Accela Atlanta: How to Use the City’s Online Permitting and Licensing System

If you live, work, or build in Atlanta, Georgia, you’ll probably run into Accela at some point. Accela is the online system the City of Atlanta uses to manage many permits, licenses, and inspections. Whether you’re renovating a home in Grant Park, opening a restaurant in Midtown, or pulling a trade permit for a job in Buckhead, understanding Accela Atlanta will save you time and frustration.

This guide walks you through what Accela is, what you can do with it in Atlanta, and how to navigate it as a resident, business owner, contractor, or visitor.

What Is Accela in Atlanta?

Accela is the City of Atlanta’s online portal for:

• Permits (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and more)
• Business and professional licenses
• Code enforcement cases and complaints
• Inspections (scheduling and tracking)
• Plan review and document uploads

City departments use the system on the back end, but you interact with it through a web-based “Citizen Access” style portal. It replaces many older paper-based or in-person-only processes.

In Atlanta, Accela is most commonly tied to:

• Office of Buildings (permits & inspections)
• Office of Zoning & Development
• Office of Revenue / Business Licensing
• Code Enforcement within the Department of City Planning or related agencies

If you’re doing anything that needs official city approval, Accela is often where you start.

Who Typically Uses Accela in Atlanta?

You might need to use Accela Atlanta if you are:

• A homeowner pulling a permit for:
  • Finishing a basement
  • Adding a deck
  • Replacing HVAC or water heater
  • Major electrical or plumbing changes
• A contractor or trade professional:
  • Electrician, plumber, HVAC contractor, general contractor
  • Submitting permits and scheduling inspections across the city
• A business owner:
  • Opening a restaurant, retail store, salon, or office
  • Applying for or renewing business licenses
  • Requesting certificates of occupancy
• A design professional:
  • Architect or engineer submitting electronic plans for review
• A concerned resident:
  • Checking the status of a nearby construction project
  • Looking up code enforcement activity

You don’t need to be a technical expert to use Accela, but understanding a few basics will make it much smoother.

Common Tasks You Can Handle Through Accela Atlanta

Here’s what residents and businesses in Atlanta frequently do with Accela:

1. Apply for Building and Trade Permits

Common permit types in Atlanta that can often be started or managed in Accela include:

• Building permits (new construction, additions, interior renovations)
• Electrical permits
• Plumbing permits
• Mechanical/HVAC permits
• Sign permits
• Demolition permits

You usually:

1. Create an account or log in
2. Select the permit category (e.g., building, trade)
3. Fill out project details (address, scope of work, contractor)
4. Upload required documents (plans, drawings, contractor licenses, etc.)
5. Pay applicable fees
6. Track review and approval status through your dashboard

2. Schedule and Track Inspections

After your permit is issued, Atlanta commonly requires inspections at key stages. Through Accela, you can:

• Request/schedule inspections for specific dates
• See if an inspection is approved, failed, or pending
• Read inspector comments and required corrections

This is especially useful if you’re coordinating multiple trades on a tight schedule in busy parts of the city like Downtown, Midtown, or West Midtown.

3. Apply for or Renew Business Licenses

Certain business licensing processes in Atlanta are integrated into Accela, such as:

• Basic city business licenses (for many business types)
• Certain special business permits (depending on category)

You generally:

• Complete an online application
• Submit supporting documents (e.g., zoning verification, state licenses)
• Pay fees
• Monitor review and approval steps

Some license types may still require in-person steps or separate systems, so it’s common to see instructions that direct you between Accela and city offices.

4. Submit Plans and Supporting Documents

For larger projects, especially in neighborhoods seeing heavy development such as Old Fourth Ward, West End, and Upper Westside, Accela often functions as the electronic plan review portal.

You can:

• Upload architectural and engineering drawings
• Submit revised plans after comments
• Track review comments from city reviewers
• See when your project clears each review discipline (zoning, structural, fire, etc.)

5. Check Permit and Code Enforcement Status

Accela usually allows public lookups without logging in. Atlantans often use this to:

• See what permits exist for a specific property
• Check status of a construction project on their street
• View basic details on code enforcement cases (where available)

This is helpful if you’re buying a home in Atlanta and want to see whether work was properly permitted, or you’re a neighbor monitoring a nearby development.

Typical Accela Workflow for an Atlanta Project

Here’s a simplified overview of how many projects move through Accela in Atlanta:

Getting Help in Atlanta When Accela Is Confusing

Even seasoned contractors in Atlanta sometimes need help navigating Accela. Here are common local support options.

