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Change of Use / New Certificate of Occupancy in Unincorporated Yuma County, Arizona

Changing the use of any building or other structure in unincorporated Yuma County requires a building permit from the zoning inspector before the new use begins, under Section 1201.01 of the Yuma County Zoning Ordinance (which codifies A.R.S. Title 11, Chapter 6, Article 2). The Department of Development Services then issues a new Certificate of Occupancy — a statement signed by the County Building Official setting forth that the building, structure or use complies with the Zoning Ordinance and may be used for the purposes stated. The county's adopted fee schedule prices this specific service by the hour rather than as a flat fee.

Reviewed 2026-07-07 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Zoning Ordinance Sec. 1201.01: it is unlawful to erect, construct, reconstruct, alter or CHANGE THE USE of any building or other structure within a zoning district covered by the ordinance without first obtaining a building permit from the inspector
  • For that purpose the applicant shall provide the zoning inspector with a sketch of the proposed construction containing sufficient information for the enforcement of the zoning ordinance
  • The inspector shall issue the permit when it appears that the proposed erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration or use fully conforms to the zoning ordinance; in any other case, the inspector shall withhold the permit
  • No permit is required for repairs or improvements of a value not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) (Sec. 1201.01); separately, Sec. 1201.00 requires a building permit for any construction of a building or addition exceeding a cost of one thousand dollars ($1,000)
  • A Certificate of Occupancy is defined by the Zoning Ordinance as a statement signed by the County Building Official, or their designee, setting forth that a building, structure, or use complies with the Zoning Ordinance and that the same may be used for the purposes stated therein
  • Sec. 623.07(B): whenever the use of any existing building, structure, or premises is changed to a different use, all outdoor lighting shall be reviewed and made to comply with all provisions of Section 623.00 (Outdoor Lighting Regulations)
  • Zoning must permit the proposed use: Article X limits nonconforming uses — an existing nonconforming use may not be changed to another nonconforming use (Sec. 1003.00), a nonconforming use changed to a conforming use may not revert (Sec. 1005.00), and a change of use or addition of new uses constitutes a use intensification and is not permitted (Sec. 1008.00)
  • If a contractor is employed for construction exceeding $10,000, a building permit may not be issued unless the contractor holds a valid privilege tax license under A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 5, Article 1 (Sec. 1201.00(B))
  • The permitting process is the county's standard two-step Administrative Review then Technical Review; incomplete applications are returned in their entirety without further action
  • Sec. 1201.02: it is unlawful to perform any work without the required permits under the Building, Fire, Mechanical, Electrical and/or Plumbing Codes adopted by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors — a change of use that triggers construction work also triggers those trade permits
  • On issuance of the certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion, the county notifies the County Assessor and the Arizona Department of Revenue in writing or electronically with the permit number, parcel number, issue date and completion date (Sec. 1201.00(C))

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Change of Use Issuance of New Certificate of OccupancyYuma County DDS Fee Schedule, Section 6 DDS GENERAL SERVICE & MISCELLANEOUS FEES (page 8 of 12) — READ FROM A 170-dpi PAGE RENDER. Text extraction of this page is misaligned by one row and pairs this label with the Bad Check Fee's value ('$15.00 x 2 (bank charge only)'); the rendered page shows $70.00 per hour with 1/2 hour minimum. Source: https://www.yumacountyaz.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28926/636228368161800000
$70.00 per hour with 1/2 hour minimum
Temporary Certificate of OccupancyYuma County DDS Fee Schedule, Section 6 DDS GENERAL SERVICE & MISCELLANEOUS FEES (page 10 of 12) — read from a 170-dpi page render.
$70.00
Building Permit Fee (where the change of use involves construction)Yuma County DDS Fee Schedule, Section 2 PERMITTING (page 2 of 12): 'Building Permit Fees (including plumbing, electrical and mechanical): the fee for each permit shall be as set forth and detailed in Attachments #1 through #6.'
Valuation-based per Table No. 1A, Building Permit Fees, 1997 Uniform Building Code (Attachment #3 to the Fee Schedule), with valuation for unit cost based on the most current September/October edition of the Building Standards Magazine (updated annually)
Building Plan Review FeeYuma County DDS Fee Schedule, Section 1 PLAN REVIEWS (page 1 of 12, read from a 170-dpi render).
65% of the building permit fee as shown in Table 1-A of the 1997 Uniform Building Code, per set of plan review
Operating Without Approved and Valid PermitYuma County DDS Fee Schedule, Miscellaneous Permits (page 6 of 12, read from render) — applies to all types of permits issued by DDS.
Twice original permit fee assessed

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / New Certificate of Occupancy permit actually take in Unincorporated Yuma County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Zoning conformance review

    The zoning inspector issues the permit only when it appears the proposed use fully conforms to the Zoning Ordinance, and must withhold it in any other case (Sec. 1201.01)

  2. 2

    Outdoor lighting compliance review

    All outdoor lighting related to the new use must be reviewed and made to comply with Section 623.00 of the Zoning Ordinance when the use of an existing building, structure or premises changes (Sec. 623.07(B))

  3. 3

    Certificate of Occupancy issuance

    New Certificate of Occupancy signed by the County Building Official or designee, stating that the building, structure or use complies with the Zoning Ordinance and may be used for the purposes stated; the Assessor and the Arizona Department of Revenue are notified on issuance (Sec. 1201.00(C))

