The B&S Division will send you periodic updates on the status of your permit application at key milestones, like when the permit application has been processed and when the plans have been reviewed, or when the plans have been approved, etc.
You can also check the status of your permit, even if you have not received a notification from B&S.
The fastest way to check the status of a permit or permit application is by using the County’s permit portal, “Citizen Access.”
To use Citizen Access, you must have a valid Permit Record number, and you must have already created a Citizen Access account. If you do not already have a Citizen Access account, you can create a free account here.
The permit record number must also be associated with your email address. This association is done by B&S when you submit a Building Permit application using your email address for reference. If you have a Building Permit record, but your email address is not yet associated with that record, you can request that we add your email address to that permit record. You can do this by calling us at 805-654-2771 or 805-582-8064. You can also email your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Once you have established access to Citizen Access, follow the prompts until you find your Permit Record number, then view the status by clicking on that record.
If you prefer to talk with us, you can call the Permit Technician who is processing your permit application, or the Plans Examiner who is reviewing your plans for a status update. Although we will be happy to assist you with the information you need about the status of your permit application, we discourage frequent calls for this service, as these can reduce the time allocated for actual permit processing and review, which delays all projects.