UPRN – Unique Property Reference Number

A UPRN is a Unique Property Reference Number: a unique numeric identifier for an addressable location in Great Britain. A UPRN can identify a house, flat, commercial unit or another addressable feature such as a substation or public toilet, even where the location does not have a conventional postal address.

The UK Government treats UPRNs, together with USRNs, as open standards for identifying property and street information.

Who creates and manages UPRNs?

UPRNs are primarily allocated through local authority address and land records. GeoPlace manages the definitive identifiers and descriptions from data collected mainly from local authorities, while Ordnance Survey distributes UPRNs through its address and open identifier products.

This is why it is more accurate to think of the UPRN as a national property identifier maintained through the local-authority and national addressing system, rather than something simply created by Ordnance Survey.

Why are UPRNs useful in planning?

A property can change name, postcode or postal description during its lifetime, but a UPRN provides a persistent reference that helps different datasets identify the same location. Ordnance Survey describes the identifier as remaining useful throughout a property’s lifecycle, from planning permission through to demolition.

UPRNs are therefore useful when linking planning, building control, addressing, council, property and geospatial records. They do not replace the site address or red-line plan in a planning application, but they can make digital data much easier to match accurately.

How do I find a UPRN?

For an individual address, GeoPlace’s FindMyAddress service can be used to check the UPRN. Ordnance Survey also publishes open UPRN location data through OS Open UPRN.

A UPRN is different from Royal Mail’s UDPRN, which identifies a postal delivery point.

UPRN Page Updated: 27th August 2026