Permit Glossary

Reads like a small dictionary. Use it while you read the Understanding Permits handbook.

Appeal window

Deadlines vary locally and may be very short. Read the written decision or order and contact the clerk promptly.

Applicant

The person or company seeking the permit. Not always the property owner.

Building official

The local staff member with final authority over building-code interpretation.

Categorical exemption

An environmental-review shortcut for projects deemed too small to require analysis.

Certificate of occupancy

Issued at the end of construction. Confirms a building is legally usable.

Comment period

A defined window during which the public may submit written comments. Closes before the decision.

Conditions of approval

Requirements attached to a permit. Violations can revoke the permit.

Conditional-use permit

Permission for a use that is allowed only with extra review and conditions.

Discretionary permit

A permit that requires judgment. Almost always carries a hearing.

Encroachment permit

Authorises work in the public right-of-way (driveways, sidewalks, utility cuts).

Findings

The reasons staff or the decision-maker says the project meets the rules.

Grading permit

Authorises earth-moving. Usually paired with erosion-control review.

Ministerial permit

A permit issued when an application meets clear, objective rules. No discretion. No hearing.

Notice radius

The distance around a property within which neighbors receive mailed notice.

Pre-application meeting

An informal meeting between an applicant and staff before a formal application.

Public notice

Formal communication that a permit is being considered. Often a mailed letter, a sign, and a newspaper ad.

Right-of-way

Public land along streets and sidewalks. Work here usually needs its own permit.

Special-use permit

Similar to a conditional-use permit. Naming varies by jurisdiction.

Stop-work order

An order from the building official halting construction. Usually for code violations or unpermitted work.

Variance

Permission to deviate from a specific zoning rule. Requires a finding of hardship.

Vested rights

Once issued (and sometimes once applied for), a permit may 'vest' — protecting the project from later rule changes.

Wetlands permit

Federal (Army Corps §404) and state permits for impacts to wetlands or streams.

Zoning permit

Confirms a proposed use fits the zoning district — sometimes with conditions.