GIS

Baldwin County AL GIS brings together authoritative parcel data, zoning districts, flood information, transportation layers, and addressing resources so residents, businesses, and public-safety partners can find answers about properties, growth, and infrastructure. This guide explains where county GIS lives, what layers you can rely on, how the parcel viewer and hub content fit into local workflows, and how to contact the right county departments for mapping support, planning questions, emergency readiness, and more—all in one place and written for everyday users.

Understand the Baldwin County GIS landscape and what “authoritative” means

Baldwin County’s enterprise GIS is coordinated through the Communications & Information Systems (CIS) team, which maintains the county’s mapping infrastructure and supports departments that depend on spatial information. When you see Baldwin County AL GIS referenced across county pages, it typically points to official map applications, data catalogs, and contact channels managed or sanctioned by the County Commission and its departments. The public-facing pages for Communications GIS Mapping describe the county’s Internet Mapping Services, support contacts, and links out to county-maintained applications that display revenue parcels, tax information, and other civic layers that the public can explore for decision-making. If you need a single jumping-off point to better understand how county mapping is organized, start with Baldwin County GIS Support on the county’s CIS site, which explains where mapping services live and how to get help when questions come up. See the county’s overview in Communications GIS Mapping for context on available services and contacts.

To explore who governs and funds this work, the Baldwin County Commission page provides the leadership context for departments that rely on GIS for planning, infrastructure, and public information. When you’re researching a property, determining jurisdiction, or preparing for a permit, authoritative data must tie back to a county department responsible for maintaining that layer. That’s why navigation from county pages to GIS applications matters: it ensures you’re looking at official content connected to the office in charge of it, rather than a third-party compilation with unknown lineage.

Learn how GIS support is organized in Communications GIS Mapping: Baldwin County GIS Support

Review county leadership and departmental context in Meet Your Commission: Baldwin County Commission

Navigate countywide property information with the parcel-centric GIS experience

The public parcel experience in Baldwin County funnels through the Revenue Commission’s mapping environment and related links from County web pages. Parcels are the backbone of local GIS because so many workflows—assessments, deeds, sales/use tax boundaries, zoning checks, and flood determinations—start from a parcel identifier. When you begin with the county’s GIS page for mapping, you’ll see references to the Revenue Commission and its online parcel viewer. That viewer ties spatial parcel geometry to attributes such as parcel number, owner name lookup, and assessment-related details made available for public use. Because legal instruments and taxation are fundamental county functions, this is the most reliable entry point for authoritative parcel geometry and the attributes associated with it.

If your goal is to validate a property’s basic identity in county records, you’ll work with a unique parcel number or the Parcel Identification Number (PIN). Once you locate the parcel on the official mapping application, you can view parcel boundaries, confirm the relationship of the parcel to roads and city limits, and understand whether the parcel falls within municipal or county planning jurisdiction. When you need to go from a location-based search to a parcel-based search, use the application’s Find Address or By Attribute options to query by owner name, parcel number, or PIN; then switch on relevant layers such as parcel labels and subdivision information to get your bearings.

For questions that go beyond the map—like exemptions, valuations, or where to pay—move from mapping back to the Revenue Commission’s main page, which provides official tax-related guidance, narratives about due dates, and links for payments and other services, all anchored in the county’s rules and schedules. Explore the department overview at the Revenue Commission home page to align parcel information with the official revenue process: Revenue Commission

Put Planning & Zoning and GIS together when siting, subdividing, or developing

A parcel alone rarely answers development questions. You also need the zoning district, any special overlays, and planning jurisdiction boundaries. Baldwin County’s Planning & Zoning department sets and administers county zoning outside municipal corporate limits and within designated planning districts. When you view a parcel on the county’s mapping applications, turn on the zoning layer to understand permitted uses, density, setbacks, and whether your site falls within a residential, agricultural, business, or industrial district. Where county GIS lists specific zoning categories (for example, Residential Single Family districts, Rural Agricultural, Professional Business, General Industrial, and others), these align with the text of the zoning ordinance administered by Planning & Zoning. The map makes it easy to visualize, but the department sets the rules, processes applications, and coordinates hearings.

