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Change of Use / Change of Occupant Permit in Scottsdale, Arizona

Scottsdale's own name for this is a 'Change of Occupant Permit,' priced at $195 in the adopted Miscellaneous permit fee schedule, alongside a separate $195 'Certificate of Occupancy (visual inspection only)' line. Where the change of use also involves construction, the Commercial Remodel (Existing) or Commercial T.I. permit fees apply. A change of occupancy classification is reviewed under the 2021 International Existing Building Code, adopted by Scottsdale Revised Code § 31-120 (Ordinance No. 4550 / Resolution No. 12504). Applications are filed through the Scottsdale SPUR portal.

Reviewed 2026-08-16 · Source

When you need this permit

  • File through the Scottsdale SPUR portal — all permit requests require a completed application submitted through SPUR (cityofscottsdaleaz-energovweb.tylerhost.net); create a SPUR account, then search the permit type or keywords in the portal's search field
  • A change of occupancy classification is reviewed under the International Existing Building Code, 2021 Edition, adopted by reference as part of the City Building Code by SRC § 31-120 (Ordinance No. 4550, Resolution No. 12504)
  • A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when all required inspections have been performed and no violations of the codes and ordinances enforced by the City of Scottsdale are found
  • SRC 36-18 § 903.2 item 5 (Ordinance No. 4564) requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in any building that has a change in occupancy as defined in the building code — confirm sprinkler status before committing to a change of use
  • Where the change of use involves construction, the applicable commercial permit is required in addition to or instead of the Change of Occupant Permit (Commercial Remodel (Existing), Commercial T.I. (New) & Multi-Family Build Out, or Commercial Vanilla Shell T.I.)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change of Occupant PermitPermit Fee Schedule — Miscellaneous, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, page 12 of 23, effective July 1, 2026, under the 'Miscellaneous Permit Fees' heading. Read from a 150 dpi rendered image of the PDF page, not from text extraction.
$195
Certificate of Occupancy (visual inspection only)Permit Fee Schedule — Miscellaneous, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, page 12 of 23, effective July 1, 2026. A separate line from the Change of Occupant Permit on the same page, at the same amount — easy to conflate. Read from a rendered image of the PDF page.
$195
Certificate of Occupancy issued with a commercial permitPermit Fee Schedule — Commercial, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, pages 8 and 9 of 23, effective July 1, 2026. A $195 Certificate of Occupancy line appears under Commercial Building Permit, Commercial Addition, Commercial Remodel (Existing), and Commercial T.I. (New) & Multi-Family Build Out; the corresponding line under Shell Only for Commercial & Multi-Family and under Commercial Vanilla Shell T.I. is 'Certificate of Shell — $195.' Read from rendered images of both PDF pages.
$195
Commercial Remodel (Existing) — where the change of use involves constructionPermit Fee Schedule — Commercial, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, page 8 of 23, effective July 1, 2026. Read from a 150 dpi rendered image of the PDF page.
$237 base fee + $0.94 per sq. ft. of area with A/C × 30% + $0.54 per sq. ft. of covered non-A/C area + $195 Certificate of Occupancy
Commercial T.I. (New) & Multi-Family Build Out — alternative construction pathPermit Fee Schedule — Commercial, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, page 9 of 23, effective July 1, 2026. Read from a rendered image of the PDF page.
$237 base fee + $0.94 per sq. ft. of area with A/C × 30% + $0.54 per sq. ft. of covered non-A/C area + $195 Certificate of Occupancy
Active Permits Records Change — CommercialPermit Fee Schedule — Miscellaneous, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, page 12 of 23. Recorded because a change of occupant on an active permit is a records change rather than a new permit; the residential equivalent is $121.
$195

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupant Permit permit actually take in Scottsdale?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Certificate of Occupancy inspection

    A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when all required inspections have been performed and no violations of the codes and ordinances enforced by the City of Scottsdale are found. Where no construction is involved, the Miscellaneous fee schedule prices a 'Certificate of Occupancy (visual inspection only)' at $195, indicating a visual-inspection-only path.

  2. 2

    Temporary Certificate of Occupancy sequence (013 / 032 / 036 / 037, then 025)

    Where occupancy is needed before the entire work is complete: 013 TCO Off-Site (Public Works), 032 TCO On-Site (Building Inspections, 480-312-5750), 036 TCO Fire (Scottsdale Fire Department, 480-312-1855) and, on commercial or multi-family, 037 Backflow Preventer must all be approved before the 025 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy inspection can be scheduled.

