Addressing

Process Description:
The addressing process has been established to provide a unique numerical assignment of addresses to properties within the City limits and its Extraterritorial Planning Jurisdiction. The procedure is based on a logical progression of numbers starting at the City’s center, and is intended to avoid any address duplications across Wake County, in order to avoid any confusion for public service providers such as police, fire, refuse removal, and for private service delivery providers.

The Property Identification Technician assigns block numbers based on location coordinates within the City of Raleigh, with zero being located at the State Capitol Building and coordinates increasing from this point in all directions. Even numbers are generally assigned on the right (heading outward from the center) and odd numbers on the left. Single-family housing, townhouses, and buildings that include one business or a commercial establishment, shall be assigned unique numerical addresses by the Department of City Planning. Building suite addresses are assigned by the City of Raleigh Inspections Department Permits Division.

See the City of Raleigh Development Services Glossary for any unfamiliar terms.

Exceptions to the process:
For certain circumstances, an existing address may be changed for just cause as determined by the Planning Technician. Such circumstances may include the following:

Inconsistent block range or address range
Even numbers on the odd number side of the street
Out of sequence addresses (i.e. 2100, 2104, 2110, 2108)

Are there any prerequisites to this process?

Subdivisions
For issuance of an address for raw land or a new subdivision, street names will need to be approved by the Department of City Planning and Wake County or Durham County, whichever is applicable. Final addresses are issued when the official subdivision plat is recorded to create lots. See Recorded Maps process description.

Buildings
For proposed buildings, the property must exist in the configuration it is to be addressed. If the building or buildings are part of a pending subdivision plan, the building addresses are issued after the lots are addressed and the official subdivision plat is recorded at the Wake County Register of Deeds office and the new lots and their addresses are entered into the Wake County property database.

Property lines must be in place.

For both subdivisions and buildings noted above, some important information is required prior to the issuance of an address. An approved plan of the proposed or existing development should be submitted as noted below, which includes building orientation, vehicular access, site data, street locations and north/east/south/west orientation. Either paper or digital submittals are acceptable but must be legible. Digital images should be under 3mb and sent via e-mail to the Property Identification Technician.

The addressing process must be complete prior to applying for trade permits in the Inspections Department (i.e. Building, etc.)

How do I start the process?
This process is started by submission of an approved site plan, plot plan or subdivision to the Department of City Planning, Current Planning Services Division. The submittal package will be forwarded to the Property Identification Technician to start the process.

What do I need to submit to the City?

Standard Submittal Package

Two (2) copies of an approved Preliminary Subdivision Plan with case or file reference number (ie. S-30-05). Either digital format (.jpg; .pdf) or legible paper copy is acceptable

-OR-

Two (2) copies of a Plot Plan. Either digital format (.jpg; .pdf) or legible paper copy is acceptable

-OR -

Two (2) copies of an approved preliminary site plan and building layout with case or file reference number (ie. SP-30-05). Either digital format (.jpg; .pdf) or legible paper copy is acceptable
Contact name and phone number

What additional documents may be needed?
If the project is to be recorded and addressed in phases, an overall plan must be submitted with the phases so staff can determine the location of the phase within the development.

Where do I submit my application?
Office:             City of Raleigh
Department:    Department of City Planning
Location:          Front Desk
Address:          One Exchange Plaza Suite 304, Raleigh, NC 27601
Adjacent to:     219 Fayetteville Street
Phone #:          (919) 516-2626
Hours:              8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

What are the keys to success?

Cumulative or overall maps with previously-recorded or addressed phases of a larger plan shown should be submitted with new address requests, where applicable
Orientation of the development should be clear. Where will access to the site or building be? Where is the front of the building?
Include the nature of request and labeled land uses (i.e. commercial buildings, apartments, multi-story, condominiums, accessory buildings, or open space) should be clearly shown on the submitted documents

What fees are involved and when do I pay them?
There are currently no fees for this service. Fees, if any, are tied to the Recorded Maps process when addressing is reviewed simultaneously.

How long will this process take?
The process will take up to five (5) working days, depending upon the size and complexity of the project; however, most are processed within the same day.

Guide Home Page

For More Information Contact:
Willa Hinton
Planning Technician
Planning Department
One Exchange Plaza, Suite 304
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-516-2638

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