Atlanta’s permitting system is centered on the City’s Department of City Planning and its Office of Buildings, which handles building, trade, zoning, development, and inspection workstreams. Most applications can be started online through the City’s Accela Citizen Access portal, including building, trade, planning, historic preservation, and tree-related applications.
The correct review path can depend on both the project and the property. Tree work is a notable example: Atlanta’s Arborist Division reviews tree impacts on private property, while the Department of Parks and Recreation handles public-tree permits. Atlanta also maintains a Tree Protection Ordinance, so tree removal or construction near regulated trees may require arborist review in addition to the underlying project permit.
Properties in historic or landmark districts can face another layer of review. The Atlanta Urban Design Commission considers Certificates of Appropriateness and other historic-preservation applications for qualifying projects, meaning exterior changes or demolition in protected areas may need approval beyond a standard building permit.
For a new project, the best starting point is the City’s online permitting page, which links to the application portal and identifies the available permitting and planning services. From there, applicants can determine whether the project stays within the Office of Buildings workflow or also requires arborist, historic-preservation, zoning, or other specialized review.