The county GIS also helps you visualize municipal subdivision jurisdictions and building permit jurisdictions. If your parcel lies within a municipality such as Spanish Fort, Fairhope, or Gulf Shores, your development process may be governed by that municipality’s codes and permitting offices. The map layers distinguish county planning districts from municipal jurisdictions, helping you decide where to apply, which ordinances to consult, and what review boards you’ll meet. Use Planning & Zoning to confirm process steps, applications, and timetables before you draw plans or set closing dates: Planning & Zoning

Check flood zones, wetlands indications, and contours before you design

Topography and flood risk are essential to design feasibility. County GIS viewers typically include flood-zone symbology such as A, AE, VE, X, and the Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA), as well as floodway areas and base flood elevation (BFE) markers. By overlaying these on parcels and aerial imagery, you can quickly determine whether you need an elevation certificate, consider flood openings, or adjust finished-floor elevations in your design. Combine the flood zones with county contours to understand how water might move across or pond on your site. While official determinations for insurance rely on federal sources and surveys, using the county’s GIS flood layers early in your process can save redesign time, alert you to potential mitigation steps, and inform conversations with engineers or surveyors.

Potential wetlands indicators and conservation-related layers also appear in county maps, giving you an early screening tool for constraints that can affect lot yield and infrastructure alignment. While delineation and permitting fall outside the GIS map’s purview, the presence of these overlays tells you to budget for environmental review and to adjust expectations about the buildable envelope. When you’re preparing a site plan, cross-reference flood and topography with zoning to reveal where pads, driveways, and utilities should go to minimize cut/fill and avoid encroachments into regulated areas.

Use transportation layers to validate access, frontage, and maintenance obligations

Access matters as much as zoning. Baldwin County AL GIS includes centerlines, county maintained roads (often symbolized to distinguish paved and unpaved segments), and other transportation text and labels that identify route names and road dimensions. This helps answer front-end questions such as: Does the parcel have public-road frontage? Which agency maintains the road segment? Is it paved? If you are planning a subdivision, the map can help you visualize how proposed access points align with existing right-of-way. For driveway permits, paving standards, or maintenance responsibilities, the definitive source will be the Highway Department, but GIS accelerates the conversation by showing the road network and how it interacts with parcels, streams, and municipal boundaries. When you need policy detail or permit steps, review the Highway Department page for official guidance: Highway Department

Clarify jurisdiction and civic context with county boundaries and city limits

Baldwin County GIS distinguishes county boundary and city limits so you can quickly see which government has zoning, permitting, and service responsibilities. Parcels in unincorporated Baldwin County follow county zoning and permitting processes; parcels within city limits follow municipal ordinances. The map often includes annexation and municipal subdivision jurisdictions, which are particularly useful around fast-growing edges where rules can change as annexations occur. When in doubt about which unit of government to call, use the map to determine the boundary, then consult the appropriate county department page. For county-managed areas, Planning & Zoning and the Revenue Commission will be your primary points of contact; for incorporated areas, begin with the specific municipality and then return to county pages for any countywide services still applicable.

Make better public-safety and resilience decisions by combining addressing and emergency layers

Addressing and emergency management benefit from GIS because location accuracy and situational awareness save time. Baldwin County’s GIS pages reference address verification resources from local addressing authorities. Before you order signage or submit permits, verify the official address to ensure consistency across dispatch systems, utility accounts, and parcel records. This simple step avoids confusion during inspections and guarantees that emergency services can route accurately. For preparedness, the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) uses GIS to coordinate evacuation routes, shelter locations, and hazard awareness mapping. County GIS flood layers, surge zones (when available through public maps), and transportation overlays support EMA’s mission to communicate risk and response options to the public. Connect with the EMA through its official department page for preparedness guidance, alerts enrollment, and storm coordination: Emergency Management Agency

