Which addresses this covers
Lincoln Building & Safety, part of Planning & Development Services, issues permits for the City of Lincoln and the county around it, so a rural property with a Lincoln mailing address is in the same portal. The portal's home page also has a Search for a Licensee option and separate LTU and Planning searches.
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen Access Portal: Building | Address, parcel number, permit number | Each permit, its status and inspections |
| Citizen Access Portal: Search for a Licensee | Licensee details | Licences held by the city |
| Assessor Permits layer | Any field, including parcel (PID) | Permits that can change assessed value: type, amount, issue date; our source |
How to look up the permits on a Lincoln address
- Open permits.lincoln.ne.gov/CitizenAccess. No account is needed to view records.
- Under Building, click Search Applications.
- Search by the street address, the parcel number or the permit number on your paperwork.
- Open each permit on the property and read its status and inspection history.
- If the search fails, call a Permit Assistant at (402) 441-7521, or email acahelp@Lincoln.ne.gov after hours, as the portal suggests.
What the status means in our file
Our source is not the permit system: it is the Lancaster County Assessor's log of permits that can change a property's value. Its status column records the appraiser's review, not a final inspection, so our Lincoln pages show no finished share and no time to final, and every permit is listed as open. For whether a job passed final inspection, read the permit's status and inspections in Citizen Access.
When the record you want is not online
The City's pages we read do not describe a records-request process for old permits. Ask Building & Safety directly: (402) 441-7521, plandev@lincoln.ne.gov, 555 S 10th St, Suite 203, Lincoln, NE 68508 (read 24 October 2026). Nebraska's public records law is Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712.
What our Lincoln pages add
Our Lincoln page counts the Assessor's permit log by kind of work, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Garages, sheds and shade structures | 1,760 | 874 |
| New homes | 1,752 | 914 |
| Remodels and repairs | 1,372 | 703 |
| Demolition | 272 | 125 |
| Additions | 227 | 131 |
| Pools and spas | 160 | 76 |
| Roofing | 124 | 77 |
81% of the 7,020 permits were for homes. The busiest ZIP codes in that window were 68516 (1,313 permits), 68521 (613) and 68502 (500); every ZIP is on the ZIP code pages. The permit statistics page has counts by year and month, and browse permits lists the rows.
What this does not tell you
The Assessor's log names no contractor and leaves out stand-alone electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits; most re-roofs are missing too. So our Lincoln counts undercount trade work, and we show no firm lists. The value is the amount on the permit as the Assessor logged it.
How we know this
Search options are quoted from the City of Lincoln's Citizen Access Information page and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Citizen Access Portal, read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the Lancaster County Assessor's Permits layer, read 19 October 2026: permits issued October 2024 to September 2026 on Lincoln addresses.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Lincoln?
Open the Lincoln/Lancaster County Citizen Access Portal at permits.lincoln.ne.gov/CitizenAccess, choose Building and then Search Applications, and search by address, parcel number or permit number. The portal says anonymous users can view information without an account.
- Does Lincoln Building & Safety issue permits outside the city?
Yes. Lincoln Building & Safety issues permits for the city and the county around it, and the Citizen Access Portal covers both. The small towns of Lancaster County such as Waverly and Hickman are not in our Lincoln counts.
- Can I look up a Lincoln contractor's license?
The Citizen Access home page has a Search for a Licensee option for licences the city holds. Ask the contractor for the permit number too, so you can check it in the Building search.
- Who do I call for help finding a Lincoln permit?
The portal lists (402) 441-7521 for a Permit Assistant and acahelp@Lincoln.ne.gov after hours. Building & Safety is at 555 S 10th St, Suite 203, Lincoln, NE 68508.
- How many building permits are issued in Lincoln a year?
About 3,510 a year in the Assessor's permit log: 7,020 permits from October 2024 to September 2026. That log leaves out stand-alone electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, so the city's total is higher.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Adams County, CO building permit search: the e-Permit Center, statuses and CORA
- Alachua County building permit search: Citizenserve, statuses and old records
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Arlington, VA building permit search: Permit Arlington lookups and FOIA requests
- New Braunfels building permit search: look up permits by address or contractor
- New Orleans building permit search: the One Stop App and the city's open permit file