Open or expired permits:
how to close them before selling your home
An open permit is one that was pulled but never closed with a final inspection; it usually shows up in the permit search for a sale or refinance. Florida law allows the current owner to close it even if they were not the one who applied, with the original contractor or a new one.
If the permit expired but the work was substantially completed, the law allows it to be closed without pulling a new permit, as determined by the local agency. First you have to find them: Miami-Dade offers free online searches and a formal open-permit search by email.
Step by step
- Search the property's permitsBy address or folio number, with the County's online tools (permits and inspection history, and expired-permit violations).
- Identify the jurisdictionIf the home is in a municipality (like Hialeah) but the permit is an older County permit, it is closed by the city first, then the County closes it administratively with a letter from the municipal building official.
- Choose a contractorThe law lets the current owner keep the original contractor or hire another one to close the permit.
- Complete inspections or correctionsWhatever is missing for the final inspection. If the permit expired but the work was substantially complete, it may be closed without a new permit.
- Get proof of close-outTo give to the buyer, the lender or the title company.
What the official sources say
- A property owner, whether or not they applied for the permit, may close it; they may retain the original contractor or hire another (s. 553.79(16)(a)). [1]
- An expired permit whose work is substantially completed may be closed without a new permit, as determined by the local agency (s. 553.79(16)(b)). [1]
- The agency may close a permit 6 years after issuance, even without a final inspection, if no apparent safety hazards exist (s. 553.79(16)(c)). [1]
- An arms-length purchaser may not be denied a permit, fined or cited solely because a previous owner's permit was not closed (s. 553.79(17)(a)). [1]
- Miami-Dade offers free online searches of permits and expired-permit violations, and a formal open-permit search by email (for a fee). [2]
- County permits on properties now inside a municipality are closed by that jurisdiction first, then the County is asked for administrative closure. [3]
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Official sources
Checked on October 29, 2026. Rules change: always confirm with your city or the County. This guide is informational and is not legal advice.
- Florida Statutes, section 553.79
- Miami-Dade County · Buying and Selling Residential Properties
- Miami-Dade County · County Municipal Approval