Certificate of Occupancy — City of Austin
A City of Austin Certificate of Occupancy is required before occupying a restaurant space; it is issued after all final inspections (building, fire, health, water) are approved.
What it is. The Certificate of Occupancy certifying the space is approved for the restaurant use and complies with all applicable codes. All required inspections (building, fire, health, and Austin Water Pretreatment) must be approved before the CofO is issued.
Who issues it. City of Austin — Development Services Department (DSD) (City layer).
When you need it. Before legally occupying and operating the space as a restaurant.
How to apply. Complete permitted work; pass all required inspections; the CofO is issued by DSD.
Fees. Per the DSD 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 Austin — Types of Permits (Development Services) — https://www.austintexas.gov/development-services/types-permits — 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.