Occupancy

If all inspections have been approved and there are no holds on the group, then the project is ready for a Certificate of Occupancy. The system will automatically generate a CO the next business day after the last inspection in the database has been approved. A new building cannot be legally occupied until a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.

A Certificate of Occupancy (a.k.a. CO) is the final document issued in the building process. This document is used to certify the legal use of a building for the purpose of which it was intended and accordingly permitted for. The CO document is issued by the City of Raleigh Inspections Department Construction Division. The CO verifies how a building may be used (i.e. residential, commercial, business, multi-dwelling, etc.). Being a legal document, the CO is often required when selling property or refinancing mortgages.

The Certificate of Occupancy will be issued when all required inspections pass confirming the project meets all applicable building codes, state and city laws and ordinances, and all associated fees are paid in full.

To Request a Copy of a CO, contact the Development Services Customer Service Center at (919) 516-2500. The CO is available for pickup, mail, fax or email at no cost. There are different reprint fees for a CO that is less than 30 days old and older than 30 days. Please refer to the Development Fee Schedule for current fees in the link to the right. At this time the CO's are not available on the web; however, it is part of a future work plan.

To Check the Status of a CO, a client with access to the internet may use the Online Development Center to look at any specific group or group(s) and determine the status of all required inspections. If all required inspections have been approved and there are no holds on the group, the CO is ready for print. Clients may choose to call the office and request that staff research the project by calling (919) 516-2500. Staff will review the group or group(s) and inform the client about their project status and let them know how close their project is to CO.

What is a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO)?
This means that the City of Raleigh Inspections Department Construction Division has deemed the building safe enough to temporarily occupy until any remaining issues are resolved and approved. The TCO approval is only temporary and is subject to expiration. A TCO expires 30 days after issuance date.

(Note: The Fire Department may need to inspect property on an annual basis.)