Certificate of Occupancy

Official authorization for an identified use or occupancy after applicable approvals, inspections, and closeout requirements

Category: Zoning
Workflow: Certificate and closeout
Jurisdiction Level: Municipal (City / Village / Town)

Official closeout or use authorization after the applicable approvals and inspections.

Also known as: Certificate of Occupancy, COO, CO, Occupancy Permit, Certificate of Use, Use and Occupancy Certificate, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, TCO

• Related permit number, property, proposed use, and responsible contact (Commonly required)
• Required final, trade, fire, accessibility, or other closeout approvals (Verify locally)
• As-built, testing, or closeout documents requested by the issuing department (Verify locally)

This is a general workflow, not a finding about a particular property. Verify each locally marked item against the current official application, ordinance, and issuing department.

1. Confirm whether a new use, change of use, completed project, or temporary occupancy requires a certificate
2. Identify the issuing department and every prerequisite inspection or approval
3. Complete required inspections and resolve open corrections (Commonly required)
4. Submit the certificate request or application with the related permit and use information (Commonly required)
5. The authority issues the certificate or identifies remaining deficiencies
6. Confirm whether the authority issued a final certificate or a temporary certificate with limits, conditions, and an expiration date (Verify locally)
7. When a certificate is required, do not occupy beyond the scope and date the issuing authority has authorized

Check the current application deadline, review calendar, and completeness rules published by the responsible jurisdiction. No supported national processing-time estimate is available.

Consult the responsible jurisdiction's current application and fee schedule. No supported national fee range is available.

These dated local sources support the workflow distinctions in this general guide. They do not establish the rules for your property; verify the current source published by your responsible authority.

• Certificate of Occupancy — New York City Department of Buildings (New York City, NY; checked 2026-07-22). Local primary-source example showing final sign-offs and closeout conditions; requirements vary by authority and proposed occupancy.
• Permit & Development Center — City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (Milwaukee, WI; checked 2026-07-01). Local example for occupancy-certificate routing and closeout; requirements vary by authority and proposed use.