Addressing Services
Who is the Addressing Authority in the City of Fargo?
The City of Fargo GIS (Geographic Information Systems) office is responsible for assigning and maintaining addresses for every parcel and premise within the City and Fargo extra-territorial (ET) area.
What is an address?
An address is a method used to describe a physical location and is used by law enforcement, fire and ambulance personnel to provide emergency services response, and by the United States Postal Service for the delivery of mail.
Why is an address so important?
Because “Every Second Counts in Emergency Response!”
Many people, including those in public safety, view enhanced 911 and/or next generation 911 as a great emergency response tool; however, without accurate and consistent address information it cannot always be counted on to help speed-up emergency response. Of the total parts that comprise the 911 system, addressing can be considered one of the most vital.
Developing, maintaining and enforcing addressing standards is in the best interest of public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of Fargo.
Additionally, addressing helps define educational and political districts and affects the quality of services available to citizens. A logical and consistent addressing system can improve the quality of life in a community.
Per the City of Fargo, Property Address Data Standard, Adopted July 19, 2004. All addresses assigned by the GIS office are the official address of record.
Self-addressing is not accepted in the City of Fargo. Failure to comply with the addressing standards or accepting addresses assigned by other entities who have not received addresses from the City may be subject to change under the direction of the City Code of Ordinances. Financial or legal impacts of address changes are the sole responsibility of the Developer, Engineer, Architect, Business, or Owner, for example.
It is imperative to use the address assigned by the City and post your address clearly. Using an alternate or incorrect address could result in delayed emergency service response or mail delivery, difficulty applying for permits, setting up residential service with utility companies and ultimately have financial or legal impacts.
How does GIS determine if an address is incorrect?
The GIS Office researches all inquiries received about erroneous addressing issues. Public Safety Officers, schools, postal services, voter registration, homeowners, and inspectors all take the time to report addressing problems they are experiencing. The GIS Office uses every resource possible to perform extensive research including approved site plans, recorded plats, tenant layout plans and historical records to determine the validity of an address.
An address may come in question if problems arise because the numbers are duplicated, out of sequence or parity, do not follow the standards or cannot be accessed from the designated street. Read more about address changes.
By correcting mistakes in the City databases, this assures residents that public safety vehicles will arrive in a timely manner should an emergency situation arise and reduce issues that may occur with other entities that reference a property or business by it’s legal address.
How can I be sure that I am using the right address?
GIS will validate any address for a homeowner, business or developer. To request address validation, please fill out the City of Fargo Address Validation Form.
Address Validation by the GIS Office is required on all residential and commercial properties when applying for a permit.