Permit Search
A Broward County permit search can begin with a permit number, a property address, a folio number, or a parcel ID. The right search depends on the information you have and on whether you are looking for a permit record or the status of an application submitted through ePermits OneStop. This article explains the County’s official search options, the information each one requires, how city and County approvals fit together, and where to turn when a record is difficult to locate.
Choose the Right Permit Search
Broward County provides two search pages that serve different starting points. The BCS Search for Permit page asks for a permit number. If you have property information instead, the BCS Search for Permit by Address page offers three methods: address, folio number, or parcel ID number. Both are County government pages.
Before entering a search, identify what is written on the document or message in front of you. A permit number belongs in the permit-number field. A folio number and a parcel ID have their own fields on the property search page. An ePermits application is handled through the application-status steps on ePermits OneStop. Keeping those identifiers separate is the simplest way to avoid searching the wrong part of the system.
Searching with a Permit Number
The BCS permit search page has a field labeled “Permit Number.” Its example is “12-09876.” Use the permit number shown on your permit materials when you have it. The example shows the kind of entry the page requests; it is not a number to use for a different property or project.
The page also displays an “Invoice” item in its navigation. Do not treat an invoice number as a permit number simply because both appear in the same system. If your paperwork shows several numbers, read the labels beside them and enter the one identified as the permit number in the permit search field. Similarly, the page’s “Screen ID” identifies the displayed page; it is not a permit search field.
This route is most direct when someone has given you a permit number, such as one appearing on project paperwork. If all you have is a location or a property identifier, switch to the property-based search page instead of trying to turn an address or folio number into a permit number.
Searching with Property Information
The property-based BCS page presents three alternatives. You can search by the permit’s address, by folio number, or by parcel ID number. Choose one method and enter information in its matching fields. The page says JavaScript and session cookies must be enabled for the site, so browser settings can matter if the search form does not work as expected.
These options are useful when you do not know the permit number but can identify the property. They are separate search methods, however. A street address is entered across several address fields; a folio number goes in the folio field; and a parcel ID goes in the parcel ID field. Reading the field labels before searching can prevent an unsuccessful search caused by placing a valid identifier in the wrong box.
Address Search Fields and Formatting
The address method requires all fields for the permit’s address. The page labels them “Street Number,” “Street Name,” “Street Type,” and “City.” It also instructs users not to enter unit or suite information. For its examples, the form shows “955” as a street number, “N FEDERAL” as a street name, and “HWY” as a street type.
Enter the address of the permit you are trying to locate, following the form’s field divisions. Put the building number in Street Number, the road name in Street Name, the road type in Street Type, and the city in City. The form’s example places the directional letter “N” with “FEDERAL” in the Street Name field, so avoid assuming that every part of an address belongs in a single field.
Leaving out a required address field can make the entry incomplete. Adding an apartment, unit, or suite can also conflict with the form’s instruction. If you copied an address from a lease, listing, or project document, separate its components before entering it and leave the unit or suite information out of this particular search.
The search asks for the permit’s address. That wording matters when documents for a project show more than one location, such as a mailing address and a work site. Use the address identified with the permit rather than substituting a contact’s mailing address. If you have a folio number or parcel ID on the permit materials, the alternate fields may offer a clearer way to identify the property.
Folio Numbers and Parcel IDs
The same property search page lets you bypass the address fields by searching with a folio number or a parcel ID number. The example folio number is “0215-01-0130,” while the example parcel ID is “504215010130.” Those examples appear under different labels and have different formats. Enter your identifier under the label that matches the document you are using.
A property document may contain several numbers. Do not assume that a permit number, folio number, and parcel ID are interchangeable merely because they refer to the same project or location. The BCS pages give each identifier a distinct place: permit number on the permit search page, and folio number or parcel ID on the property search page.
If you are unsure which number you have, return to the document where it appears and look for its printed label. Preserve the number shown there when transferring it to the appropriate field. The examples on the search page help you recognize the fields, but they do not establish the identifier for your own property.
Permit Records and Application Status
A permit record search and an application-status check answer different questions. The BCS pages are labeled as searches for permits. Broward County’s ePermits OneStop page provides separate directions for checking the status of a permit or license application: log in to your ePermits account, go to “My Applications,” and then go to “License Status.”
That distinction is useful if you recently submitted an application and are looking for its progress. Searching by a property address may not be the step described for checking your submitted application. Use the ePermits account route when you need the application-status feature, and use the BCS search fields when you are searching for a permit with the identifiers those pages request.
The ePermits OneStop page also provides links for registering for system access and signing in, along with an application submittal guide, “How To Apply,” and frequently asked questions. Those materials relate to using the application system. A person checking an existing permit number does not need to treat the application instructions as the permit-number search form.
County and Municipal Permit Roles
ePermits OneStop brings together participating municipalities and Broward County for online applications and approvals. The County describes it as a way for customers applying for permits in their city or municipality to submit applications and receive approval for associated Broward County permits and licenses online. Its listed scope includes municipality building permits and Broward County approvals and associated permits.
For a project within a city, this means the municipal building permit and a related County approval can involve different offices even when ePermits OneStop connects parts of the application process. When you need help with a city building permit, identify the municipality responsible for that permit. When your question concerns a Broward County approval, identify the County division connected to that type of work.
