OVERVIEW
BUILDING SAFETY INSPECTION
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY APPLICATION
A Certificate of Occupancy is required of all commercial establishments and must be applied for
prior to occupancy of the space. A new certificate is required in all such instances: a business
is relocated, occupancy type or use is changed, the name of a business is changed, or
ownership is changed. Ownership changes include selling the businesses to another sole
proprietor, selling the business to another franchisee, or selling the business to another
corporate entity, Certificates of Occupancy are not transferable from one person to
another or from one entity to another. It is highly recommended that each applicant contact
the Development Services Department to verify zoning prior to completing this application and
the required attachments.
Prior to obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, a Building Safety Inspection is required of the
premises you are registering and can be scheduled with a 48-hour notice upon receipt of your
application. The inspection is conducted by the Building Official and the Fire Marshal, and if
applicable, the Health Official. This inspection ensures that the current mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, building, property and health codes meet the minimum requirements set forth by the
International Code Council and provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
The fee for the Building Safety Inspection is $200.00; $250.00 if you are registering a food/
beverage establishment sell/serve food and beverages.
All Applicants: The staff is required to determine that each business entity has the proper
documentation and zoning to conduct business in the city, county and state. To that end, each
sole proprietor or corporate entity will need to provide documentation with this application.
Every application must be accompanied with the following documents:
1. A
copy of the assumed name or DBA document issued by Bexar County
2. A copy of the notice from the State of Texas issuing the Texas Identificatio
n
Number (TIN)
3. A copy of the Sales and Use Tax Permit issued by the State
N
ote: The name on all the documents must be the same. If it is a corporate name and a
DBA, the documents should include both. For example, ABC Corporation: DBA XYZ
Store. The Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit must be for the business location in
Universal City.
I
n addition to the documents listed above, some professions are required to have licensing
through agencies of the State of Texas. The agencies can include, but are not limited to the
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Texas Department of Health and Human
Services, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, to name a few agencies. Applicants
must include a copy of the State issued licenses.
Food &
Beverage Establishments/Mobile Vendors: Any business or mobile vendor that
intends to sell or serve food, beverages, or alcohol beverages must complete the Food and
Beverage Application as well.
If you have any questions, please call the Development Services Department at (210) 659-
0333, Ext 723.
Rev
ised 11/27/2017