Legal Land Description API for Developers
Convert PLSS township, range, and section to GPS coordinates with simple HTTP requests. Batch processing, autocomplete suggestions, and map tile overlays. Supports 30+ states and all 37 principal meridians.
What You Can Build
Oil & Gas Asset Management
Track wells, leases, and mineral rights by legal description. Convert legacy land records to GPS coordinates for mapping.
Real Estate Applications
Display property boundaries, convert deed descriptions to coordinates, and integrate with MLS systems.
Agricultural Management
Map farm fields by section, track land ownership, and integrate with precision agriculture systems.
GIS & Mapping Tools
Add PLSS grid layers to your maps, geocode legal descriptions, and export boundaries in GeoJSON format.
Why Use the Township America API?
BLM publishes raw survey data — we built the developer layer on top of it so you don't have to.
| Township America API | BLM ArcGIS Endpoints | |
|---|---|---|
| Query syntax | Simple REST — plain PLSS strings | Complex ESRI query language |
| Response format | Clean JSON with lat/lng | Raw GIS feature collections |
| Autocomplete | Built-in, sub-100ms | Not available |
| Response times | <200ms p95 | Varies, often 1–5s |
| GIS knowledge required | No | Yes |
Common Use Cases
Land Management Apps
Track wells, leases, and mineral rights by legal description across multiple states.
GIS Data Pipelines
Geocode batches of legacy land records and pipe results into your existing GIS workflows.
Mobile Apps
Add PLSS search and map overlays to field apps without building a geocoding engine.
Data Enrichment
Attach GPS coordinates to property databases that only store legal descriptions.
Real Estate Platforms
Display rural property boundaries and integrate PLSS data with MLS systems.
Internal Tooling
Give your ops team a fast lookup tool without building custom geocoding infrastructure.
Quick Start
Start converting legal land descriptions to GPS coordinates in under 5 minutes.
Create an Account
Sign up at townshipamerica.com/app and navigate to your account settings.
Get Your API Key
Generate an API key from your dashboard. Keep it secure — it's your access token.
Make Your First Request
Use your API key to convert a legal land description:
Code Examples
curl "https://developer.townshipamerica.com/search/legal-location?location=14S+15E+6th+Meridian" \
-H "X-API-Key: 1234567890abcdefghij"const response = await fetch(
'https://developer.townshipamerica.com/search/legal-location' +
'?location=14S 15E 6th Meridian',
{ headers: { 'X-API-Key': '1234567890abcdefghij' } }
);
const data = await response.json();import requests
response = requests.get(
'https://developer.townshipamerica.com/search/legal-location',
params={'location': '14S 15E 6th Meridian'},
headers={'X-API-Key': '1234567890abcdefghij'}
)
data = response.json()Try It Now
Live Demo/search/legal-location?location=NE%2025%205N%2030E%20Mount%20Diablo%20MeridianAuthentication
All API requests require authentication using your API key.
Include your API key in the request header:
Base URL:https://developer.townshipamerica.com
Convert Legal Description to Coordinates
Convert legal descriptions to coordinates and vice versa.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| location | string | Required | PLSS legal land description 14S 15E 6th Meridian |
Example Response
Convert Coordinates to Legal Description
Get the legal land description for any GPS coordinate.
Smart Suggestions
Real-time suggestions as users type legal descriptions.
Batch Processing
Process up to 100 locations in a single request.
Map Tiles API
PLSS grid overlay tiles for your mapping applications.
Tile URL Pattern
https://maps.townshipamerica.com/{state}/{layer}/{z}/{x}/{y}.mvt?api_key=... Available Layers
| State | Grid Layers | Label Layers |
|---|---|---|
twpfirst-divisionsecond-division | twp_labelfirst_division_labelsecond_division_label |
Error Codes
| Code | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | Bad Request | Invalid legal land description |
| 401 | Unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key |
| 429 | Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded |
| 500 | Server Error | Internal error — try again |
Rate Limits
Rate limits vary by plan tier.
Build
Scale
Enterprise
OpenAPI Specification
Download our OpenAPI 3.0 specification for code generation, testing, and documentation.
API Pricing
Simple, predictable pricing.
Build
For development & testing
- 1,000 requests/mo
- $0.02/request
- 1/sec
- Unlimited API keys
Scale
For production apps
- 10,000 requests/mo
- $0.01/request
- 5/sec
- Unlimited API keys
Enterprise
For high-volume needs
- 100,000 requests/mo
- $0.005/request
- 25/sec
- Unlimited API keys
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free PLSS API?
Yes. Township America offers a free tier with a limited number of requests per month — enough to build and test your integration before committing to a paid plan. See all plans.
How accurate is the PLSS geocoding?
Professional-grade accuracy sourced directly from BLM survey data. Results include a confidence score so your application can handle edge cases appropriately.
Can I batch convert PLSS descriptions via API?
Yes. The batch endpoint accepts arrays of up to 100 legal descriptions per request, returning coordinates for all of them in a single response. Batch conversion guide.
What response formats are supported?
All endpoints return JSON with GPS coordinates, confidence scores, parsed description components, and optionally GeoJSON geometry for boundary polygons.
Ready to convert legal land descriptions programmatically?
Get your API key and start converting township, range, and section to GPS coordinates in minutes.
Get API Key