Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) has streamlined the process for delivering use and occupancy (U&O) certificates to ensure customers are provided the document as soon as their newly constructed home or commercial space passes final inspection. Once the final inspection is complete and approved, the primary applicant will automatically receive an email with the U&O certificate attached.
In addition, customers now have the ability to print out an approved U&O certificate by visiting the DPS website, logging into their eServices account and selecting the queue for “Print Use and Occupancy Certificate.” Customers could then enter the building permit number for new homes, and the use and occupancy permit number for commercial projects.
“When I began this administration four years ago, one of the first things I did with County Councilmember Sidney Katz was a listening tour with our business community,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We often heard about frustration with the speed and efficiency of our permitting process. Since then, we have been committed to improving our process. I appreciate DPS staff for continually looking for ways to improve the customer experience.”
The U&O certificate is required before a building or space may be occupied. It is issued after the building or space has passed final inspections for building, electrical and mechanical and fire safety. The purpose of the U&O certificate is to document that the use is permitted, and that all applicable safety code and health code requirements have been met. If a building has a variety of uses, each use must have a separate U&O certificate.
“This is a game changer for our customers who no longer have to wait days or request the certificate to receive it,” said DPS Acting Director Ehsan Motazedi. “If the U&O for a new home is approved late on a Friday afternoon, the certificate is instantly emailed to the applicant, and they don’t have to wait until Monday when the office reopens. This saves time and money. Self-service is a key component of this change as customers can also download the certificate directly from the website once it is approved.”
DPS issues hundreds of U&O certificates each year to business owners and new homeowners.
For more information about the permitting process, visit the DPS website. For additional information, contact MC 3-1-1 or call 240-777-0311.
