Change of Use / Tenant Occupancy Permit in Sedona, Arizona

Sedona requires a change of use / tenant occupancy permit for: Complete the Tenant Occupancy Permit Application and the Commercial Preliminary Questionnaire, both included in the City's Tenant Occupancy Permit Packet; New businesses and new business owners must obtain a Tenant Occupancy Permit prior to occupancy of any building (City of Sedona Sign Permit Requirements sheet); A Tenant Occupancy Permit is not a Certificate of Occupancy — the packet states in red that it is illegal to operate a business without a valid Certificate of Occupancy; The application can be downloaded from the Community Development website at sedonaaz.gov/cd under the 'Permits' button, or a paper copy obtained at 104 Roadrunner Drive or by calling 928-282-1154; The packet directs applicants to contact the agencies whose requirements may apply to the specific project: City of Sedona Building Safety Division 928-282-1154; Yavapai County 928-639-8100; Coconino County 928-774-5011; Sedona Fire District 928-282-6800; Arizona Public Service 928-284-4000; AZ Water Company 928-282-5555; and Unisource Gas Company 928-282-3919; Where the change of use involves construction or build-out, file the City's separate Tenant Improvement permit; tenant improvement valuation is set at $50.00 per sq. ft. or the actual construction cost estimate as determined by the building official. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Sedona Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 928-282-1154 before starting work.

Sedona charges $50 for a Tenant Occupancy Permit, listed as 'Tenant occupancy' under Community Development 'Other Inspections and Fees' in the Consolidated Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026. If the change of use also requires build-out, a separate Tenant Improvement permit is required, valued at $50.00 per square foot or the actual construction cost estimate as determined by the building official, with the permit fee then computed from the City's Valuation/Permit Fee Schedule and a plan review fee of 65 percent of the building permit fee.

The City of Sedona Tenant Occupancy Permit Packet publishes an A.R.S. § 9-836 time frame of 21 business days for administrative completeness and 21 business days for substantive review, for an overall 42 business days. The authorizing code shown on that table is City Code Title 15.

You'll need: Tenant Occupancy Permit Application; Commercial Preliminary Questionnaire. Depending on your project, Sedona may also ask for: Sign Permit Application; Customer Survey Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Sedona requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / tenant occupancy permit, in order: Tenant occupancy inspection. Schedule each through City of Sedona Community Development Department — Building Safety Division (928-282-1154).

Apply through City of Sedona Community Development Department — Building Safety Division at 102 Roadrunner Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336-3710 (Community Development front counter address also published as 104 Roadrunner Drive in some permit packets). Phone: 928-282-1154, email: Permittechs@sedonaaz.gov. Office hours: Community Development Department phone hours Monday - Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (4-day, 10-hour City workweek); lobby/front counter hours Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Construction Inspection Hotline: 928-282-3268 (call by 3:00 p.m. the business day before to request a next-day inspection). Staff: Steve Mertes, Chief Building Official/Community Development Director, 928-203-5097, smertes@sedonaaz.gov; Becky Oium, Plans Examiner, 928-203-5093; Patty Lewis, Permit Technician, 928-203-5118; Andrew Vaughn, Building Inspector, 928-204-7115, avaughn@sedonaaz.gov.. Official information: https://www.sedonaaz.gov/your-government/departments/community-development/permits.

Sedona, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has NO statewide mandatory building code floor for general construction — code adoption is a per-city/county authority under state enabling statutes (e.g., A.R.S. Title 9 for municipalities). The City of Sedona runs its own Community Development Department / Building Safety Division and independently adopts and administers its own construction codes as City Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction); it does not defer permitting to Yavapai County or Coconino County for parcels within Sedona city limits, even though the city itself straddles both counties. Source: Sedona City Code Chapter 15.05 (sedona.municipal.codes/SCC/15.05); City of Sedona Permits and Building Safety webpages.; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), as amended and codified, published by the International Code Council, adopted as the building code of the City of Sedona (Sedona City Code § 15.05.010), with City of Sedona amendments (§ 15.05.020). Adopted by City Council on September 24, 2019 (Ordinance 2019-05, Resolution 2019-18 Exh. A); effective for all permits submitted on or after October 25, 2019. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.010/.020; City of Sedona Building Safety and Permits pages ('Building Codes' section).; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments (§ 15.05.030/.040), effective October 25, 2019, including the City's amended IRC Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.030/.040.; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage, 'Building Codes' list.; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019. Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019 (referenced in the Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Building Permit Packet's '2019 Amendments to Sedona City Code' insert). Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage; City of Sedona Swimming Pool and Spa Building Permit Packet.; 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), as published by the National Fire Protection Association, adopted with City of Sedona amendments, effective October 25, 2019 (one edition behind the 2018 ICC I-Codes set, consistent with the City's own stated rationale of aligning with 'surrounding communities and counties'). Source: City of Sedona Building Safety webpage.; Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and factory-built buildings are separately defined and regulated under Sedona City Code § 15.05.090 (adopting the Arizona Office of Manufactured Housing construction/installation standards per A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 16), with the City issuing its own 'Manufactured or factory built home permit' packet for placement, foundation, and site-related requirements. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.090; City of Sedona Permits page.; Building permit fees and valuation are governed by Sedona City Code § 15.05.060, which cross-references the City of Sedona Consolidated Fee Schedule (Valuation/Permit Fee Schedule and Unit Permit Fees) as the authoritative fee source rather than the ICC codes' own fee tables; the plan review fee is set at 65 percent of the calculated building permit fee when the permit fee is valuation-based. Source: Sedona City Code § 15.05.060 (sedona.municipal.codes/SCC/15.05.060).. Local amendments apply — see the Sedona overview page for the full list.

No. The City of Sedona Tenant Occupancy Permit Packet states in red on its first page: 'It is illegal to operate a Business without a valid Certificate of Occupancy (A Tenant Occupancy Permit is not a Certificate of Occupancy).' The two are separate documents and a business needs the Certificate of Occupancy to operate lawfully.