Yes, new addresses are subject to an application fee to cover the costs associated with assigning the address and installing the sign. The current application fee can be found on the address application form or on pages 10-11 of the county fee schedule.
Beltrami County GIS
911 Locatable Addressing
The county assigns addresses for all properties except ones within the City of Bemidji. We also approve road names and address changes.
Any property with a structure must have an address. Addresses are also assigned for other needs such as utility infrastructure, or for properties that do not have a permanent structure but are used for seasonal recreation and other kinds of purposes.
An effective, well-maintained system of addresses and road names is essential for emergency response, mail and package delivery, utility services, and simply helping your friends and family find your house when they come to visit.
If you need to update your mailing address for property taxes, please use the form linked below.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is there a cost to get an address?
Why does my driveway approach need to be completed before I apply for an address?
For typical rural addresses, the address number or house number (the first component of a locatable address) is based on the location where your driveway intersects a named road.
Beltrami County's address numbering system uses 1,500 address numbers per mile. Each segment of road is like a number line with a specific range of numbers assigned to it. Even numbers are one one side of the road, and odd numbers are on the other side. All numbers must run in a sequential increasing or decreasing order depending on your direction of travel.
Can I get my new address right away when I apply?
No. You will need to plan ahead because we cannot issue a new address on the spot.
If your driveway approach is visible on an aerial photo, your address may be assigned within a couple business days. However, the processing timeline varies depending on the number of pending address requests ahead of yours and other workload items.
If your driveway approach is not visible on an aerial photo, we will need to send a county employee out to collect GPS coordinates at the driveway location to ensure that your address number is assigned properly. In these cases, it may take a week or two before your address will be assigned.
How will I know what my new address will be?
The new address information will be sent to you via USPS mail or email depending on which option you select when you apply.
What's the difference between an address and a 'fire number'?
Fire numbers were used by fire departments many years ago when rural properties did not have a locatable address and mail was delivered based on a route and box number.
Fire numbers were typically displayed on red signs with white letters or numbers on them, and they usually displayed the name of the fire department. These fire numbers are no longer used by the fire departments in Beltrami County. Your locatable address and the blue address number signs are used to find your property in an emergency.
Your blue sign is technically not a 'fire number'. It represents your 'house number' or 'address number'. However, those blue signs are still relied on by law enforcement, ambulance services, and fire departments.
Who installs the blue sign at my driveway?
A Sign Technician from the Beltrami County Highway Department will install the sign. First, a wood lath will be placed near your driveway and a utility locating request will be made. Utility locators will mark any underground utilities near the lath. When that is complete, the Sign Technician will return and install the address number sign.
No. Relocating a sign requires approval from the Address Administrator. In some cases, your address may also need to be changed.
If your sign is in a poor location or is not easily visible from the road, please contact us so that we can ensure that it is moved properly.
What do I do if I move my driveway?
You will need to contact us because moving a driveway usually requires a new address as well as costs for installing a new sign. Your address number is assigned based on the exact location your driveway intersects the road, so moving a driveway means that the number changes. If you have an existing address, it cannot simply be moved to a new driveway location because this compromises the integrity of the address system and may lead to emergency response delays and other issues.
How do I get my sign fixed if it's damaged or missing?
Please contact us right away to report a damaged sign. The county will repair or replace the sign and/or post.