A settlement unit or other settled area, differentiated from other localities with a separate name, and in case of identical name - different denotation of their type.

An official name of a locality is given, changed or annulled by way of regulation of a minister relevant for public administration issues. The type of locality denotes the character of the locality, developed in the settlement development process, in particular: town/city, settlement, village, farmstead, hamlet and their parts. Determining and changing the locality type, the same as determining and changing their names, is done by way of regulation of the same minister. Only granting a locality the status of a town, that is changing the type of denotation, e.g. "village", "farmstead" into "town" is done by way of regulation of the Council of Ministers. On the basis of of the law on official names of localities and physiographic objects, the list of official names of localities will be announced as the regulation of the minister relevant for public administration issues. Names included in that list will be binding on the entities performing public tasks in the territory of the Republic of Poland. The list will include for every locality, besides its official name and type, the seven-digit unique identification number of locality from the national official register of territorial division of Poland - TERYT.