County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
TennesseeShelby County

Administrative overview · FIPS 47157

Shelby County permit authority

The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.

Jurisdictional status

County

This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.

Responsible agency

Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development / Construction Code Enforcement

For a project in or near Shelby County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.

Direct contact

901-222-8300; Building 901-222-8394; Develop901 portal assistance 901-636-7384

Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.

Permit counter

Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134

Operating hours

N/A; current CCE public-counter hours were not published in the accessible official sources.

Review expectation

N/A; no current general county review timeline published.

Compliance workbench

Choose the next project decision.

Source trail

Official sources for this profile

Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.

Project questions

Frequently asked questions for Shelby County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development / Construction Code Enforcement is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.

How should I begin an application?

Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 901-222-8300; Building 901-222-8394; Develop901 portal assistance 901-636-7384.

How long might review take?

N/A; no current general county review timeline published.

How are inspections scheduled?

Apply and schedule inspections through the Develop901 Citizen Portal. For portal/application assistance call 901-636-7384; for Construction Code Enforcement call 901-222-8300 or Building at 901-222-8394. Keep work accessible for required inspections and obtain final inspection/occupancy approval before use.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

Memphis and Shelby County adopted the 2021 edition of the ICC International Building Code with local amendments and the 2021 Memphis and Shelby County Energy Conservation Code; verify the specific technical code and local amendments for the project. The joint CCE program handles county/unincorporated work and Memphis, while Bartlett and Collierville use separate municipal offices. No single consolidated minor-work exemption list was exposed in the accessible official sources. Most construction, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing work require permits under the adopted codes; verify minor finish-work exceptions with CCE. Municipal rules vary: Develop901 covers Memphis, Arlington, Germantown, Lakeland, Millington, and unincorporated Shelby County, while Bartlett and Collierville require their own offices.

Before contacting the permit counter

Have the project facts ready.

A productive call starts with a clear description of the property and proposed work. Keep the site address, parcel or assessor number, project valuation, existing occupancy, approximate square footage, structural scope, contractor information, and desired start date in front of you. Those facts help the Authority Having Jurisdiction route the question to building, planning, fire, environmental health, or another reviewing discipline.

Questions worth asking

  • • Is the parcel inside an incorporated city or county service area?
  • • Does this scope require building, trade, zoning, fire, or site permits?
  • • What plans and supporting documents make the submittal complete?
  • • How much lead time is needed for each inspection?