What Is a PID Number on a New Brunswick Property?

If you are buying, selling or simply owning property in New Brunswick, you may notice a number labelled PID on an offer, a deed or other property paperwork. It looks like a small detail, but it ties the paperwork to one specific piece of land.

This article explains what a PID is, how it differs from the other number used for assessment and taxes, and why lawyers and the land registry rely on it.

This article covers the law of New Brunswick.

What a PID is

PID stands for Parcel Identifier. Land Titles is a parcel-based registration system, and it uses the PID to uniquely identify parcels of land and to record interests in that land. An interest might be ownership, a mortgage or another registered right.

Think of it as a serial number for a parcel. Street addresses can change or be shared, and owners come and go, so a number tied to the land itself is a more reliable way to point to it.

New Brunswick has more than one way of recording land. Registration requirements differ between Land Titles and the Registry of Deeds, so how a particular property is recorded is something your lawyer can confirm for you.

Why the PID matters on legal documents

Under the Land Titles Act, describing land by its approved PID is a sufficient description for every transaction, instrument or proceeding relating to it. The registrar may also reject an instrument that does not describe the land by its approved PID.

For that reason, an error in the PID on a document can cause delay at registration. It is worth checking that the number on your agreement matches the number on your title records.

• Agreement of purchase and sale: should identify which parcel is being sold.
• Deed and mortgage: describe the land for registration purposes.
• Discharge of mortgage: removes a registered mortgage from the land, in whole or in part, by registering a discharge in prescribed form.
• Assessment information: can be searched using the PID as well as the address or account number.

Electronic instruments can be submitted only by subscribers, meaning Law Society of New Brunswick members authorized to practise law who have an agreement with Service New Brunswick, apart from stated exceptions. Paper submission is allowed in limited cases, such as when a registered owner submits the instrument personally.

PID versus PAN

Your property paperwork may carry a second number that people often confuse with the PID. Service New Brunswick's online assessment information can be searched by address, Property Account Number (PAN) or PID, and the PID is a land-parcel or map identifier that is separate from the PAN used for assessment and taxation.

The PAN side connects to your annual property tax bill. Service New Brunswick assesses each property annually with values as of January 1, and bills go out in early March. If you give the wrong number to someone, the search may fail or return a different property, so label which one you are quoting.

Where to find and search by PID

The PID may appear on your deed, on a mortgage or on your purchase agreement, and your lawyer can confirm it for you. Property assessment information is searchable online through Service New Brunswick's Property Assessment Online (PAOL), using address, PAN or PID.

Searching assessment information is not the same as searching title. A certificate of registered ownership for registered land can be required from the registrar on payment of the prescribed fee, and it is evidence in all courts of its particulars as of its date and time.

Registration requirements differ between Land Titles and the Registry of Deeds, and instruments must be properly executed and accompanied by all pertinent documents and approvals. When land is converted to Land Titles, a lawyer must do a final Registry of Deeds search and give Service New Brunswick the certificate of title.

The Law Society of New Brunswick publishes Standards for the Practice of Real Property Law for lawyers issuing certificates of title. The Form 3 certificate of title is given to Service New Brunswick for land being brought into Land Titles.

What to do next

• Find the PID on your deed, agreement or other property documents and write it down.
• Compare it with the PID on every document in your transaction.
• Do not confuse the PID with the PAN when searching or when giving numbers to others.
• Ask your lawyer to confirm the parcel description before closing.
• Keep a copy of the latest assessment and any registered documents together.

Electronic registration is generally done by lawyers who are subscribers with Service New Brunswick, so if a PID looks wrong, raise it with your lawyer early.

Frequently asked questions