Certificate of Occupancy — City of Arlington
An Arlington Certificate of Occupancy must be issued before a restaurant may operate — and it is a prerequisite to the City health permit.
What it is. The Certificate of Occupancy certifying the space is approved for the restaurant use and complies with applicable codes. The CofO must be approved and issued before you can apply for the health permit. The CofO application asks whether a grease trap/sand trap and any wastewater pretreatment will be used on the premises.
Who issues it. City of Arlington — Planning & Development Services (City layer).
When you need it. Before operating; on a change of occupancy type (which triggers fire-suppression, grease-trap, and ventilation reviews).
How to apply. Complete permitted work; submit the Certificate of Occupancy application; pass inspections; the CofO is issued.
Fees. Per the Arlington schedule — see source (⟢ VERIFY).
What SpoonSeal tracks. The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.
References
- City of Arlington — Certificate of Occupancy Application — https://cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_14481062/File/City%20Hall/Depts/PDS/Permit%20&%20Inspect/Permit%20Apps%20&%20Forms/Certificate_of_Occupancy_Application_fillable.pdf — Official source last checked: 2026-07-02
Stay ahead of this requirement
SpoonSeal stores your documents, tracks expirations, and reminds you before anything lapses — so you are always inspection-ready.
Get started free →This guide is informational and not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the official agency linked above.