Matrikkelnummer (gnr/bnr/fnr/snr)
The matrikkelnummer is the unique identifier of a property in the matrikkel, Norway's official register of real property. It consists of up to four numeric components, gårdsnummer (gnr), bruksnummer (bnr), festenummer (fnr) and seksjonsnummer (snr), together with a leading municipality number prefix. A full matrikkelnummer reads as 0301-209-369-0-0: Oslo (0301), gårdsnummer 209, bruksnummer 369, festenummer 0 (no ground lease), seksjonsnummer 0 (no section).
The gårdsnummer historically identifies a whole farm or property unit before land consolidation. Within one gårdsnummer there can be anything from one to hundreds of bruksnummer, representing today's practical property units. The bruksnummer is the actual ownership unit in most contexts: when a property is sold, it is normally a bruksnummer (or a seksjonsnummer under it) that is transferred. A newly established bruksnummer is created by subdivision from an older bruksnummer or from the original gårdsnummer, a formal process that requires an application to the municipality and final registration in the matrikkel.
The festenummer is used when a landowner (the ground lessor) grants an exclusive right of use to another party (the leaseholder) over a specific part of the property, typically for a home or a cabin. The festenummer identifies the leased part and can exist independently of a sale of the underlying land, so the lease right follows the property in a transaction. Norwegian ground lease arrangements are governed by tomtefesteloven (the Ground Lease Act), and the festenummer is the legal reference in Grunnboken for the ground lease agreement.
The seksjonsnummer is used for self-contained units within a building that shares one structure, typically flats in a housing cooperative or jointly owned office sections in a commercial building. Eierseksjonsloven (the Owner Sections Act) governs the creation of sections and states that each section has its own seksjonsnummer in addition to the bruksnummer it derives from. A flat in Oslo with matrikkelnummer 0301-209-369-0-12 is section 12 of bruksnummer 369 on gårdsnummer 209 in Oslo kommune (0301).
The practical significance is that the matrikkelnummer is the unique key for looking up a property in Grunnboken, the matrikkel and municipal case systems. When people talk about "the property" in a transaction, credit or due diligence context, they normally refer to the matrikkelnummer. Norwegian banks, law firms and valuers work with matrikkelnummer as the primary identifier through the whole life cycle of a property.
In Placepoint you can search directly on matrikkelnummer in the search field, or read it from the property panel for a selected property. The matrikkelnummer is also visible in tags, lists and reports, and it is needed to link Placepoint data to external registers such as Grunnboken or Brønnøysundregistrene (BRREG).
How it looks in Placepoint
In Placepoint you find this in the property panel:
From Placepoint's glossary: Matrikkelnummer (gnr/bnr/fnr/snr)
More information: Kartverket: the matrikkel, Matrikkellova § 23: allocation of matrikkelnummer, Lovdata: Eierseksjonsloven
English: Norwegian property identification number (cadastre number) (Norwegian-specific).
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a matrikkelnummer such as 0301-209-369-0-12?
0301 is the municipality number (Oslo), 209 is the gårdsnummer, 369 is the bruksnummer, 0 is the festenummer (no ground lease in this case) and 12 is the seksjonsnummer (flat no. 12 in a housing cooperative or co-ownership). A building with no ground lease and no division into sections reads as 0301-209-369-0-0.
What is the difference between gårdsnummer and bruksnummer?
The gårdsnummer historically identifies a whole farm before land consolidation. The bruksnummer is the practical property unit that is actually owned and can be traded: one gårdsnummer often contains many bruksnummer, and it is the bruksnummer that is typically transferred in a sale.
When is a festenummer used?
When a landowner (the ground lessor) grants an exclusive right of use over part of the property to another party (the leaseholder) through a ground lease agreement. The festenummer identifies the leased part and follows the lease right when it is transferred. It is governed by tomtefesteloven.
When is a seksjonsnummer used?
When a building is divided into self-contained units (flats in a housing cooperative, office sections in a commercial building) under eierseksjonsloven. Each section has its own seksjonsnummer as an identifier in Grunnboken.