display may still be limited: the Assessor states that its current sketch display shows only the first floor of a building. A missing sketch or missing upper-floor drawing therefore does not necessarily indicate that the property record itself is incomplete.
What does a MapID tell me about a parcel area?
A MapID is an identifier used for Assessor Parcel Maps. According to the Assessor, it corresponds to the township, range, section, quarter section, and quarter-quarter section associated with the map. This can be useful when working with Assessor map references rather than an individual street address. The official Parcel Viewer includes MapID-based searching and links qualifying MapID results to the corresponding Assessor PDF map.
Can the Assessor explain my legal description?
The Assessor’s Office states that deciphering a property’s legal description is not a service it provides. A legal description may appear in recorded property documents and can contain technical references that are different from the simplified parcel information shown in an online search. Users who need the description for a legal, boundary, or surveying purpose should not assume that the Assessor’s online display interprets that language for them.