Los Angeles Permit Lookup — Direct Portal Deep-Link
LADBS Online Services is the official system of record for every building permit, mechanical permit, electrical permit, plumbing permit, demolition permit, and C of O ever issued inside the LA City limits. It is the same database LADBS plan-checkers and inspectors write to in real time. We deep-link you there directly — no middleman, no stale mirror.
Opens on ladbsservices2.lacity.org — official LA City Government site (lacity.org domain).
What you can look up
LADBS Online Services accepts three search axes: street address, permit number, and inspection ticket. Address search returns every permit ever pulled on the parcel — useful when buying a house and wanting to see whether that finished basement was permitted. Permit number lookup pulls the full job card, including plan checker comments and inspection history. Inspection search is keyed to permit and tells you exactly which sign-offs are still outstanding. The portal also surfaces Order to Comply notices (LADBS code-enforcement actions), which never appear on private scraped mirrors. For a full history including paper-only legacy records, request a building file at the LADBS metro counter — online coverage is roughly 1995-forward, with parcel-level gaps.
How to read LADBS permit codes
LADBS permits use a structured code that tells you the work type at a glance. The prefix names the discipline: BLDG (building), MECH (mechanical / HVAC), ELEC (electrical), PLUM (plumbing), GRAD (grading), DEMO (demolition), SIGN (signage). Each is followed by a year stub and sequence — BLDG-2024-LA-12345 means a building permit, issued in 2024, processed at the LA metro office, sequence 12345. The status field reads either Issued (work approved, may begin), Final (signed off, complete), Expired (12+ months without inspection — may need a renewal application), or Cancelled (homeowner pulled the permit before any work occurred). Inspections nest beneath each permit with a 4-letter code: FRAM (framing), RUFF (rough mechanical), FNAL (final), FNRO(final roofing), and dozens more. A “final” without an FNAL stamp is not actually final — the permit is still open and the work is technically not signed off.
Red flags to watch for
The single biggest red flag on an LA property record is an expired permit on substantial work — finished basement, garage conversion, addition. Expiration without a final inspection means LADBS never confirmed the work meets code; the homeowner inherits the open permit and the liability. Look for permits issued more than 18 months ago that are still in Issued status, and for permits where framing was passed but final never was. A second red flag is Order to Comply notices — LADBS issues these for unpermitted construction, illegal occupancy (e.g. converted garages used as ADUs without permits), or expired C of O. They appear under the parcel even after closing and follow the property, not the seller. Third: if address search returns no records found on a clearly remodeled property, the work was either pre-1995 (paper-only) or unpermitted. Walk the property with that hypothesis. Finally, watch for SFR-to-multiunit conversions with only a single BLDG permit — a true legal duplex needs separate water service, independent egress, and zoning approval, none of which a$50 permit covers.
Questions LA homeowners actually ask
Because LADBS data goes stale within hours. A pulled permit, a cancelled inspection, or a final sign-off updates on LADBS Online Services in real time — any mirror is already out of date. The only honest answer is the source system, so we deep-link you there.
AskBaily does not scrape LADBS
We have no LADBS database mirror. We do not cache permit results. We do not sell permit data. The deep-link above is the entire integration — the homeowner reads the City of Los Angeles record on the City of Los Angeles system. That is the only way to know what is actually on file.
Last reviewed 2026-04-24.