PropertyLabs Research
Occupancy permit (certificate of occupancy) explained
An occupancy permit, or certificate of occupancy, is typically the final sign-off confirming a building or space meets code for its intended use and can be legally occupied. It is a separate record from the building permit that authorized construction, and not every city publishes it as open data.
Prepared by PropertyLabs Research · Published July 21, 2026 · Municipal sources remain authoritative for individual records.
How it relates to the building permit
A building permit authorizes construction to begin; an occupancy permit (sometimes called a certificate of occupancy, or "final") is generally issued afterward, once final inspections confirm the completed work meets code for its intended use. The two are typically distinct records, sometimes issued by different departments or logged in different systems.
Because occupancy sign-off happens at project completion, there is often a substantial gap — months to years, depending on project size — between a building permit’s issue date and any corresponding occupancy or final-inspection record.
Why PropertyLabs does not show occupancy status for every city
Some municipalities publish certificate-of-occupancy or final-inspection data as part of the same open dataset as building permits; many do not publish it separately at all, or publish it through a different system PropertyLabs does not currently ingest.
Where occupancy data is not part of a city’s published permit dataset, PropertyLabs does not infer occupancy status from a building permit’s status field — a permit showing "issued" or "closed" is not a substitute for a genuine occupancy record, since closure criteria vary by city as described in PropertyLabs’ guide to permit status.
What it does and does not confirm
Where available, an occupancy record indicates the space passed final inspection for its stated use at that point in time. It does not confirm current occupancy, ownership, lease status, or that no further changes have been made to the space since.
Always confirm current occupancy and code status directly with the local building department for any decision that depends on it.
Sources and related public pages
This guide is grounded in PropertyLabs' published data approach and municipality-specific public permitting guidance. Verify record-level conclusions with the municipal source.
Frequently asked questions
Does a building permit’s "closed" status mean occupancy was approved?
Not necessarily. Closure criteria differ by municipality; some close permits after final inspection, others close them administratively. Confirm with the municipality whether a genuine certificate of occupancy or final inspection was issued.
Does PropertyLabs show certificates of occupancy for every city?
No. Occupancy or final-inspection data is only shown where a municipality publishes it as part of its open building-permit dataset. Its absence does not imply anything about the underlying project.