The LUCA Process

If this is your first time participating in the program, these are some of the things you should know. If you participated in LUCA for Census 2000, you'll note some changes here as well.

  1. You can participate in one of three ways.
  2. Small jurisdictions may request materials in paper format and submit their changes on paper rather than electronically.
    • A paper address list is limited to local governments with 6,000 addresses or less; however, a jurisdiction of any size can receive paper maps.
  3. Address lists (or changes to the Census address list) must be submitted in a pre-defined format.
  4. Formal invitations for the program were sent to local officials on August 7, 2007. You may sign up to participate in the program anytime between receiving the letter and December 31, 2007.
  5. Upon receiving files from the Census Bureau, you have 120 days to review the materials and submit your changes back to the Bureau.
    • Even though this is a longer timeframe than in the last census, it is still a very short amount of time, given how busy local governments are. Learn more about best practices
  6. The Census Bureau developed software combining the address list, address counts and digital maps in order to make updates easier for some communities without a GIS system already in place.