grid system, based on township, range, and section, used for land ownership referenced in portions of the United States.

The survey system used in the original land survey conducted by the U.S. Government in order to transfer title of federally owned land. Its major divisions are townships, ranges, sections, government lots and divisions of sections. The PLSS is important in land ownership descriptions, but its section corners may or may not have geodetic control coordinates (coordinates representing a position on the earth in an established coordinate system) established for them.

A system established in 1785 by the Federal Government, providing for surveying and describing land by reference to principal meridians and base lines. Also called the rectangular or government survey.