How to Look Up Building Permits for a Property

A property’s permit history tells you what work was legally approved, inspected and finished. It is one of the few independent checks on a seller’s description of a renovation, and it is the fastest way to spot the problems that derail a sale: an addition with no permit, a remodel whose permit expired before final inspection, or a garage converted to a bedroom without approval.

Permit records are kept by the building department that issued them, not by the county recorder, so they don’t show up in a standard title search. You have to look them up. The first step is identifying the right office. Unincorporated areas are usually covered by the county, and a few cities contract their permitting out. Our guide to whether the city or county issues your permit explains how to tell, or you can find your local building department.

What the model code requires departments to keep

The International Residential Code (IRC) sets a records floor, and it is lower than most people expect:

• R104.7 Department records. The building official must keep official records of applications, permits and certificates issued, fees, inspection reports, and notices and orders, for “the period required for the retention of public records” under state or local law.
• R106.5 Retention of construction documents. One set of approved plans must be kept for at least 180 days after the work is completed, or longer if state or local law requires it.
• R109.1.6 Final inspection. A final inspection is made after the work is complete and before occupancy. A permit without a recorded final inspection is the main red flag in any permit history.

In practice, the permit record (number, date, scope, inspections) usually survives much longer than the plans. Do not assume the drawings for a 1990s addition still exist.

How to search permit records online

Most departments have a public portal. Search tips that save time:

1. Search by address, then by parcel number. Owner names change; addresses and parcel numbers rarely do. Try variations (St vs Street, unit numbers, former addresses).
2. Look at every permit type. Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing and demolition permits are often listed separately.
3. Read the status. Labels differ, but “finaled,” “closed” or “complete” mean the work passed final inspection. “Issued,” “active,” “expired” or “void” mean it did not reach a final. See our guide to permit expiration.
4. Open the inspection history. A permit issued years ago with only a footing or rough inspection is a project that stalled.
5. Check violations and complaints. Many portals show code enforcement cases on the same screen.
6. Note the date range the system covers. Older permits may be on microfilm, index cards or paper files.

How the rules differ by city

Each of these examples comes from the city’s own records page:

• New York City. The Department of Buildings’ Building Information System (BIS) has a profile for every property listing jobs, filings, complaints, violations, inspections and occupancy information. Newer applications live in the DOB NOW Public Portal. Plans, folders, microfilm, docket books and index cards are requested through DOB NOW, and you pick them up at the borough office.
• Chicago. The Department of Buildings’ Building Permit and Inspection Records application gives public access to permit and inspection records. The city’s disclaimer notes it does not guarantee the database’s accuracy or completeness, so treat a missing record as a question, not proof.
• Philadelphia. Licenses and Inspections posts permit details, certificate of occupancy information, violations and zoning records online for free. Copies cost $15 for a permit, license or certificate and $50 per file of plans, and you must be the owner, an authorized agent, or have written permission to get plans. Anything beyond that goes through a Right to Know request. Most buildings constructed before 1969 or used as single-family homes do not have a certificate of occupancy.
• San Diego. You can search permits from 2003 to present online. Archived plans and records from after 1955 require a records review appointment. For properties built before 1955, the city refers you to the County Assessor. Broader requests go through a Public Records Act request.
• Dallas. Permits can be searched by permit number or address, and the city posts monthly certificate of occupancy reports and permit reports by year. To view site plans and other historical documents you must submit an Open Records Request; the Central Files office does not provide plan copies or printing.

When to file a public records request

Use your state’s public records law (often called a FOIA, Open Records, Right to Know, or Public Records Act request) when:

• The online system doesn’t go back far enough.
• You need copies of inspection reports, correspondence, or code enforcement files.
• You need plans, and the department sends plan requests through the records process.

Ask for everything tied to the address and parcel number, give a date range, and name the record types you want (permits, inspection results, certificates of occupancy, violations, plans). Expect a fee for copies. Plans may be withheld or require the owner’s consent.

What a permit history reveals before you buy

Compare the records with the house in front of you:

• Square footage and bedroom count. If the listing shows more living space or bedrooms than the permit history explains, ask how the space was added.
• Big-ticket systems. Look for permits matching the roof, water heater, HVAC, electrical panel and windows the seller says are new. A missing permit for a recent replacement is worth asking the seller about. Our guides on roof replacement and HVAC replacement explain when permits are required.
• Open or expired permits. These can block new permits or require the new owner to finish inspections. Florida is notable for protecting arm’s-length buyers: a local agency may not deny a permit to, fine, or charge fees against a buyer solely because a previous owner’s permit was never closed.
• Certificates of occupancy for new homes, additions or changes of use. See our guide to certificates of occupancy.
• Code enforcement history, which can reveal past unpermitted work, dangerous-building orders or ongoing cases.

Checklist for a permit records search

• Confirm which agency issues permits for the address (city, county, or contracted provider).
• Gather the full address, any former addresses, and the assessor’s parcel number.
• Search the online portal for all permit types and print or save the results.
• List every permit not marked finaled, closed or complete.
• Compare the records against the listing, the seller’s disclosure and the home inspection report.
• Request older records, certificates of occupancy, or plans through a records appointment or public records request.
• Before closing, ask the seller in writing to resolve open permits, or negotiate a credit or escrow holdback.

Questions to ask the records office

• What years does the online system cover, and where are older records kept?
• Are plans available, and who is allowed to get copies?
• What do your permit status labels mean?
• Do I need a public records request for inspection reports or code enforcement files?
• What are the copy fees, and how long do requests take?

If the search turns up work that was never permitted, our guide to unpermitted work explains how owners typically legalize it.