Tie County records, notices, and mapping together for a complete property picture

A strong GIS workflow isn’t just a map—it’s the connection between maps, official records, and the places where public decisions are documented. Baldwin County maintains an official Public Records portal where agendas, minutes, and public documents can be accessed. When you’re evaluating a parcel for a use change or a variance, pair the GIS zoning map with board agendas, staff reports, and county notices to reconstruct the regulatory history around your site. If you find a zoning overlay or a planning district boundary in the map, consult the public records to understand when it was adopted and whether conditions apply. This cross-check reduces surprises during due diligence and helps you prepare a stronger application package. Explore the county’s official records at Public Records: Public Records

Work smarter with authoritative labels, measurement tools, and print-ready outputs

Baldwin County AL GIS viewers typically provide robust tools for identifying features, exporting selected attributes, measuring distances and areas, and printing. While each application differs, a common pattern includes:

Identify/Info tools to click the map and pull parcel attributes, zoning codes, flood designations, and jurisdiction flags.

Measurement tools to calculate setbacks, buffers from streams or roads, and potential lot splits by area.

Layer controls to toggle on labels—parcel numbers, subdivision names, acreage, road names—so your printout communicates clearly to colleagues and permitting staff.

Print/export functions to create a letter- or tabloid-sized PDF with legends and scale bars that can be attached to applications or emailed to consultants.

These tools don’t replace surveys, engineered plans, or legal descriptions, but they offer an efficient, authoritative first pass that can reveal whether a concept is worth pursuing. Use them early to refine site selection and to prepare specific questions for departmental staff.

Connect permits and licensing questions back to mapped jurisdictions

Permitting success depends on matching the right application to the right jurisdiction. GIS layers for building permit jurisdictions and municipal subdivision jurisdictions make this straightforward: if the parcel sits in the county’s jurisdiction, you’ll work with county permitting processes; if inside a municipality, you’ll pivot to that city’s portal. Where county pages link to Permits & Licenses or to the Citizen Service Center, use those as waypoints to confirm you’re viewing the correct checklist. Mapping gives you confidence about jurisdiction; the department pages give you the latest forms and timelines.

Find help and routing support via the Citizen Service Center: Citizen Service Center

Read parcels in context—subdivisions, PLSS, contours, and imagery

A complete understanding of any site in Baldwin County requires context. County GIS typically provides:

Subdivision and deed references, including subdivision block numbers and historical lot identifiers that help you trace how a parcel came to be.

PLSS (Public Land Survey System) grids, which are still essential in legal descriptions across Alabama; seeing section lines and townships helps align recorded documents with on-the-ground features.

Contours and recent aerial imagery, allowing you to infer drainage directions, slopes, and view corridors before commissioning a full topographic survey.

When you switch between base maps (streets, topographic, or recent county imagery), keep the same parcel and zoning layers active to compare how features appear across seasons and symbolizations. This is particularly helpful for identifying tree lines, drainage swales, or informal access paths that don’t appear on a standard street map.

Coordinate with Revenue, Planning, Highway, and EMA for full lifecycle projects

Real-world projects rarely sit inside one department. A new commercial pad, for example, can touch assessments (Revenue), zoning and site plan approval (Planning & Zoning), access permits and roadway improvements (Highway), and flood or hazard considerations (EMA). Baldwin County AL GIS is the shared language across these steps. Here’s a practical sequence:

Start at the parcel: Confirm parcel number, owner, and boundaries using the official mapping application referenced from Communications GIS Mapping.

Overlay zoning and jurisdiction: Turn on zoning, city limits, building-permit jurisdiction, and planning-district layers to determine which ordinances apply.

Check flood and contour layers: Use flood zones, BFEs, and contours to scope engineering needs and potential mitigation.

Validate access: Confirm whether the road is county maintained and whether it is paved or unpaved. Plan approach locations accordingly.