See the full Unincorporated Yuma County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • This fee is hourly, not flat: $70.00 per hour with a half-hour minimum. Complex or poorly-documented change-of-use requests cost more than simple ones, so bring a clean sketch and a clear statement of the proposed use to the first meeting.
  • Confirm the proposed use is permitted in your zoning district before you spend anything. Section 1201.01 obliges the inspector to WITHHOLD the permit unless the proposed use fully conforms to the Zoning Ordinance — there is no discretion to approve a non-conforming use at the counter.
  • If your building is a legal nonconforming use, Article X is a hard stop: a nonconforming use cannot change to another nonconforming use (Sec. 1003.00), a change of use or the addition of new uses counts as use intensification and is not permitted (Sec. 1008.00), and once converted to a conforming use it can never revert (Sec. 1005.00).
  • A change of use retriggers the outdoor lighting regulations for the whole site (Sec. 623.07(B)) — existing site lighting that was legal under the old use has to be reviewed and brought into compliance before the new use commences.
  • If your change of use involves any construction, the county's fire, mechanical, electrical and plumbing code permits are separately mandatory under Sec. 1201.02, and Yuma County — unlike most Arizona counties — administers the fire side itself.
  • There is a $70.00 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy fee in the same fee-schedule section if you need to occupy before the change of use is fully closed out.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Section 1201.01 of the Yuma County Zoning Ordinance makes it unlawful to erect, construct, reconstruct, alter or change the use of any building or other structure within a zoning district without first obtaining a building permit from the inspector, and requires you to give the zoning inspector a sketch of the proposed construction with enough information to enforce the zoning ordinance. The inspector issues the permit only if the proposed use fully conforms to the ordinance. Source: Yuma County Zoning Ordinance (https://www.yumacountyaz.gov/government/development-services/laws-guidelines)

The Yuma County Department of Development Services Fee Schedule prices 'Change of Use Issuance of New Certificate of Occupancy' at $70.00 per hour with a 1/2 hour minimum, under Section 6, DDS General Service & Miscellaneous Fees. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is $70.00. If the change of use also involves construction, the valuation-based building permit fee (Table 1-A, 1997 Uniform Building Code) and a plan review fee of 65% of that permit fee apply on top. Source: https://www.yumacountyaz.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28926/636228368161800000

Unincorporated Yuma County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Yuma County Department of Development Services (DDS), Building Safety Division at (928) 817-5000 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Sketch of the proposed construction. Depending on your project, Unincorporated Yuma County may also ask for: Commercial / Industrial / MH & RV Park Project Information Guide & Application; Project Assessment Request; Yuma County Zoning Ordinance. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Yuma County requires 3 inspection(s) for a change of use / new certificate of occupancy permit, in order: Zoning conformance review, Outdoor lighting compliance review, Certificate of Occupancy issuance. Schedule each through Yuma County Department of Development Services (DDS), Building Safety Division ((928) 817-5000).

Apply through Yuma County Department of Development Services (DDS), Building Safety Division at 2351 West 26th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364. Phone: (928) 817-5000, email: contact.dds@yumacountyaz.gov. Office hours: Weekdays 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Inspection requests must be called in before 4:00 p.m. (M-F) for next-business-day service; provide permit number, address, and inspection type: (928) 817-5196. Fax: (928) 817-5020.. Official information: https://www.yumacountyaz.gov/government/development-services/divisions/building-safety.

Unincorporated Yuma County, Arizona has adopted: Arizona has no mandatory statewide building code — code adoption is a per-city/county authority. Yuma County's Department of Development Services (DDS), Building Safety Division independently adopts and administers its own construction codes for unincorporated county territory (areas outside the incorporated cities of Yuma, San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page (yumacountyaz.gov/government/development-services/laws-guidelines/building-safety-code-amendments), which itemizes the county's currently-amended code editions.; 2018 International Building Code (IBC), amended by county-adopted amendments. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page (amendment document: 2018 International Building Code Amendments PDF).; 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), amended by county-adopted amendments (superseding the prior 2012 IRC amendments, which remain separately published on the same page for historical reference). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), amended by county-adopted amendments (superseding the prior 2012 IEBC amendments). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), amended by county-adopted amendments. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024 (document publish-date 638205375930770000, i.e. 2024). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC), amended by county-adopted amendments dated 2024 (this is a newer NEC edition than several incorporated Yuma County cities have adopted, e.g. San Luis at 2014 NEC). Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), amended by county-adopted amendments. This is the most recent energy-code edition found published on the county's amendments page as of this review; no newer IECC adoption document was located. Source: Yuma County Building Safety Code Amendments page.; The full 'Yuma County Comprehensive Building Code' (the county's consolidated code-and-amendments volume) is available for public review at the Board of Supervisors Office (198 S. Main Street, Yuma), the Yuma County Libraries, and the Department of Development Services office (2351 West 26th Street, Yuma). Source: Yuma County Building Safety FAQ, 'Yuma County Comprehensive Building Code, where can I read it?' (yumacountyaz.gov/government/advanced-components/faq-single-list/-seldept-25).. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Yuma County overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-07.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Unincorporated Yuma County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Change of Use / New Certificate of Occupancy in other cities

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

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