Owners of land in Switzerland cannot simply use it in any way they wish. Certain requirements have to be met that have come into being as the result of legislation or decisions by the authorities. These public law restrictions on landownership (PLRs) are legally binding for landowners.

The Cadastre of Public Law Restrictions on Landownership (PLR Cadastre) makes information about PLRs easily accessible to everyone. It also ensures a higher degree of legal certainty thanks to the provision of binding information. It is not only land owners, but also the various players on the property market, as well as authorities and public administrations, who benefit from this comprehensive instrument.

As of the beginning of 2020, all cantons, with the exception of St Gallen and Appenzell Ausserrhoden, had their PLR Cadastre system up and running. The cantonal council of St Gallen resolved to combine the introduction of its PLR Cadastre with its «eGovernment St Gallen digital» project.

Existing data are available in digital form. Thanks to cantonal PLR geo-portals they can be called up via the Internet. Here a distinction is made between a dynamic online request via the information system and a PLR Cadastre extract in the form of a PDF document.