The Citizenserve Portal is presented by the Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Department and Building Department.

In this Citizenserve Portal, you may submit applications for both Planning and Zoning Department approvals and Building Department permits. You may upload construction plans and required documents, check application review status, pay fees, schedule inspections, and much more. The portal is compatible with most tech devices - phones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. You can log in anytime and anywhere - from your office, home, or even from the jobsite. The portal is most compatible with the Google Chrome Internet browser. 

New to the Citizenserve Portal? 

Registration is not required to use some of the Search and Reports features of the portal. However, registration is required before you may drill down into files and report results. You will also need to register in order to submit applications. Here are instructional videos to get you started:

How to register for the Portal as a Property Owner

How to register for the Portal as a Contractor

How to submit a Building Department Permit Application in the Portal

Registered Users: How to Navigate the Citizenserve Portal

Login to the Citizenserve Portal with your username and password. If you cannot remember you username or password, use the links under the login boxes to have the information emailed to you. After you login, follow these steps to use the portal: 

APPLY FOR A PERMIT - navigate to the HOME link at the top. Click on either the Planning & Zoning Department button or the Building Department button depending on the type of application you need. Choose the application type in the drop down list. As you start answering questions and completing fields, additional questions and fields that pertain to your project will populate. 

Helpful Hints:
    - Do not copy and paste info into the Address or Parcel # field or into the Permit # or File # fields.
    - When entering a parcel number, you may include the dashes and dot or you may leave those out. The search engine should locate the parcel number either way. However, make sure the parcel number always begins with an 05 at the beginning.
    - If the search engine does not locate the property by address, the system should give you an option to "Use this Address". Choose that option and you will be able to enter the correct address in the permit application. 
    - SAVE FOR LATER: If you need additional time to gather documents or information, you can select SAVE FOR LATER at the bottom of any application.

MY PENDING APPLICATIONS - This menu link only shows up if you currently have a pending application(s) that you have previously started and saved for later. To access this link, click on the My Account link and view 

section then click on "My pending applications" to retrieve saved applications that have not yet been submitted. Click on the blue permit type to access the application, make any necessary updates, then SUBMIT when complete. If you do not see the "My pending applications link in the My Account menu, then you do not have any pending application saved at this time. 

VIEW MY REQUESTS - Click on My Account and then click on View my requests. You may review your submitted applications, the status of applications, as well as all of your issued permits. In the drop down box at the top, choose either the Planning & Zoning Department or the Building Department to view the different types of permits. Notice there may be tabs to sort the permits by "Under Review", "Approved", "Closed", and "All". Click on the blue permit number to view the application, upload documents, make a payment on a permit, leave a message for a staff member, request inspections on issued permits, and view inspection status.

MAKE A PAYMENT - use the VIEW MY REQUESTS link (as described above) to pay your permit fees when they are due. Once a staff member has updated the permit status to "Payment Required", then the MAKE A PAYMENT link will become visible. You will be required to make a separate payment for each permit.

SERVICES - view additional documents, links, and information.

SEARCH -  search the database to view applications, permits, related documents, inspections, and more. Search by address, permit #, permit type, etc.

REPORTS - view multiple types of reports for Planning & Zoning files and Building Department files, view issued permits on a map; view code cases on a map