page_title: Plat
section_title: Reasons for platting
hierarchical_section_title: Plat / Reasons for platting
caption_attribution_description: An 1878 map of Transitville (later Buck Creek) in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
context_page_description: In the United States, a plat is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bearing between section corners, sometimes including topographic or vegetation information. City, town or village plats show subdivisions broken into blocks with streets and alleys. Further refinement often splits blocks into individual lots, usually for the purpose of selling the described lots; this has become known as subdivision.
  After the filing of a plat, legal descriptions can refer to block and lot-numbers rather than portions of sections. In order for plats to become legally valid, a local governing body, such as a public works department, urban planning commission, or zoning board must normally review and approve them.
context_section_description: Subdivision of a property into multiple smaller lots, as described above.
  Designation of roads or other rights of way.
  Ensuring that all property has access to a public right of way. Without such access, a property owner may be unable to use his or her property without having to trespass to reach it. The platting process restricts the fraudulent practice of knowingly selling lots with no access to public right of way without revealing that such access does not exist.  (Property that does not have access to public right of way may be sold, provided that the buyer is aware of the lack of a public means of access by water or land.)
  Creation or vacation of easements.
  Dedication of land for other public uses, such as parks or areas needed for flood protection.
  Ensuring compliance with zoning. Zoning regulations frequently contain restrictions that govern lot sizes and lot geometry. The platting process allows the governing authorities to ensure that all lots comply with these regulations.
  Ensuring compliance with a land use plan established to control the development of a city.
  Ensuring that all property has access to public utilities.
caption: An 1878 plat map of Transitville (now Buck Creek, Indiana)
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