Certificate of Occupancy — City of Columbus
A Columbus Certificate of Occupancy is issued after required inspections; new food facilities need Building Services approval before the health license issues.
What it is. The Certificate of Occupancy certifying the space complies with building and zoning codes and is safe to occupy for the restaurant use, issued by Building & Zoning Services. It cannot be issued until the necessary inspections are made. For a new food facility, Building Services final approval is a prerequisite to the Columbus Public Health food license.
Who issues it. City of Columbus — Building & Zoning Services (BZS) (City layer).
When you need it. Before occupying the space for the restaurant use; on a change of use.
How to apply. Complete permitted work; pass required inspections; BZS issues the CofO (a partial CofO may be available for phased occupancy).
Fees. Per the BZS 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 Columbus — Building & Zoning Services — https://www.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Building-Zoning-Services — 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.