Where to look for Santa Barbara permits
The City permits property inside its own limits. Goleta, Montecito and the rest of unincorporated Santa Barbara County are permitted by other offices.
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Accela Citizen Access | Site address, APN, record number and type, date range | Permits from the 1990s on; status and details, fuller when logged in |
| Property Records Database | Property | Street Files (permit applications, copies of permits, correspondence), Planning Files, certificates of occupancy |
| Records & Archives counter, (805) 564-5485 x4548, CDPlan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov | Address | Help with archived plans; plan viewing by appointment |
| Building Permits layer (City GIS) | Any field, including address, APN and record ID | Accela building records with status, issue and completed dates; our source |
How to look up the permits on a Santa Barbara address
- Open Accela Citizen Access and choose Building, Search Applications.
- Run a General Search by street number and street name, or by parcel number in the form 123-456-789. The guide says a record number search also works.
- Log in if you have an account: the guide warns that "If you are not logged in, most searches will yield limited permit types and permit details."
- Open each record. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate from the building permit for the same job, and re-roofs, solar, water heaters and HVAC replacements have their own record types.
- If the work predates the 1990s or nothing shows, look up the property's Street File in the Property Records Database.
What the statuses mean
The City's Building Permits layer, for permits issued September 2023 to August 2025, uses these statuses:
| Status in the City's file | What it means | How we count it |
|---|---|---|
| Complete / Completed | Final inspection passed, permit closed | Finished, timed to the completed date |
| Issued / Permit Issued | Issued, not yet finaled | Open |
| Permit On Hold, Stop Work, Waiting on Applicant | Paused | Open |
Of the permits issued September 2023 to August 2024, 60% were complete by the end of the file. Solar permits finished most often (80.5%) and plumbing least (45.5%).
When the permit you want is not online
The City's Property Records page says Street Files hold "building permit applications, correspondence, master applications, maps, copies of permits". Not every property has a certificate of occupancy; permit job cards with a signed final inspection are sometimes used instead. "Property plans are copyright protected", so plans are viewed by appointment after a Plan View Request; the Records & Archives counter is at (805) 564-5485 x4548 or CDPlan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov (read 24 October 2026).
What our Santa Barbara pages add
Our Santa Barbara page counts the permits the City issued, September 2023 to August 2025, and times those issued September 2023 to August 2024:
| Kind of work | Permits (Sep 2023–Aug 2025) | Usual days to final | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 1,397 | 40 | 61.1% |
| Electrical | 693 | 30 | 58.1% |
| Solar | 656 | 52 | 80.5% |
| Remodels and repairs | 651 | 126 | 61.4% |
| Plumbing | 408 | 18 | 45.5% |
| HVAC | 256 | 59 | 48.1% |
| ADUs | 236 | 296 | 55.9% |
| Demolition | 114 | not timed (too few) | not timed |
Across all kinds, the usual permit took 64 days from issue to final; the middle half took 20 to 161 days. ZIP 93105 had the most permits, 1,415 (27%), just ahead of 93101 with 1,409; see Santa Barbara permits by ZIP code. The permit statistics page has year and month counts, how long permits take has the spread, and browse permits lists the rows. To check a contractor's licence, see how to check a contractor's license in California.
What this does not tell you
The City has not added permits to its Building Permits layer since early September 2025, so our pages end with August 2025; newer permits are only in ACA. The layer names no contractor and carries no job value, so we do not list firms or show costs.
How we know this
Portal, search and archive details are quoted from the City of Santa Barbara's View Property Records & Archives page and ACA search guide, and search fields from Accela Citizen Access, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts and statuses are the City's Building Permits GIS layer, read 19 October 2026: permits issued September 2023 to August 2025.
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 Santa Barbara?
Search the address or parcel number (APN, in the form 123-456-789) in the City's Accela Citizen Access portal under Building, Search Applications. The City says its online record history starts in the 1990s; for older permits, check the Street File in its Property Records Database.
- Do I need an account to search Santa Barbara permits?
No, but you see less without one. The City's records page says you do not need an account to view permit status, while its portal guide warns that without logging in most searches show limited permit types and details.
- How do I see old building plans for a Santa Barbara house?
Plans are copyright protected, so the City shows them by appointment only. Send a Plan View Request and book through the Records & Archives counter at (805) 564-5485 x4548 or CDPlan@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.
- How long does a Santa Barbara building permit take to final?
The usual permit issued September 2023 to August 2024 reached the City's final in 64 days: 18 for plumbing, 40 for a re-roof, 126 for a remodel and 296 for an ADU.
- Does the City of Santa Barbara permit Montecito or Goleta?
No. Goleta has its own permit office and Montecito is unincorporated Santa Barbara County, so neither is in the City's portal or our counts.
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