Legal Services

	“Our county population is growing so fast. We have a lot of developers buying up land and wanting to build new subdivisions. It’s a lot to keep up with, and I have so much to learn. I need to study the subdivision basics ASAP!”

Q: When is platting required?

Any division where land is separated into two or more parts, with certain exceptions.

The owner of a tract of land located within an unincorporated area of a county must have a plat of the subdivision prepared if the owner divides the tract into two or more parts to lay out a subdivision of the tract, including an addition; or lots; or streets, alleys, squares, parks or other parts of the tract intended by the owner of the tract to be dedicated to public use.

This law is frequently misinterpreted to apply exclusively to vast, master-planned communities; however, it applies to any division where land is separated into two or more parcels containing “parts intended by the owner to be dedicated to public use.” Plat approval by the county is required for any such division. However, certain exceptions, including mandatory exceptions prescribed by statute, may apply.

For more information, see our new County Subdivision Handbook.