In-Person Help: City of Atlanta Offices

For many Accela-related issues, residents and businesses in Atlanta typically work with:

City of Atlanta – Department of City Planning / Office of Buildings
Often located in or near:

• Atlanta City Hall – 55 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

At City Hall and related offices, staff can usually:

• Help you identify the correct permit or license type
• Explain submittal requirements and Accela steps
• Assist with account or application issues tied to your specific project

Hours and counters sometimes change, so it’s wise to check current operating hours before you go.

Phone and Email Support

Depending on the issue and department, Atlantans often use:

• The city’s general information lines
• Direct numbers for the Office of Buildings, Department of City Planning, or Business Licensing / Office of Revenue

When you call or email, it helps to have:

• Your Accela record number (often starts with letters indicating the permit type)
• The property address
• Your account email or username
• A brief description of the problem (e.g., “I can’t schedule an inspection”)

Contractor and Design Professional Help

In Atlanta’s busy construction and renovation market, many:

• Licensed contractors
• Architects and engineers
• Permit expediters

are already very familiar with the city’s use of Accela. If you’re a homeowner overwhelmed by the system, it’s common to work with a professional who can:

• Prepare documents in the format Accela expects
• Upload plans and respond to plan reviewer comments
• Coordinate inspections and final approvals

This doesn’t replace your responsibility as the owner, but it can remove a lot of day-to-day system navigation.

Practical Tips for Using Accela in Atlanta

A few habits can make the system much smoother for local projects:

1. Double-Check Your Address

Atlanta addresses can be confusing, especially around city limits, unincorporated DeKalb/Fulton, and nearby municipalities like Sandy Springs or East Point. Before you start:

• Confirm the property is within the City of Atlanta
• Make sure you select the correct address format in the portal

Submitting under the wrong jurisdiction is a common cause of delays.

2. Use Consistent Contact Information

For Atlanta projects, inspectors and reviewers often use the contact info in Accela to reach you. Use:

• A reliable email you check regularly
• A phone number where you can be reached during business hours

This helps ensure you see comments and corrections quickly, especially if you’re managing a project remotely while visiting or new to the city.

3. Upload Complete, Clearly Labeled Documents

Label your files so reviewers can quickly understand them. Example file names:

• 123_Main_St_Architectural_Plans.pdf
• 123_Main_St_Structural_Plans.pdf
• 123_Main_St_Signed_Application.pdf

Atlanta reviewers handle many submissions from across the city; clear documents often move more smoothly through the system.

4. Monitor Status Regularly

Instead of waiting for a call, log in to Accela and check:

• Review status (pending, corrections required, approved)
• Fee status (due, paid, outstanding)
• Inspection results

For projects in fast-moving neighborhoods or tight construction schedules, catching a status change quickly can prevent delays.

5. Plan for Review Time

Even though Accela is online, review times are still real-world. In Atlanta’s active development climate, it’s normal for:

• Larger projects to go through multiple review cycles
• Smaller residential permits to still take days to weeks depending on complexity

Build this into your schedule if you’re planning a move-in date, opening a business, or coordinating with other contractors.

How Visitors and Newcomers to Atlanta Might Use Accela

If you’re:

• Relocating to Atlanta and renovating a home before moving in
• Opening a new business location from out of state
• Investing in property in the city

Accela allows you to manage much of your permitting and licensing remotely, including:

• Submitting applications and plans online
• Paying fees without visiting City Hall
• Checking inspector comments and approvals from outside Georgia

This is especially useful if you’re not yet in Atlanta full-time but need to move a project forward on a specific timeline.

When Accela Is Not Enough on Its Own

Even with a robust online system, Atlanta still has situations where:

• In-person signatures or notarization are required
• Zoning questions need direct conversations with City of Atlanta planning staff
• Special permits (such as some events or alcohol-related licenses) follow additional procedures or separate systems

If you get stuck in Accela or see unclear requirements, it’s common and often necessary to:

• Visit the relevant city office (often at or near Trinity Ave and central government buildings)
• Call or email with your record number for clarification

By understanding how Accela Atlanta works, you can navigate permits, inspections, and licenses far more efficiently whether you’re a long-time resident of neighborhoods like East Atlanta or Kirkwood, a new business owner setting up in Midtown, or a visitor managing a project remotely.