The ePermits OneStop page identifies participating cities and provides access to support and contact information for municipalities, Broward County divisions, and building officials. Its ePermits support and contact information separates County divisions from participating municipalities. That separation helps you direct a question about a record or application to the office handling that part of the project.
Do not assume that every permit mentioned in a project file belongs to one office simply because the property is in Broward County. Check whether the document identifies a municipality, the Broward County Building Code Division, or another County division. This is especially useful when you can find the project but need an answer about a particular approval.
Building and Environmental Questions
The County’s ePermits contact information identifies the Building Code Division for building permits. It separately identifies the Environmental Permitting Division and provides a Development and Environmental Review support contact. Those names point to different kinds of County inquiries; they should not be collapsed into a single general “permit office” when you are seeking help with a specific application or approval.
Begin with the label on the permit, application, or review material. A building-permit question can be directed to the Building Code Division. If the material identifies environmental permitting or development and environmental review, use the corresponding County contact. For a municipal building permit, the participating municipality’s building department may be the more relevant contact. The support document provides those offices separately so users can select the contact that matches the work.
Other Items in the BCS Menu
The BCS navigation includes options beyond “Search for Permit,” such as requesting an inspection, searching for a meter release, searching for a contractor license, searching for an elevator, and searching for a certificate of use. It also includes code compliance and code enforcement searches. These labels describe different functions within the site. A contractor-license search or code-enforcement search is not the permit-number form, even if the subject concerns the same property or contractor.
Choose the menu item according to the record or action you need. If your immediate goal is to locate a permit, stay with the permit-number search or the address, folio, and parcel search. If a document directs you to a different BCS function, use the function named on that document rather than entering an unrelated number into the permit field.
Preparing for a Permit Search
A short review of your paperwork can save repeated searches. Gather the identifier that is actually available, then select the matching County page. For the permit-number search, locate the number labeled as a permit number. For the property search, identify the permit address and its street components, or find the folio number or parcel ID. For an application-status question, have access to the ePermits account used for the application, since the County directs users to log in before opening “My Applications” and “License Status.”
The most useful details to sort before opening a search are:
The permit number, if one appears on the permit material.
The permit’s street number, street name, street type, and city for an address search, without unit or suite information.
A folio number or parcel ID, if the property document identifies one.
The municipality or County division named on the application or approval.
Whether you need a permit search or the status of an application in your ePermits account.
These details also make a question to an office more specific. You can explain which search method you used and which identifier you have, without describing a property solely by an informal location or project name. If your question is about a municipal building permit and an associated County approval, state which part you are asking about.
When a Search Does Not Help
First, confirm that you are on the correct page for the information in hand. A permit number belongs on the BCS Search for Permit page; an address, folio number, or parcel ID belongs on the property-based page. An application-status question belongs in the ePermits account steps described by the County. Switching to the matching method is more useful than repeatedly entering the same information into an unrelated field.
For an address search, compare each entry with the form labels. The page asks for all four address fields and specifically excludes unit and suite information. If you entered the entire address into Street Name, left out the street type or city, or included a suite number, revise the entry to match the form. For a folio or parcel search, verify that you selected the field bearing the same label as your document.
If the property search page will not function, review the browser requirement displayed there: JavaScript and session cookies must be enabled. That requirement concerns access to the search page itself and is separate from whether a particular permit can be located. If the search runs but you still need an answer about a permit or approval, use the County or municipal contact associated with that work.
Finally, distinguish a search difficulty from a question about application progress. The ePermits OneStop instructions send applicants who want to check a permit or license application to their account’s “My Applications” and “License Status” areas. Its support information can help identify the relevant municipal or County contact when the issue concerns a specific part of an application.
Relevant County Offices
Building Code Division — 2307 W. Broward Boulevard, Suite 300, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 — 954-765-4400
Environmental Permitting Division — 954-519-1483
Development and Environmental Review — 954-357-6666, option 2
Permit Search FAQs
Can I request an inspection from a permit search result?
The Broward County BCS portal lists “Request Inspection” as a separate option from “Search for Permit.” Finding a permit record does not itself request an inspection. Check the permit paperwork for the agency responsible for the work before using the inspection option. If the permit was issued by a city, follow that city’s inspection process; a related County approval does not necessarily change who handles inspections for the city building permit.
Where can I check a notice of commencement?
A notice of commencement is a separate document, so a permit search result should not be treated as proof that one has been recorded. Broward County’s ePermits OneStop page provides Notice of Commencement information, and its support guide identifies the County’s Records, Taxes and Treasury Division for questions about that document. Check the notice requirements for your project separately from the permit record.
Why does my project show more than one approval?
A project can involve a municipal building permit and an associated Broward County approval. The entries may relate to different reviews even when the application moved through ePermits OneStop. Read the agency and permit type shown with each entry before deciding which approval you need to verify. For example, a question about environmental permitting belongs with the County division handling that review, while a question about the city’s building permit belongs with the municipality.
Will a permit search show code violations or contractor licenses?
Those have separate search options in BCS. The portal lists contractor-license searches and code compliance and enforcement searches apart from its permit search. If you are checking whether a contractor holds a license or whether a property has a code case, open the option for that record. A permit result alone does not answer either question.