Arlington County, Va., announced that it is expanding its online permitting system – Permit Arlington – to include Certificate of Occupancy applications and inspections.
Permit Arlington, launched in 2019, is an online system intended to improve the customer experience for permitting, building, and land development services. With this latest update, the county said that all permits and applications will have moved from paper applications and in-person payments to the online system.
“Certificates of Occupancy are an important addition to Permit Arlington because they are often the last step in the permitting process for both residential and commercial projects,” said Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development Director Claude Williamson. “After this launch, all land development permits, applications, and inspections will be available through a single, online system, bringing more consistency to the permitting process for our customers.”
Through the online system, customers can apply for permits whenever they want, as well as upload plans, drawings and supporting documents, and track the progress of their applications. The system also sends email notifications as an application clears the following bars: receipt, completeness check, approval, receipt of payment, and permit issuance.
To further improve the user experience, Arlington County is holding two virtual open houses, one before the launch of the expanded permitting system and one shortly after. The county said the open houses are “an opportunity for customers to hear about changes to the Certificate of Occupancy process, find out what steps to take to prepare, and ask questions.”
