glossary

Square and lot

Square and lot are parts of the local identifier used for Washington, DC property tax accounts. An optional suffix can also be present, which produces the full SSL.

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Meaning in DC records

The square identifies a mapped area, and the lot identifies an account within that area. The full account format must be preserved because condominium, possessory-interest, and other account forms can differ from a simple tax lot.

Verified DC example

For 2220 Q Street SE, the verified Quoin evidence example uses square 5576 and lot 0001, shown as SSL 5576 0001. The official verification route is the MyTax DC Real Property Search.

Research caution

Square and lot identify a tax account. They do not by themselves establish title, physical boundaries, zoning compliance, or a one-to-one relationship with a whole building.