Help & Frequently Asked Questions
LADBS PRISM (Permit & Records Information Search Module) lets you search and view scanned Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety records, building permits, plans, certificates of occupancy, and related documents, by address, parcel, legal description, assessor number, or document number.
How do I search?
- Address — type a street number and name (e.g.
200 N SPRING). - Assessor # — enter the Book-Page-Parcel (e.g.
5161 006 001) with leading zeros. - Legal description — search by tract, block, lot, and arb.
- Document number — look up a specific record (e.g.
1990LA514169). - Advanced — search without a parcel: subject, case number, receipt number, project name, disaster ID, or microfilm reel.
Use the ＋ button in the search bar to force a specific search type and open its form.
Filtering & date range
- Every search form has a Date range (From / To) to limit results to documents recorded within a period.
- In table view, use the column filter buttons to narrow by type, status, address, and more across the whole result set.
- When an address search returns several distinct addresses, an address list appears above the results — click one to focus on it.
Printing a summary
- Tick the checkbox on any results (card or table view), then choose Print summary of selected to generate a single printable list.
- Use the 🖨 Print action on an individual record for its full detail.
What does clicking a parcel search?
PRISM uses the clicked parcel's PIN to find its linked addresses in the City's map data, then searches the addresses entered on IDIS documents. Results cover all linked addresses without requiring you to choose one first. Open the parcel address summary to see the complete mapped address list, including addresses with no matching documents.
- ZIP must match. Five-digit and ZIP+4 values are compared using their first five digits. A blank document ZIP is allowed only when the document also has the target PIN or a matching full mapped APN. A populated but conflicting or invalid ZIP is not accepted.
- Minor spelling differences are allowed: one added, missing, or replaced letter, or one adjacent-letter swap in a street name. House numbers must match or fall within an indexed address range. Street types must agree after standard abbreviation normalization.
- Direction may be missing. A direction that is present must agree with the mapped address; N and S are not interchangeable.
- Possible address match identifies results included through a spelling difference or missing direction. The explanation shows the mapped address and whether ZIP, PIN, or APN supplied the location evidence. The original document address is not corrected or overwritten.
Documents can match without a PIN or APN when their address and ZIP qualify. These results are not a guaranteed historical inventory of a property: older addresses may be absent from current map data, and some records have incomplete indexing. Manual address, assessor and other searches keep their existing behavior.
Ordering official & certified copies
The documents shown here are index and imaging references. For an official or certified copy (for escrow, a lender, or a permit application), request it from the LADBS Records Section.
- Gather the details: document type, date, address, and document number. Tick records and use Print summary of selected to capture a list.
- Request in person at an LADBS Records counter, or by phone or email through the Records Section.
- Fees apply and vary by document size and type. Certified copies carry an added certification fee. Oversized plans and microfilm may cost more and take longer.
- Always confirm the current fee schedule and office hours before visiting.
Records Counters (By Appointment Only)
Hours are subject to change on holidays — confirm before visiting.
About these records & completeness
- Results reflect documents LADBS has indexed and imaged. Only records flagged as public are shown.
- Older, microfilmed, or non-public documents may not appear in a search.
- The absence of a permit here is not proof that none exists. If a record you expect is missing, contact the Records Section for assistance.
Related resources
Only documents flagged as public are shown. If a record you expect is missing or you need assistance, please contact LADBS.