Definition of Metes and bounds
A land-description method using courses, distances, monuments, and a point of beginning. The term should be read in the context of the office and record that uses it. Local statutes, field dictionaries, plats, deeds, and assessment systems can assign a narrower meaning, so this glossary gives a research orientation rather than a legal conclusion.
When you encounter “Metes and bounds” in an official portal, capture the exact label, jurisdiction, effective date, and surrounding fields. Do not replace a locally defined term with a similar national term unless the publisher explains that relationship. Precision matters because the same abbreviation can represent a parcel key in one county and a tax account or map reference in another.
How to use the term in record research
Begin at the official assessment, recording, or GIS page and look for a data dictionary, help page, legend, or search instructions. Use the term as that source defines it. If the interface links to another system, preserve the government landing page that establishes the connection. This is especially important for vendor-hosted searches, dynamic document viewers, and downloadable GIS layers.
Use the value to move between records only when a shared identifier or explicit cross-reference supports the match. Similar addresses, names, lot numbers, or map shapes are not enough on their own. Compare the jurisdiction, legal-description text, map reference, instrument number, or effective date before deciding that two entries describe the same land.
Limits and verification
A glossary definition cannot establish ownership, a boundary, tax status, permit eligibility, or the legal effect of an instrument. Those questions require the underlying public record and may require a licensed surveyor, title professional, appraiser, tax official, or attorney. Parcelway avoids converting administrative fields into conclusions about a person.
For a durable citation, name the agency, jurisdiction, record type, identifier, and retrieval date. If the source changes its wording or field structure, note the revision rather than silently applying an older definition. The sources below provide federal context; the maintaining state or local office controls the meaning in its own system.
Official sources
Checked on . Links go to the maintaining public agency or an official federal reference. A portal link does not imply that every record is available online.
- BLM Cadastral SurveyBureau of Land Management
- FGDC Cadastral Data Content StandardFederal Geographic Data Committee
- Census TIGERwebU.S. Census Bureau