Land records only work if every piece of land has one reliable label. A parcel identification number, or PIN, is the general term for that label: a unique code given to a parcel in a land information system so that its map outline, ownership and tax records point to the same place.
In Jamaica, two references do this job in everyday practice. Registered land carries a title reference, written as a Volume and Folio number, issued by the Registrar of Titles. Every parcel, registered or not, also has a valuation number on the National Land Agency’s valuation roll, which appears on the property tax assessment notice and tax receipts. The NLA’s digital parcel mapping links these references, so a search by either one can locate the land on the map. When you hear a Jamaican professional ask for a parcel’s identifier, they almost always mean one of these two numbers.
The practical tip is to keep both. Unregistered land has no Volume and Folio, so the valuation number may be the only official reference, and it is needed for paying property tax, obtaining a tax certificate for a sale and applying for a first title. In the US and Canada, an assessor’s parcel number serves a similar purpose and is printed on every tax bill.
Related terms: Valuation Number, Title Reference, Valuation roll number, Cadastral Map, Unregistered land, Property Tax Number.
Accurate as at October 2026.
