SBL Number

In New York State, the SBL number identifies a parcel of property uniquely in a municipality's property map/database.

SBL stands for "Section Block Lot". Section and Lot may have subdivisions.

SECTION . SUBSECTION - BLOCK - LOT . SUBLOT - SUFFIX
    a        b           c       d               e

The "Long SBL" is found at the City of Buffalo's property information database, is padded with zeroes and has no delimiters.The "Short SBL" number is used at Erie County's database and many other places, has no zeroes, and is delimited by a period and two dashes in the pattern aaa.bb-ccccc-ddd[-eee]. Preservation-Ready Sites uses the Short SBL.

Padded, no delimiters:

aaabbcccccdddeee

Pattern, number of digits:

3 - 2 - 5 - 3 - 3

Delimited Long SBL:

aaa.bb-ccccc-ddd-eee

Delimited Short SBL:

aa.bb-c-d[-eee]
aaa.bb-c-d[-eee]

This web page explains NY SBLs in the context of utility company property:

http://www.tax.ny.gov/research/property/valuation/sbl.htm

Examples of converting Long to Short:

1116700002006000     (Long)
111 67 00002 006 000 (Spaces between sections)
111.67-2-6           (Short; remove spaces and zeroes, add delimiters)

1113000005006000
111 30 00005 006 000
111.30-5-6

1116100002012000
111 61 00002 012 000
111.61-2-6

1117000005003000
111 70 00005 003 000
111.70-5-3

0992600002008000
099 26 00002 008 000
99.26-2-8