How to Find Your Georgia Property's Legal Description

Your legal description is on your recorded deed — not your tax bill or street address. Here's where to look and how to read it.

The legal description is the formal way Georgia law identifies your property. It is not the same as your street address. You'll find it on your recorded deed, in your county tax assessor's records, or on the plat for your subdivision. It typically reads as either "Lot 12, Block A, Sandy Springs Estates, recorded in Plat Book 47, Page 102" (subdivision) or "Beginning at an iron pin..." (metes and bounds).

What a legal description is — and isn't

Definition: the legally enforceable description of the exact piece of real estate. Used in deeds, mortgages, surveys, and any document that conveys or encumbers title.

What it's NOT: your street address (a postal designation), your tax parcel ID (a county shorthand), or your subdivision name alone.

Two types in Georgia:

Subdivision/platted: "Lot [#], Block [letter], [Subdivision name], recorded in Plat Book [#], Page [#]." Easier to read; common in metro Atlanta.
Metes and bounds: "Beginning at an iron pin at the southeast corner of..." Used for unplatted rural land and older parcels. Reads like walking directions.

Where to find your legal description

Method 1 — best

Your recorded deed

Best source. The legal description appears on the first or second page, usually labeled "PROPERTY DESCRIPTION" or starting with "All that tract or parcel of land lying and being..." Don't have a copy? See our guide to getting a copy of your Georgia deed →

Method 2

County tax assessor's online property records

Search by your address at your county tax assessor's website. Most include a "Legal Description" or "Property Description" field. Note: tax assessor descriptions are sometimes simplified — for legal use, always verify against the recorded deed.

Method 3

Your closing documents

If you bought the property from a closing attorney, your closing packet includes a title commitment and the deed. Both contain the legal description.

Method 4 — subdivision properties only

The recorded plat

If your property is in a platted subdivision, the plat itself shows lot dimensions and identifies your specific lot. Search the plat at GSCCCA.org under the Plat Index.

What if you still can't find it?

Call your county tax assessor. They'll usually read the legal description over the phone — quick and free.
Order a title search. A title examiner pulls all relevant records and produces a clean legal description. We include this in every $295 deed transfer (no separate charge). Standalone title searches typically run $150–$300 elsewhere.

Common questions about Georgia property legal descriptions

Is my street address the same as my legal description?

No. The street address is a postal/navigational designation. The legal description identifies the actual land in legal terms — it's what the deed, mortgage, and title records reference.

Why does a deed need a legal description if it has my address?

Because addresses can change (street renumbering, annexations) and don't precisely identify the boundaries. The legal description ties the deed to a specific recorded plat or surveyed boundary that doesn't change.

My tax assessor's record has a short description — is that enough for a deed?

Usually no. Tax descriptions are often abbreviated. For preparing a new deed, the title examiner uses the full legal description from the most recent recorded deed — that's the authoritative version.

My property's legal description references a "metes and bounds" survey from 1952 — is that still valid?

Yes, if the deed was properly recorded. Metes and bounds descriptions are perpetually valid in Georgia. They reference physical landmarks (iron pins, rivers, road centerlines) that may have shifted, which is why a current survey is sometimes recommended for older parcels.

Can I write my own legal description for a deed I'm preparing?

Technically yes, but mistakes are costly — wrong legal descriptions are the #1 reason deeds get rejected at recording or trigger title insurance claims. Even a missing comma or transposed number can void the transfer. Always pull from the prior recorded deed or have a title examiner verify it.

Do I need a survey to get a legal description?

Not if your property already has a recorded legal description from a prior deed or plat — you reuse it. A new survey is only needed if the boundaries have changed or there's a dispute.

Preparing a deed and want to make sure the legal description is right?

We pull and verify the legal description as part of every $295 deed transfer — no extra charge, no risk of a recording rejection. Deed in your inbox within 2 business days.

Start Your Transfer — $295