Contact departments: Bring your annotated printout to Planning & Zoning for pre-application guidance, and coordinate with the Highway Department on access. For valuation and classification questions, coordinate with the Revenue Commission. For storm season timelines or shelter/evacuation considerations affecting construction schedules, consult the Emergency Management Agency.

Use Public Records: Review agendas and minutes for prior approvals, conditions, or neighborhood concerns associated with the parcel’s area.

This life-cycle approach ensures that GIS isn’t a one-time check, but a thread that runs through due diligence, permitting, construction, and post-occupancy compliance.

Build repeatable workflows with bookmarks, attribute queries, and print history

If you manage multiple Baldwin County sites—common for builders, utilities, or brokers—learn the time-saving features embedded in many county GIS viewers:

Bookmarks: Store commonly referenced locations (e.g., a subdivision build-out or a corridor study) so you can jump back to exact extents with one click.

Attribute queries: Filter parcels by owner, subdivision name, or planning district to create shortlists for outreach or phasing.

Print history: Keep versions of your map outputs as you iterate on a concept; this creates a paper trail for internal reviews and stakeholder meetings.

Because the county emphasizes authoritative layers, these repeatable workflows maintain consistency across teams and reduce the risk of relying on outdated or unofficial sources.

Bring it all together: from parcel research to confident next steps

When you combine county mapping with the right departmental touchpoints, you turn GIS into an everyday problem-solver. Property owners can confirm tax parcels and jurisdiction boundaries; designers can spot constraints early; contractors can preflight access and drainage; and residents can understand how growth interacts with roads, utilities, and flood risk. The key is to rely on the county’s authoritative mapping pages and department portals, use the map tools to generate clear exhibits, and ask targeted questions backed by parcel numbers, zoning codes, and layer names. That is how Baldwin County AL GIS shortens timelines and improves outcomes across the board.

GIS-Relevant Departments, Addresses, and Phone Numbers

Revenue Commission — 1705 U.S. Hwy 31 S., Bay Minette, AL 36507 — 251-937-0245

Emergency Management Agency — 23100 McAuliffe Drive, Robertsdale, AL 36567 — 251-972-6807

Baldwin County GIS FAQs

Where do I find the County’s authoritative maps and who maintains them?

Start with the County’s communications team pages under Communications & Information Systems (CIS), which publish and maintain the official mapping entry points, viewer access, and notices about platform updates. Use Baldwin County GIS Support for the County’s sanctioned overview of mapping resources, Internet Mapping Services status, and pointers to department-backed apps so you know you’re working with current, government-managed content.

How can I look up a parcel and view its official attributes and map layers?

Use the County’s Revenue Commission Parcel Viewer to search by parcel number, owner, PIN, or address and then toggle layers such as parcels, subdivisions, city limits, planning districts, county zoning categories, building-permit jurisdictions, transportation centerlines, county-maintained roads, flood zones (A/AE/VE/X, LiMWA, floodway, BFE), and 2023 contours. The viewer also includes identify, measurement, print/export, bookmarks, attribute queries, and base-map switching so you can create map exhibits that align with County departments’ workflows.

Where can I get official datasets, apps, and map documents beyond the parcel viewer?

Browse the County’s ArcGIS Hub site to download datasets and launch map applications curated by County staff. The Baldwin County GIS Hub aggregates data, documents, and public map apps across departments so you can pair parcel research with zoning references, municipal and County jurisdictions, and other countywide layers without leaving the County’s ecosystem.

How do I verify zoning, permitting jurisdiction, and which office handles my request?

Turn on zoning, planning districts, municipal subdivision jurisdictions, and building-permit jurisdictions in the parcel viewer to determine whether County or municipal rules apply. Then use the navigation links from CIS pages to reach the relevant department (e.g., Planning & Zoning, Highway, Revenue) so your application matches the correct ordinance and review board. The Baldwin County GIS Support page is the County’s official gateway for these department-backed apps and explanations.

Communications GIS Mapping | Revenue Commission Parcel Viewer | Baldwin County GIS Hub | Public Records