Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Compliance — Salt Lake City, Utah · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-07-22 · Source: https://www.slc.gov/buildingservices/certificate-of-occupancy/
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Change of Use / Certificate of Occupancy Compliance in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City has no separately named or separately priced 'Change of Use Permit' product. Instead, SLC City Code § 18.20.190 ('Final Inspection and Certificate of Occupancy') makes it unlawful to use or occupy, or to change the occupancy of, any building or structure until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy for it, and allows the building official to revoke an existing certificate of occupancy if the property has been changed or modified — including a change in occupancy classification — without obtaining the required permits. Separately, the city's own Building Permits FAQ confirms in plain language that 'if you are changing the use of a building or space (e.g., converting a residential property into a commercial space), a permit may be needed to ensure compliance with zoning and building codes.' Where a change of use also increases demand on city infrastructure, a Development Impact Fee Assessment (SLC Code Title 18.98) may apply, and where the new use is not already permitted outright in the property's zone, the standard Planning Division zoning fee schedule (Administrative Interpretation, Determination of Nonconforming Use, Conditional Use, etc.) applies rather than a distinct change-of-use fee.
Verified 2026-07-22 · Source
When you need this permit
- A building or structure shall not be used or occupied in whole or in part, and a change in occupancy of a building or structure or portion thereof shall not occur, until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy therefor (SLC Code § 18.20.190)
- A certificate of occupancy may be revoked by the building official, upon notice, if elements of the property have been changed or modified — including a change in occupancy classification — without obtaining the requisite permits required by Title 18 (SLC Code § 18.20.190)
- Changing the use of a building or space (e.g., converting a residential property into a commercial space) may require a permit to ensure compliance with zoning and building codes, per SLC Building Services' own Building Permits FAQ
- A contractor is required on any commercial project, per SLC Building Services FAQ
- A Development Impact Fee Assessment (SLC Code Title 18.98) may be required for remodels that include a change in use of space, per SLC Building Services' Impact Fee Assessment Schedule worksheet
- Where the new use is not already permitted outright in the applicable zoning district, a Planning Division zoning approval (Administrative Interpretation, Determination of Nonconforming Use, or Conditional Use, among others) is required before the certificate of occupancy can be reissued
Required documents
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Fee schedule
No Certificate of Occupancy or Change of Use fee line item appears anywhere in SLC's Consolidated Fee Schedule (Ord. Show full citationHide
No Certificate of Occupancy or Change of Use fee line item appears anywhere in SLC's Consolidated Fee Schedule (Ord. 2025-34, fetched and searched in full 2026-07-22) — the only reference to 'Certificate of Occupancy' in that document is as a billing trigger for sewer accounts, not a permit fee. SLC Code § 18.20.190 confirms the certificate of occupancy is issued by the building official as part of final inspection approval rather than as a separately priced product.SLC Consolidated Fee Schedule, Ord. 2025-34, Impact Fees table (p.32), SLC Code § 18.98.090. Show full citationHide
SLC Consolidated Fee Schedule, Ord. 2025-34, Impact Fees table (p.32), SLC Code § 18.98.090. SLC Building Services' Impact Fee Assessment Schedule worksheet states impact fees apply to 'most new primary structure construction, adding additional residential structures (including ADUs), commercial additions, and some remodels that include a change in use of space' — not to every change of use, only those with a net increase in demand.Review timeline
Inspection process
- 1
Final Inspection (New/Reissued Certificate of Occupancy)
Required before any change in occupancy of a building or structure may occur; the building official issues a new certificate of occupancy only after this inspection (SLC Code § 18.20.190).
See the full Salt Lake City inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Salt Lake City has no single, distinctly-named 'Change of Use Permit' — SLC Code § 18.20.190 instead requires a new certificate of occupancy any time a building's occupancy changes, and lets the building official revoke an existing certificate if the property was changed or modified, including a change in occupancy classification, without the required permits.
- SLC Building Services' own Building Permits FAQ states plainly: 'If you are changing the use of a building or space (e.g., converting a residential property into a commercial space), a permit may be needed to ensure compliance with zoning and building codes.'
- There is no distinct fee for certificate-of-occupancy issuance or reissuance in the Consolidated Fee Schedule — it is bundled into the standard building-permit final-inspection process at no additional charge.
- A change of use that adds a change in use of space to a remodel can trigger a Development Impact Fee Assessment (Fire, Police, Park, Transportation, Storm Water) under SLC Code Title 18.98 — check with Building Services (801-535-6000) before assuming a use change is fee-free.
- If the new use is not already permitted outright in the property's zoning district, expect to go through SLC's Planning Division zoning approval track (Administrative Interpretation $81+, Determination of Nonconforming Use $326, or Conditional Use) before a new certificate of occupancy can be issued.
- Certificates of Occupancy are searchable on the Citizen Access Portal (www.slcpermits.com) back to 2008; prior to 2016, SLC only issued Certificates of Occupancy for new building construction, so an existing building's change of use may not have a certificate on file even where none is required by code compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-22.
Fee schedules
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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 Salt Lake City building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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