Certificate of Occupancy — City of Portland
Portland issues a new Certificate of Occupancy after building permits are finalized; a change of use or occupancy (e.g., to a restaurant, or 50+ seats) requires one.
What it is. The Certificate of Occupancy for the space. A change of use or occupancy classification requires a permit and a new CofO — for example, converting a space to a restaurant, or increasing seating from under 50 to 50 or more. All required building permits must be finalized with approved inspections before applying for the Certificate of Occupancy.
Who issues it. City of Portland — Permitting & Development (PP&D) (City layer).
When you need it. Before occupying the space for the restaurant use / new occupancy.
How to apply. Finalize all building permits with approved inspections, then apply for the Certificate of Occupancy; if inspections approve, you receive a new CofO.
Fees. Per the PP&D 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
- Portland.gov — Change of Use or Change of Occupancy — https://www.portland.gov/ppd/change-use-or-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.