What a "Change of Use" Permit Covers

A change of use permit is required when a building's occupancy classification changes, even if no walls come down and no construction happens at all. Different occupancy types carry different code requirements for things like fire separations, exiting capacity, and life-safety systems, because the risk profile changes with how a space is actually used and how many people occupy it.

A restaurant, for instance, brings occupant loads, cooking hazards, and exiting requirements that a retail store never had to meet. That's why simply changing what happens inside a building — no renovation required — can still legally require a permit and a code review before the new use is allowed to open.