Land Survey Program

The mission of the Land Survey Program is to develop and provide information required for the accurate and economical location of property boundaries in Missouri. The program is responsible for Cadastral and Geodetic Surveys as well as making survey documents available to surveyors and the public. The land corners established through surveying are the basis for the location of all property in Missouri. Properly monumented, they are a dependable, consistent, accurate source of information for settling property boundary disputes and other boundary related questions.

The United States Public Land Survey System (USPLSS) in Missouri is an extension of the system adopted by the United States Congress in 1785. Between 1815 and 1855, Missouri was surveyed into one mile squares called sections. This created the basis for the transfer of land from the U.S. Government to private owners and continues to be the basis for all land transfers and ownership in the state today.

Cadastral Surveys restore existing and obliterated corners of the United States Public Land Survey System. Hundreds of corners are restored, thousands perpetuated and documented through in-house projects, contracting and participation in the filing of Certified Land Corner Documents. Geodetic Surveys define and manage a consistent coordinate system based on latitude, longitude and heights throughout Missouri. Baselines throughout the state validate and verify electronic distance measuring equipment.

Survey documents are stored in the Land Records Repository and are available to municipalities, land surveyors, other professionals and the public.

Sites of Interest