Buffalo Permit and Inspection Services

01/29/2026

01/20/2026

The next City of Buffalo Journeyman Plumber and Journeyman Repair Plumber test will be held on Wednesday, April 8th 2026. Applications for the these licenses can be obtained on our website here - https://www.buffalony.gov/530/Plumbing. Requirements for these licenses are listed on these applications but anyone with questions should contact the Chief Plumbing Inspector, Keith Ogden, at (716)851-5067.

Please apply as soon as possible if you wish to take this exam. Applications can be submitted in person or sent by mail to our department (our address is listed on our department page).

01/21/2025

Attention!

Please be aware that our permit intake office will be short staffed on January 27th, 28th, & 29th.

Permit intake may take more time on these days. If possible, please plan to submit projects before or after these dates.

12/19/2024

Based on recent legislation changes, we would like to communicate updates to the rental registration fee schedule. The owner of a rental dwelling must pay $100 for a new rental registration application and then every year (including the first) must pay an annual fee of $50 for a single-unit rental dwelling and $100 for a two-unit rental dwelling, starting from January 1st, 2025. In addition, any corporation/LLC owning such properties must provide contact information and details about the owners of the corporation/LLC as part of their renewal. This information can be provided through the corporation/LLC information form, found at https://www.buffalony.gov/DocumentCenter/View/13825/llcformwithlongname. This form can be emailed to us at [email protected].

11/15/2024

Please note that our permitting office has updated business hours and is open from 9AM to 4PM every business day.

Our licensing office is still open from 8:30AM to 4PM every business day.

Please keep these times in mind when planning your next visit.

06/27/2024

Department of Permit & Inspection Services Notice Regarding Permit Applications with Plans:

As of 4:00 p.m. Friday, June 28th, 2024, we will not be accepting plans electronically for a limited time. Our team is currently transitioning the software system used for electronic plans and this transition is disrupting our ability to file electronically.

Given the need for enhanced cyber security for government offices, the transition is more complicated than usual. We expect to be able to accept plans next week but as we all experience, delays are possible. We continue to accept paper submissions through this transition.

We greatly appreciate your patience with us as we work to improve efficiency in our processes. Please direct any questions to John Caputo at (716) 851-4111.

06/26/2024

The City of Buffalo Department of Permit & Inspection Services will be inspecting the following businesses in the upcoming months.

-Used Car Dealer
-Tire Handlers
-Scrap Processor
-Wholesale Junk

Our office will be inspecting the businesses for compliance with the New York State Building Codes, City of Buffalo Zoning Ordinances and all conditions required per the license issuance.

Please ensure your business and property are incompliance prior to inspection to avoid fines or possible business closure.

03/07/2024

Short-Term Rental Dwelling regulation has been recently changed by the City of Buffalo Common Council. Along with other changes, current license holders and new applicants will see a change to the fee schedule as follows:

-New Owner-Occupied License Applications are now $500 and license renewals are now $200 every year

-New Non-Owner Occupied License Applications are now $1000 (not including any fees from the special use permit process which may vary) and license renewals are now $400 every year

The application and code can be found at the link below. Please make sure to follow all current regulation and licensing requirements.

Short-Term Rental Dwelling License Application

06/02/2023

Tobacco/Vape/Hookah stores are now required to be licensed within the City of Buffalo. License applications and code requirements can be found on our license applications page here - https://www.buffalony.gov/640/License-Applications-Code-Requirements.

Access documents for license applications, and review the code requirements for each.