Florida Permit Desk

How to Find Your Roof's Permit Date in Florida (Step by Step)

Last verified against official sources: · Guide

Independent guide, not a government site. Confirm every requirement with the building office for your address before starting work. Items marked Unverified could not be confirmed on an official page.

Your roof's permit record is kept by the local building office that issued it: your city, or your county if you're in an unincorporated area.[1][2] Here's how to find it. Many offices let you search online for free.

Step 1: Find out which office covers your address

Permits come from the "appropriate enforcing agency" for the property.[1] Find yours with your parcel number from the county property appraiser:

  • Miami-Dade: folio numbers starting with 30 are unincorporated (County). Other codes are cities.[12]
  • Palm Beach: PCNs starting with 00 are unincorporated (County).[6]
  • Anywhere else: use the state's organization search to find local building departments.[3]

More detail: Who Issues Building Permits for My Florida Address?

Most offices let you search by address without an account. Examples from official sites:

Office Search Tips from the office
Miami-Dade County (unincorporated) Building Permit Selection Menu Enter the street address only, like 11805 SW 26 ST, with no city or zip.[4]
Broward County (unincorporated and contract areas) Broward permit search Search by address (street number, name, type and city) or by folio/parcel ID.[5]
Palm Beach County (unincorporated) ePZB permits and inspections The County's FAQ points to this search for "Did my contractor pull a permit?" and open-permit questions.[6][13]
Orange County (unincorporated) OC FastTrack building permits Search by address, file number or parcel. Permits issued before 4 June 2012 are in a separate Historical Permit Search.[7]
Pinellas County Access Portal → Building → Search Permits Type only the street number and street name, then pick the permit from the list.[8]

If you're inside a city, use that city's building department search instead.

Step 3: Find the roofing permit

  1. Run the address search. You may get a list of every permit on the property.
  2. Look for a permit whose type or description mentions roofing or re-roof. Orange County, for example, lists roofing as its own permit type.[7]
  3. Open it and note the issue date and the inspection results, especially whether a final inspection passed.
  4. Save or screenshot the record page.

Step 4: If nothing shows up online

  • Ask for a records search. Palm Beach County, for example, takes search requests at its Records Department (561-233-5160).[6] Miami-Dade handles plans and older records through its microfilm unit (Microfilm@miamidade.gov, 786-315-2340).[4]
  • Check for an older system. Orange County keeps pre-2012 permits in a separate historical search.[7] Other offices may do the same.
  • Search fees are limited. A local government may charge only one search fee per unit or subunit of a parcel to identify building permits.[2]
  • Small repairs may have no permit. For example, Palm Beach County lists minor roof repair under $1,000 as not needing a permit for single-family homes.[10] Miami-Dade lists roof covering repairs by a licensed roofing contractor up to $2,000 and 2 squares as minor repairs.[9]

Step 5: Check the contractor named on the permit

The permit usually names the contractor. Look them up on the state's DBPR license search to confirm the license type and status.[11]

What if the roof permit is still open?

  • The owner can close an open or expired permit by hiring a licensed contractor, or by acting as an owner-builder.[1]
  • A local agency may close a permit 6 years after issuance without a final inspection, if there's no apparent safety hazard.[1]
  • If you bought the home, the law says you can't be penalized solely because a previous owner didn't close a permit.[1]

Palm Beach County's FAQ adds its own rules: an inactive permit from after about 1992 must be reactivated if no newer permit covers the same work, while one from before 1992 needs a general inspection.[6] Other offices have their own process, so call yours.

Common questions

Is there one statewide database of roof permits?

Not that we found. Permits are issued and kept by each local enforcing agency, so you search the office that covers your address.[1][2] Use the state's organization search to find a local building department.[3]

Can the county charge me to search permits?

Florida law limits a local government to one search fee per unit or subunit of a parcel to identify building permits.[2] Many offices also offer free online searches.

The record shows no roof permit. Does that mean the roof was never replaced?

Not necessarily. Older records may not be online, and some small repairs don't need a permit. Ask the building office for a records search, and ask whether older permits are kept in a separate system.

Which date should I use, the permit issue date or the final inspection?

Records usually show both. The issue date is when the permit was granted; a passed final inspection shows when the office signed off on finished work. Field names vary by office, so ask the office which entry reflects final approval. Unverified (This is general guidance, not a quote from an official page.)

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from the official sources below, checked on 21 October 2026.

  1. Florida Statutes § 553.79 (2026)
  2. Florida Statutes § 553.80 (2026)
  3. Florida Building Code Information System: organization search
  4. Miami-Dade County: Building public records
  5. Broward County: Building permit search (BMSD and contract areas)
  6. Palm Beach County PZB: Building FAQ
  7. Orange County: OC FastTrack building permit search
  8. Pinellas County: Check building permit status without a contractor's license
  9. Miami-Dade County: Permit exemptions
  10. Palm Beach County PZB: Single Family Properties, When a Permit Is Not Required (PDF)
  11. Florida DBPR: License search
  12. Miami-Dade Property Appraiser: Folio numbers and municipal codes
  13. Palm Beach County Building Division: ePZB permits and inspections search