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USRN – Unique Street Reference Number
A USRN is a Unique Street Reference Number: an eight-digit identifier used to identify a street in Great Britain. Unlike a street name, which can be duplicated or changed, the USRN provides a persistent identifier that can be used to connect records held by different organisations.
The UK Government recognises the USRN, alongside the UPRN, as an open standard for identifying street and property information.
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Where do USRNs come from?
GeoPlace manages the definitive set of USRNs and associated street information using data collected mainly from local authorities. In England and Wales the National Street Gazetteer (NSG) is the authoritative source of street information and is compiled from Local Street Gazetteers maintained by highway authorities.
GeoPlace currently describes the NSG as bringing together data from 175 highway authorities in England and Wales. The data is used by highway authorities, National Highways, utilities and others to identify streets consistently and coordinate activity such as roadworks.
Why is a USRN useful in planning and property?
A USRN helps distinguish the exact street being referred to where names are duplicated, boundaries are unclear or datasets use different descriptions. It can therefore be useful when linking planning, highways, addressing and property data.
The identifier does not replace the ordinary street name in a planning application. Think of it as the machine-readable reference sitting behind the street record.
How do I find a USRN?
Individual USRNs can be checked using GeoPlace’s FindMyStreet service. UPRN and USRN identifiers with location information are also available as open data through Ordnance Survey products.
USRN Page Updated: 27th August 2026