Pinellas County Permit Search by Address: How to Look Up

A step-by-step guide to searching a home's permit history in Pinellas County for free: finding which building department covers the address, searching the county's Access Portal and the city portals by address, reading a permit's status, and checking the Property Appraiser's permit list, based on the county's and cities' own instructions.

By Patrick & Dylan · Florida Certified General Contractor, Lic. #CGC1541672

Before you buy a house, sell one or start a project, it's worth knowing which permits were pulled on it and whether they were closed. In Pinellas County you can look that up online for free, and Clearwater and St. Petersburg say you don't need an account. This guide follows the instructions the county, the cities and the Property Appraiser publish.

Stop and call a pro before you start if:

You find damage while checking your home, such as a sagging ceiling, water near outlets or a gas smell. Deal with safety first: leave the area and call your utility, 911 or a licensed trade as fits.
You're about to open walls or disturb paint in a home built before 1978. The EPA says it may have lead-based paint.
You find mold covering more than about 10 square feet. The EPA points to its professional guidance for areas that size.
You're buying a home and find open permits or unpermitted work. A permit search is general information. Ask the building department about the record, and an attorney or your closing agent about the sale.

What you'll need

Item	Why	Where to get it
The property's street address	The portals search by street number and street name	Your deed, tax bill or listing
A phone or computer	The searches are online	Your own
Optional: the parcel number	Useful on the Property Appraiser's site	Your tax bill or pcpao.gov

Step by step

Step 1: Find out which building department covers the address

Pinellas County issues permits for unincorporated Pinellas and for Belleair Beach, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, Kenneth City, Safety Harbor and Oldsmar. Most other cities keep their own records. The county says to find out which municipality a property is in by searching the address on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's website (pcpao.gov) or the county's "My Neighborhood" tool.

On the Property Appraiser's site, use Quick Search, enter the address, and open the parcel. The parcel page shows the Current Tax District, which tells you whether the home is in a city or unincorporated Pinellas.

Hands typing on a laptop at a wooden desk — Stock photo. Each search below works from a phone or a computer.

Step 2: Check the Property Appraiser's permit list

The same parcel page has a Permit Data section listing permit numbers, descriptions, issue dates and estimated values. It's a quick first look, but the Property Appraiser warns that the data "may be incomplete and may exclude permits that do not result in field reviews (for example for water heater replacement permits)." It also says it lists all improvements, "which may include unpermitted construction," and that questions about permits go to the building department.

Step 3: Search Pinellas County's Access Portal (county-permitted addresses)

For unincorporated Pinellas and the county's contract cities, the county's own steps are:

Go to the Pinellas County Access Portal homepage, scroll down to the Building section and select Search Permits.
In the General Search area, type in only the Street Number (from) and Street Name, then select Search.
If there's more than one permit, pick the one you want from the list at the bottom of the page.
Below the record number, open the Record Info drop-down and select Processing Status.

The search worked for us without logging in. The portal notes that results "include records created within the past two years," so change the start date to see older permits.

Step 4: Or search your city's portal

If the home is in a city with its own building department, use that city's search:

Clearwater: the city says "you do not have to have an account to research building permits." Go to the ePermit site, click the Building tab, and search by permit number or by address under General Search. The city adds that "the less information you fill in, the better your result return will be." Click the case number, then Record Info.
St. Petersburg: the city says that to "view permit history ... it is not necessary to create an account" on its Click2Gov building permits site. Older certificates of occupancy are in the city's free Property Cards Database.
Tarpon Springs: on Click2Gov, the city says to click Select Permit and enter "either the Application Number or Address or Name."
Largo: the city says its public records, including documents and inspection results, are on the Largo Civic Access Portal (LCAP).
Madeira Beach: the city's FAQ says to select Search For Permits under Helpful Resources.
Other cities: our city-by-city posts cover each portal as the series goes.

Step 5: Read the status

On each permit, look at whether it was finaled (closed) or is still open or expired. If a permit was never closed, Florida law lets the owner close it by hiring the original contractor or a different licensed contractor, or as an owner-builder (s. 553.79(16)(a)). A building department may also close a permit six years after it was issued if it finds no apparent safety hazard (s. 553.79(16)(c)). Ask the building department what an open permit on your property needs.

A for sale sign on the lawn in front of a house with a two-car garage — Stock photo. Checking permits before you buy or sell avoids surprises later.

Step 6: Ask the building department if anything's unclear

If the search doesn't show what you need, call or email the building department for the address. Pinellas County also offers a paid "Permit/Property information Request" for $60 per address or parcel in its FY27 fee schedule.

How long it takes

None of our sources give a time for these searches.

Stop and call a pro if, once you start, you find:

An open or expired permit for work that's already been done. Call the building department to find out what it needs to close.
Work on the house that doesn't match any permit, especially electrical, plumbing, A/C, roofing or structural work.
A permit for structural, electrical or plumbing work that never had a final inspection.

For which jobs need a permit in the first place, see our Pinellas County permit guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I search Pinellas County permits by address for free?

Yes. Pinellas County's Access Portal searches by street number and street name without logging in, and Clearwater and St. Petersburg say no account is needed on their portals either.

Why don't I see older permits on the county portal?

The county's portal says results "include records created within the past two years." Change the start date in the search to see older records.

Does the Property Appraiser show permits?

Yes, the parcel page has a Permit Data list. The Property Appraiser warns it "may be incomplete" and may leave out permits like water heater replacements, so check the building department's portal too.

What if the previous owner left a permit open?

If you bought in an arm's-length sale, s. 553.79(17)(a) says a building department can't fine you or refuse you a permit just because a previous owner's permit wasn't closed. The owner can close it with a licensed contractor or as an owner-builder (s. 553.79(16)(a)).

Sources

General information, not legal, insurance or engineering advice. Rules change and vary by city; confirm with your building department, DBPR, your insurer, an attorney or an engineer as fits.

How to look up permits on your property in Pinellas County