Alabama - Obtain a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy

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Procedure

Apply In Person:

1. To Obtain a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant has to approach the U.S General Services Administration GSA link
2. The applicant has to get the application form from the respective office or use the following link to download the form link
3. Complete the application form with the necessary details.
4. Make sure that the applicant has all the documents that are listed under the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies along with the application form.
6. Submit the application form and the necessary documents to the concerned officer.
7. The applicant has to pay the prescribed fee as per the authority's request and submit the receipt as proof of payment.
8. After the payment is done, the officer will process the application for an occupancy certificate and which is examined by several authority officers.
9. Once the application and the verification of the required documents are done, the ministry will issue the occupancy certificate by visiting the office or through the mail.
10. The processing time to obtain an occupancy license takes up to 1 to 2 months.

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Required Documents

• Application form link
• Approved building plans from the Municipality, plus any documentation from Town Planning regarding rezoning, building line relaxation, consent, etc., and if necessary, an approved Site Development Plan (SDP).
• Completion Certificate from a registered structural/civil engineer this is for the foundations, concrete slabs, staircases, wooden / suspended floors, steel work, spoofs, freestanding walls over 2.1m high, swimming pools, and all structures built without prior planning permission.
• Certificate (Roof Truss) the applicant’s truss supplier/installer should provide the applicant with certification, alternatively consult his/her engineer.
• Glazing Certificate the applicant’s glazier will supply the applicant with Certification.
• Electrical Certificate of Compliance this can only be issued by a registered Electrician.
• Fire Certificate this is required for all public buildings and buildings using flammable materials e.g. wood or thatch roofs.

Office Locations & Contacts

U.S General Services Administration
1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405
Phone, 202–708–5082.
Contact link
Regional link

U.S. Department of State
Overseas Buildings Operations, SA-6
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Contact link

Eligibility

• Any person or constructing company who Obtain a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is eligible to make this application.

Fees

• The fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority's request.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

• Application form link

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• The processing time to obtain an occupancy certificate takes up to 1 to 2 months.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Applicants must complete the application form before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

Required Information

• Location, address, suite, or bay number (if applicable)
• Name of the business
• Corporation name
• Corporate officer, title
• Type of business
• Square footage of space being occupied
• Folio number of property

Need for the Document

• An occupancy certificate is a document issued by a local government agency or building department certifying a building's compliance with applicable building codes and other laws, and indicating it to be in a condition suitable for occupancy.
• The purpose of obtaining an occupancy certificate is to prove that, according to the law, the house or building is in liveable condition. Generally, such a certificate is necessary to be able to occupy the structure for everyday use, as well as to be able to sign a contract to sell the space and close on a mortgage for the space.

Information which might help

• A building is considered unauthorized if the certificate was not obtained.
• One cannot occupy the building without an occupancy certificate.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses for obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Link

Others

Generally, a certificate is necessary to be able to occupy the structure for everyday use, as well as to be able to sign a contract to sell the space and close on a mortgage for the space.