Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit in Brighton, Colorado

Brighton requires a change of occupancy / change of use permit for: The 2021 IBC (Section 111), as adopted by the City of Brighton, makes it unlawful to use or occupy a building or portion thereof for a purpose other than that shown on its most recent Certificate of Occupancy; a new or amended CO is required whenever the use or occupancy classification changes, whether or not construction work accompanies the change; Any business with a physical location within the City of Brighton is required to hold an active Business License (Municipal Code Chapter 5), filed through the City's Munirevs portal (brightonco.munirevs.com); renewal and new applications 'are subject to review and approval to ensure compliance with the City's code,' and additional licenses, permits, or approvals may be required depending on business type; Confirmation that the newly proposed use is allowed within the property's zoning district should be obtained from the Planning Division via a Zoning Verification Letter (planner@brightonco.gov, or the Planner on Duty at 303-655-2072) before proceeding with a lease or business license application; Where the change of use involves construction, remodeling, or tenant-improvement work, the Commercial Tenant Improvement / Nonresidential Permit entry applies (2021 IBC-governed building permit, Permit Checklist: Com, Ind, MF document set); Issuance of a new or amended Certificate of Occupancy — whether or not construction work is involved — follows the same multi-department sign-off documented on the City's own Commercial CO checklist: approval/final inspection from Brighton Fire (Brighton Fire Rescue District, logged in OpenGov), approval from Public Works, approval from the Development Services Manager (Planning), all passed Building final inspections (permit card uploaded to the portal), and closure of all related permits (sprinkler, alarm, retaining wall, landscape, etc.); A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) requires written approval from Fire, Public Works, and Planning, with all life-health-safety concerns addressed; TCOs are NOT available for Group R (residential) occupancies; Certificate-of-Occupancy requests and related comments are processed via OpenGov and cannot be handled at the permit counter. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division at 303-655-2017 before starting work.

A general Business License is free to apply for. A Zoning Verification Letter costs $50 for the first hour ($25 per additional hour). No standalone 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' fee beyond these is published in the City's 2026 fee schedule; if construction or tenant-improvement work accompanies the change, the standard Commercial Tenant Improvement building-permit fee basis applies instead.

Per the City's own Commercial CO checklist, 'COs or related comments can take up to 48 hours and cannot be processed at the counter' — this covers only the final CO-issuance step, once Fire, Public Works, Planning, and Building final-inspection approvals are already on record. Brighton does not publish an overall turnaround for the earlier zoning-verification and business-license steps.

You'll need: Business License Application; Zoning Verification Letter Request; Commercial CO Checklist Items. Depending on your project, Brighton may also ask for: Building Permit Application and Permit Checklist: Com, Ind, MF. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Brighton requires 4 inspection(s) for a change of occupancy / change of use permit, in order: Zoning Use-Conformance Review, Fire Final Inspection / Approval, Building Final Inspection(s), Certificate of Occupancy Issuance. Schedule each through City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division (303-655-2017).

Apply through City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division at 500 S 4th Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601. Phone: 303-655-2017, email: 1stop@brightonco.gov. Office hours: City of Brighton main line 303-655-2000; Building Permit Counter direct line 303-655-2017; Homeowner Inspection Line 303-655-2151; Community Development general line 303-655-2072. City Hall closes at noon on Fridays, and all Community Development functions (planning and zoning, permitting and inspections) end at noon on Fridays as well.. Official information: https://www.brightonco.gov/222/Permitting.

Brighton, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Brighton 'Building Code Editions, Design Loads, Etc.' sheet, Codes & Information page; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC); ICC A117-17 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities); Effective date of the 2021 I-Code revisions: January 1, 2023. Effective date of the 2023 NEC adoption: July 1, 2023 — both per the City's own published 'Building Code Editions, Design Loads, Etc.' sheet (Codes & Information page), which is treated as the current, governing adopted-code list for this record.; Brighton's Municode-hosted Chapter 15, Article 15-12 (“National Electrical Code”) still codifies the 2005 National Electrical Code in its text, which lags the City's live Codes & Information page. That page states the 2023 NEC is adopted effective 7/1/2023, and the 2023 NEC is the edition in force. Design and bid to the 2023 NEC, and raise it with the Building Division if a plan reviewer cites the older codified text.. Local amendments apply — see the Brighton overview page for the full list.

Yes in substance, though Brighton does not publish a single named 'change of use permit.' Under the City's adopted 2021 IBC (Section 111), it is unlawful to occupy a building for a use other than that shown on its most recent Certificate of Occupancy, so a use change requires a new or amended CO — obtained via the City's Business License process, a Planning Division Zoning Verification Letter, and the Commercial CO checklist (Fire, Public Works, and Planning sign-off plus Building final inspection), even when no physical construction is involved.