Building Permits

A building permit is a document issued by a government entity that authorizes the holder to construct a new building or make alterations to an existing structure. If you are looking for permit records for a house or building, the first place to check is with a city's local planning or building and safety department. The department that issues new permits is the one you want. City websites are a good place to look for this information. Many even contain specific instructions on the issuance of new building permits and how to go about accessing historical records .

Nearly all municipal governments make building permit records available to the general public one way or another. However, the process for obtaining these records can vary. Usually its just a matter of visiting a public counter with street address in hand, and asking to see available permits for the property. This is most often the case in small municipalities. In larger cities, you may have to make an appointment to conduct research or have to meet other requirements. A few, like the City of Claremont, have put all of their permit records online. This is what we wish all city's would do, as it makes doing research that much easier, but is a rare occurrence.




City of Los Angeles

Those researching permit records in Los Angeles will want to visit the offices of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. The following types of records are available at the Department's records counter:

  • Building Permits (from 1905 to present)
  • Certificates of Occupancy (from 1940 to partial 1995)
  • Range Files (violations)
  • Plot Plans
  • Geology/Soils Reports
  • Affidavits
  • Approved Building Plans
  • Board Files
  • Administrative Approvals
  • Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical (from 1985 to 1990 and from 1996 to present)

These records are available for all commercial and residential buildings in the city limits. The records are located on microfilm catridges, and may be obtained at the Building and Safety Department's downtown or valley locations:

Metro Office
201 North Figueroa Street
First Floor, Room 110

Van Nuys Office
62662 Van Nuys Boulevard
Second Floor, Room 251

After requesting permit records, individuals can view them at the counter and/or have copies made (there is a small fee for the latter). Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday, except Wednesdays. Wednesdays, the public counters are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Metro and Van Nuys offices also accept requests for records by fax and/or mail.

For anyone who plans to do a lot of research, the Metro office also provides specialized training for individuals. This training allows someone to bypass the public counter and to research permit records themselves. To schedule training, interested persons should call (213) 482-6899 to make an appointment. Training sessions are scheduled on Tuesday only and occur very early in the morning, usually at 7:00 a.m.

Visit the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety's website for more details.