See the full Scottsdale inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Search Scottsdale's term, not the generic one: the City calls this a 'Change of Occupant Permit.' Searching SPUR for 'change of use' may not surface it.
  • Two different $195 lines sit close together on the same fee page and are easy to confuse — 'Change of Occupant Permit' and 'Certificate of Occupancy (visual inspection only)' — both under Miscellaneous Permit Fees.
  • The expensive part of a Scottsdale change of use is usually not the $195. SRC 36-18 § 903.2 item 5 requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in any building that has a change in occupancy as defined in the building code, and the City's fee schedule does not price that work at all.
  • Scottsdale's fee schedule carries the standing caveat 'Note: This fee schedule is not all-inclusive and other fees may apply,' so confirm the total in SPUR or via the City's Request Permit Fee Estimate page.
  • If the change of use involves construction, expect the Commercial Remodel (Existing) or Commercial T.I. fees ($237 base + area charges + $195 Certificate of Occupancy) rather than, or in addition to, the flat $195 Change of Occupant Permit.

Frequently asked questions

Scottsdale requires a change of use / change of occupant permit for: File through the Scottsdale SPUR portal — all permit requests require a completed application submitted through SPUR (cityofscottsdaleaz-energovweb.tylerhost.net); create a SPUR account, then search the permit type or keywords in the portal's search field; A change of occupancy classification is reviewed under the International Existing Building Code, 2021 Edition, adopted by reference as part of the City Building Code by SRC § 31-120 (Ordinance No. 4550, Resolution No. 12504); A Certificate of Occupancy is issued when all required inspections have been performed and no violations of the codes and ordinances enforced by the City of Scottsdale are found; SRC 36-18 § 903.2 item 5 (Ordinance No. 4564) requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in any building that has a change in occupancy as defined in the building code — confirm sprinkler status before committing to a change of use; Where the change of use involves construction, the applicable commercial permit is required in addition to or instead of the Change of Occupant Permit (Commercial Remodel (Existing), Commercial T.I. (New) & Multi-Family Build Out, or Commercial Vanilla Shell T.I.). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Scottsdale Planning and Development Services at 480-312-2500 before starting work.

$195 for a Change of Occupant Permit, per the Permit Fee Schedule — Miscellaneous (Exhibit A to Resolution No. 13661, effective July 1, 2026). A 'Certificate of Occupancy (visual inspection only)' is a separate $195 line on the same page. If the change involves construction, the Commercial Remodel (Existing) fees apply instead: a $237 base fee plus $0.94 per square foot of air-conditioned area at 30 percent, plus $0.54 per square foot of covered non-air-conditioned area, plus a $195 Certificate of Occupancy.

Scottsdale does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Scottsdale Planning and Development Services at 480-312-2500 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Scottsdale SPUR permit application. Depending on your project, Scottsdale may also ask for: Irrevocable Letter of Credit (for Temporary Certificate of Occupancy only). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Scottsdale requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupant permit, in order: Certificate of Occupancy inspection, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy sequence (013 / 032 / 036 / 037, then 025). Schedule each through City of Scottsdale Planning and Development Services (480-312-2500).

Apply through City of Scottsdale Planning and Development Services at 7447 E. Indian School Road, Suite #105, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. Phone: 480-312-2500, email: OneStopShopStaff@ScottsdaleAZ.gov. Office hours: Mon 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tue 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wed 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thu 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Fri 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (no new transactions after 4 p.m.); Sat–Sun Closed. Official information: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning-development.

Yes. Scottsdale Revised Code 36-18 § 903.2, item 5 (Ordinance No. 4564) requires an approved automatic sprinkler system 'in any building that has a change in occupancy as defined in the building code.' This is a local Scottsdale amendment and is broader than the base International Fire Code requirement.

The International Existing Building Code, 2021 Edition, adopted by reference as part of the City Building Code by Scottsdale Revised Code § 31-120 (Ordinance No. 4550, Resolution No. 12504, adopted 2022).

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Change of Use / Change of Occupant Permit in other cities

Apache Junction, ArizonaBuckeye, ArizonaCamp Verde, ArizonaCocopah Indian Tribe, ArizonaDewey-Humboldt, ArizonaDuncan, ArizonaEagar, ArizonaFort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona

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