In brief
The city of Long Beach publishes a property’s permit history through its Permit Status / Records page, which holds three tools: plan review status (by project number), permit status and history (by address, showing project number, description and inspection final dates), and archived construction records such as certificates of occupancy and plot plans. Architecturally drawn plans are not online; they are viewed at the Permit Center, and copies need a Plan Duplication Application, which the page says is available upon request.
- Permit status and history lists “Project Number, Project Description as well as Inspection Final dates”1.
- The city warns that “NOT ALL street addresses or permit statuses are available” in the search2.
- Archived records (certificates of occupancy, plot plans, reports) are queried by project address; the page says “A project address will be required to query these records, if available”1.
- Construction documents that were not microfilmed “are discarded 1 year after the completion of the work”3.
- A record that cannot be found online can be requested through a Public Records Act request1.
A permit history is the closest thing a Long Beach property has to a paper trail for its building work. It matters when you are checking whether an addition was permitted, looking for a certificate of occupancy, or finding what the last owner did to the roof. This page explains what the city’s lookup tools show, how to enter an address so it matches, and what the records do not contain. The wider permit process is in the section pillar, Permits in Long Beach.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Checking the status of a project already in plan check | Use Plan Review Status, which needs the project number given when the application was screened and routed1 |
| Looking for the permits issued at an address | Use Permit Status / Permit History and search by address12 |
| Looking for a certificate of occupancy, plot plan or report | Search Permit Records by project address1 |
| Wanting the architectural plans | Visit the Permit Center’s Resource Center, 2nd Floor, 411 W. Ocean Blvd.; plans are viewed at the counter, and copies need a “Plan Duplication Application available upon request”1 |
| Not finding a document you expected | Submit a Public Records Act request, or call 562.570.PMIT (7648)1 |
Where to check The city’s Permit Status / Records page, under Community Development, Building & Safety, Permit Center. It links each of the lookup tools and the records request. The Permit Center is at 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 2nd Floor, and the Building & Safety line is 562.570.PMIT (7648). As of October 2026, hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, and the Permit Center closes daily from noon to 1 p.m.1
What each record tool shows
The city splits its records into three tools, and they answer different questions1:
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Review Status | Project number | “Basic information regarding the status of a project that has been submitted to the Building and Safety Bureau for plan check” |
| Permit Status / Permit History | Address | New applications and issued permit history in three columns: project number, project description and inspection final dates |
| Permit Records | Project address | “Historical or archival construction document records (e.g., Certificate of Occupancy, Plot Plans, Reports, etc.)”; the page says “A project address will be required to query these records, if available” |
Source:1 for every row.
The city’s Online Permitting page covers applying for new permits, which is a different process from looking up old ones4.
How to enter an address
The Permit Status / Permit History search is strict about formatting. The city’s instruction: “Do not enter the fractional part of any street address or any direction, prefix, or suffix of the street name.” On that rule, 1234 1/2 E. Example St. would be entered as 1234 Example2.
The same page carries a warning that applies to everything in the search: “At this time, NOT ALL street addresses or permit statuses are available on this search webpage”2. An empty result is therefore not proof that no permit exists. For questions about a permit’s status, the city gives its line as 562.570.LBCD (5223) on the search page, and 562.570.PMIT (7648) on the records page12.
What the permit history does and does not tell you
It shows that work was recorded. Each line gives a project number, a description and an inspection final date1. The page describes this as “basic information regarding projects created in our system”1.
It does not hold the drawings. The city says: “Architecturally-drawn plans are not available online”. They are viewed in the Resource Center at the Permit Center, which searches its Laserfiche database “to view (only)”; the page says a “Plan Duplication Application available upon request” covers copies1.
It may not hold old drawings at all. The city’s inspection FAQ says construction documents that were not microfilmed under Section 18.05.070 of the municipal code “are discarded 1 year after the completion of the work covered therein”. It adds that the department “typically does not microfilm electrical, mechanical, or plumbing drawings”3. If a drawing was microfilmed, counter staff can help view or reproduce it, and the fee for copies is in the city’s fee schedule3.
It does not say how far back the records go. The city’s pages do not state the earliest year covered.
It is not a legal opinion. For the question the FAQ poses as “How do I know if my house addition was legally built?”, the city’s answer is that the information “can be obtained from the Building Permit Records page or from the 2nd floor in City Hall”3. What the city does when work was done without a permit is covered in Unpermitted Work in Long Beach.
Other places a property's history appears
Building permits are one record. Planning keeps its own, and two of them are public lists:
- Coastal permits. Properties in the Coastal Zone may have a coastal permit categorical exclusion on file. The city posts its CPCE filings weekly, with case number, address, approval date and a one-line description5. See Is My Property in the Long Beach Coastal Zone?
- Historic review. The Cultural Heritage Commission page archives monthly Certificate of Appropriateness case filings, covering 2018 through early 2025 (2025 lists January and February only), with 2022 not listed, as of October 20266. See Is My Property in a Long Beach Historic District?
- Zoning and designations. The city’s Zoning and Land Use GIS map shows the zoning district, General Plan PlaceType, historic district and Coastal Zone for an address. It tells you what applies today, not what was permitted in the past7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I look up a permit by address in Long Beach?
Why does the search not find my address?
The city warns that not all street addresses or permit statuses are available, and the search will not accept fractions, directions, prefixes or suffixes in the address2.
Can I see the plans for my house online?
No. The city says architecturally drawn plans are not available online; they can be viewed at the Resource Center in the Permit Center, 2nd Floor, 411 W. Ocean Blvd.1
Does the city keep old building plans forever?
Not necessarily. Documents that were not microfilmed are discarded one year after the work is completed, and the department typically does not microfilm electrical, mechanical or plumbing drawings3.
How do I find out whether an addition to my house was permitted?
The city’s FAQ points to the Building Permit Records page and the 2nd floor of City Hall3.
What if the document I need is not in the online records?
The city says to submit a Public Records Act request if documents cannot be found with the search options1.
How far back do Long Beach permit records go?
The city’s pages do not state it.
Related Articles
Sources
- Permit Status / Records — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Permit Status Inquiry / Permit History — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Inspection Frequently Asked Questions — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Online Permitting — City of Long Beach, Building & Safety. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Coastal Permit Categorical Exclusions Status — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Cultural Heritage Commission — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.
- Zoning Regulations & Design Guidelines — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-01.