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Street Naming or Renaming
The Office of Mapping and Geographic Information is responsible for administering the naming of streets and for assigning addresses in most areas of Loudoun County that are outside the incorporated towns. Streets are named according to specific criteria so that public safety personnel can locate homes, businesses and people in the event of an emergency. A uniform system of street naming and addressing also provides residents and businesses with an efficient means to receive mail, packages, and other services. The criteria and processes for how streets are named or renamed in the county may be found in Chapter 1020 of the Loudoun County Codified Ordinances.
What to Expect for Residents and Businesses
- Residents and businesses should not begin using their new addresses until they are notified by the county.
- Affected property owners will be notified of the effective date of their new address and street name approximately sixty days in advance. This will allow affected property owners sufficient time to change addresses.
- The county will also provide the new road and street names to Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, TomTom and the United States Postal Service, requesting that these providers update their data and systems.
- For residents and businesses, the effective date of the new address will be coordinated with the installation of new street signs.
- View a checklist of agencies you should notify if your address changes (PDF).
- My street or road is being renamed. What do I need to do?
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- Follow the instructions in letters you receive from the county's Office of Mapping & Geographic Information. This letter will serve as official documentation of your new address.
- Be aware of the date your new address will officially become effective: the date your new address takes effect will be included in the notification letter.
- Notify any tenants or leaseholders of upcoming address changes to affected properties.
- Notify agencies, service providers, and personal contacts of your address change:
- Banks and other financial institutions
- Credit card companies
- Insurance providers
- Internal Revenue Service (Complete Form 8822)
- Magazines and newspapers
- Online shopping sites
- Cable or internet providers
- Clubs or organizations
- The Department of Motor Vehicles: Please update your address with the DMV 30 days after the date your address officially changes.
- TSA PreCheck
- An application for a passport that is currently in process
- Friends and family
- If you already have a passport, you do not need to update your address. However, if your application is currently in process, call the National Passport Information Center at (877)487-2778. For more information, see Travel.State.Gov.
- If you need a copy of a building or zoning permit with your address after the date it becomes effective, call the Department of Building and Development at 703-777-0220.
- No changes to your property deed are necessary. Property is generally described in deeds by the legal description, the PIN/MCPI, and Tax Map #. While some older deeds may reference a street name or an address, it is not necessary to update your deed.
- What do I need to update if my address is going to change?
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Here is a checklist (PDF) that will help guide you through the address change process.
Inform or update your business, service, and personal contacts, such as:
- Banks and other financial institutions
- Credit card companies
- Insurance providers
- Internal Revenue Service (Complete Form 8822 )
- Magazines and newspapers
- Online shopping sites.
- Cable or internet providers
- Clubs or organizations
- The Department of Motor Vehicles: Please update your address with the DMV 30 days after the date your address officially changes.
- TSA PreCheck
- An application for a passport that is currently in process (see below)
- Friends and family
If you already have a passport, you do not need to update your address. However, if your application is currently in process, call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778. For more information, see Travel.State.Gov.
No changes to your property deed are necessary. Property is generally described in deeds by the legal description, the PIN/MCPI, and Tax Map #. While some older deeds may reference a street name or an address, it is not necessary to update your deed.
It may take private companies a month or more to update their databases with your new address. If you regularly order from a company that uses a delivery service other than USPS (such as FedEx) or from a company such as Amazon, please verify that that they have a record of your new address before placing an order. Until your new address has been updated, they should continue to recognize your former address.
If you need a copy of a building or zoning permit with your address after the date it becomes effective, call the Department of Building and Development at 703-777-0220.
- What will Loudoun County update on my behalf?
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Loudoun County will provide your new address to the following agencies or providers:
- Public Safety (911 emergency services)
- United States Postal Service (USPS)
- Commissioner of the Revenue (real estate and property taxes)
- Animal Services
- Loudoun County Public Schools
- Registrar’s Office (Elections)
- Loudoun Water
- Washington Gas
- Verizon (home internet services)
Loudoun County will also:
- Notify Apple Maps, Google Maps, TomTom GPS, and Waze of your new street name. Please note updates typically appear within two months, due to varying update schedules. If you own a business with a Google page, we recommend you also directly submit the update.
- Coordinate street sign replacements. The county will replace neighborhood street signs and VDOT will replace the signage on highways and at intersections with traffic lights.
- How will Apple Maps/Google Maps/Waze/FedEx/USPS get my new street name and address?
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During the week that your street name becomes official, the county will provide updates to Apple Maps, Google Maps, Open Street Map, TomTom, and Waze. Road name updates typically appear within one to four weeks.
Some companies (such as Amazon) manage their own deliveries or contract with delivery companies (such as FedEx) that use proprietary routing software. These companies do not accept updates from the county. When ordering from a vendor by phone or online, we recommend that you advise them that your street name has recently changed, and provide your former address for the company's reference.
The county will notify USPS prior to the date you should begin using your new address. Once USPS updates your new address in their database, you will be able to find it in the USPS online lookup tool.
- I am a business owner. How will this impact my business?
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You will need to update your business address with the following:
- Business pages with Google or other online services (Loudoun County also notifies Google)
- Your business website
- Social media
- Business cards
- Promotional items
- Business credit reporting agencies
- Virginia Tax
- State Corporation Commission
- Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Internal Revenue Service (form 8822-B)
The U.S. Small Business Administration has a webpage with additional information on whom to inform. The Loudoun Small Business Development Center (703-466-0466) can provide assistance with technical questions on how to update a business website.
If you have a current business license on record with the county, you will receive a survey from the Department of Economic Development regarding possible impacts to your business, so the county can better assist you in making this change.
- I own a business on a street that has been renamed. How can I update my business information with Apple Maps and Google Maps?
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Both companies allow a business or facility to be “claimed” and managed via their mapping systems:
- Apple Maps: Places on Maps
- Google Maps: Claim Your Business
- Will my house number change?
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Most street numbers will stay the same. A few will be updated to meet the public safety standards outlined in the Addressing Ordinance. If this is required, property owners will be notified with a letter that includes the new house number.
- I’ve been asked to submit names to be considered for the future name of my street. Are there any guidelines regarding acceptable names?
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The Loudoun County Street Name Availability Checker tool can compare your name proposal against existing street names and many of the county’s naming standards.
A street name cannot:
- Duplicate existing or reserved street names
- Duplicate words (example: Bicycle Bicycle)
- Contain special characters (%, &, #, *, !, etc)
- Be longer than 20 total characters
- Be more than two words. For example, "Pine Tree Hill" would not be acceptable. "Pine Tree" would be acceptable.
- Include compass points or abbreviations (North, Southwest, N.E., etc.)
- Include "street type" descriptors such as drive, way, lane, etc. These street types are determined by the county.
- Include “Old” or “New” in front of a currently existing street name.
- Sound like an existing street name (rivers, river; greate, grade; Catherine, Katherine). "Soundalikes" are confusing for public safety.
- Consist of the first and last name of an individual
- Be named for a Confederate leader or the Confederate cause
- Be named for individuals or movements that promoted racial segregation in Virginia during the Jim Crow (1896-1965) or Massive Resistance to desegregation (1954-1959) eras
- My neighboring property owners and I have been notified by the county that we will vote on the new street name. What if there’s a tie?
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In the event of a tie, the Board of Supervisors will select the new street name.