Certificate of Occupancy & Inspection — Boston
Boston restaurants need a Certificate of Occupancy (with Fire Department input) and a Certificate of Inspection before the food permit.
What it is. The Certificate of Occupancy (CO) confirming the building is safe for the intended use, plus a Certificate of Inspection for the restaurant. ISD will not issue a CO without Boston Fire Department (BFD) input.
Who issues it. City of Boston — ISD (with the Boston Fire Department) (City layer).
When you need it. Before the Food Service Permit. Restaurants seating 50+ also need a Certificate of Inspection from ISD and a Place of Assembly permit from BFD.
How to apply. Obtain the CO and Certificate of Inspection through ISD after inspections (BFD input required).
Fees. Per ISD permitting — 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 Boston, Certificate of Occupancy — https://www.boston.gov/departments/fire-prevention/certificate-occupancy — 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.