What is a Legal Land Description?
A legal land description (LLD) is a standardized method of identifying land parcels in Canada using survey grid systems. These systems divide the land into hierarchical units that uniquely identify every parcel in the country.
Different provinces use different survey systems based on their history:
- DLS (Dominion Land Survey) — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, BC Peace River
- NTS (National Topographic System) — British Columbia
- Geographic Townships — Ontario
- River/Parish Lots — Manitoba (along rivers)
- FPS (Federal Permit System) — Northwest Territories, Nunavut, offshore areas
How to Convert Legal Land Descriptions
Converting a legal land description to GPS coordinates is simple with Township Canada:
- 1Enter your legal land description in the search box (e.g., NE-7-24-1-W5)
- 2Click "Search" or press Enter
- 3View the exact coordinates on the map and in the results panel
You can also do reverse lookups — enter GPS coordinates or an address to get the legal land description.
Try it yourself
Convert any Canadian legal land description instantly
The Dominion Land Survey (DLS) System
Used across the Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) and BC's Peace River region, the DLS system divides land relative to Meridians that run north-south.
The hierarchy works as follows:
- Meridians — Reference lines (W1 through W6, E1 and E2)
- Ranges — Six-mile-wide columns numbered east to west
- Townships — Six-mile-wide rows numbered from the US border northward
- Sections — 36 one-square-mile divisions within each township
- Quarter Sections — Four quarters (NE, NW, SE, SW) per section
- LSDs — 16 Legal Subdivisions per section
DLS Format Examples
Format Examples
Sections in a Township
Section 25 highlighted
Quarter Sections
SW-25-24-1-W5
LSDs (1-16)
LSD 7 highlighted
National Topographic System (NTS) — British Columbia
BC uses the National Topographic System, which divides land into Map Series, Map Areas, Map Sheets, Blocks, Units, and Quarter Units.
NTS Format
Ontario Geographic Townships
Ontario uses Geographic Townships divided into Concessions and Lots.
Ontario Format
Geographic Coordinates
Township Canada also accepts GPS coordinates and addresses. Supported formats:
- Decimal Degrees: 51.05022, -114.08853
- Degrees Minutes Seconds: 51°27'17"N 114°38'56.2"W
- Addresses: Any Canadian postal address or postal code
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