Novato’s Online Records Search page divides building-record research by date. Available permit records after 2000 are routed to the City’s Novato Permits record search. To view permit records and plans dated before 2000, schedule the City’s self-service kiosk at the Permit Center. Use the kiosk route before treating an unsuccessful online search for older work as the end of the trail.
Use the record date to choose the route
- Available permit record after 2000: use Novato Permits record search. Save the permit identifier, date, work description and any status or document shown.
- Permit record or plan before 2000: arrange a self-service kiosk appointment from the Online Records Search page. Save the record date, permit number if present, and plan or permit title.
- Record still not located: use the City public records page or Building Division. Supply the address, date range, record type and routes checked.
The City says available records “after the year 2000” are online and that records “prior to the year 2000” use the kiosk. It does not expressly assign records dated in 2000 to either route. Ask the Permit Center about that boundary year. The City also does not promise that every later record or plan is downloadable, or that all earlier material survives. Use the date on the permit or plan you are seeking, not the home’s construction year alone.
Search newer records without confusing the portal’s jobs
The City’s Novato Permits page distinguishes Records Search from permit status, applications and inspections. Open Records Search from the official page for historical lookup. The public form labels its single input “Search string (Record Number, Address, Parcel Number, Document Name)”. Enter one identifier you know, such as the exact permit number, project address or parcel number. A document name may help when you are looking for a particular plan or certificate. If a result appears, check its identifiers and work description against what you know before treating it as a match.
The City launched Novato Permits on October 1, 2025. Its launch notice says earlier applications were migrated to the new system. That transition explains why an older application may appear in a newer interface; it does not move the pre-2000 viewing route into the portal or prove that every prior file was migrated. Also keep permit records apart from planning, Public Works and code-enforcement entries when the portal shows more than one record class.
Arrange the pre-2000 kiosk visit
The City’s Online Records Search page identifies the self-service kiosk at the Novato Permit Center, 922 Machin Avenue. Use the scheduling tool linked on that page for an appointment to view pre-2000 permit records and plans. The page describes reservations Monday through Thursday, 1–3 p.m.; it also describes drop-in hours but does not guarantee kiosk access or staff help during them. Check the live appointment page before traveling, since hours and availability can change.
Bring the property address, an approximate work year, and any permit number you already have. Ask for the permit record or plan that answers your question. If you find a plan, note its title, date and approval markings separately from the permit and inspection history. A drawing in an archive does not establish that the work was built as drawn.
If neither route finds the document
First confirm the property is within the City’s permitting jurisdiction and check whether the work date belongs before 2000. Our city versus county guide explains why a mailing address alone cannot settle which office holds the permit. Then record the online search you attempted or the kiosk material you inspected. Novato’s public records page directs readers who cannot locate a record online to make a specific request with a date range and description. The Building Division lists permit inquiries at 415-899-8989 and permitinfo@novato.gov. Ask which record series or custodian could hold the missing permit or plan; do not describe an empty portal result as a City certification of no permit.
Finally, distinguish the event you found. A permit may document authorization for stated work; inspection and final records answer later questions. A plan may show an approved design but not completion. Use our final-inspection status guide if the question is whether the job reached final approval. Keep the City record’s date and identifier with your notes so the next person can reproduce the lookup.
City sources checked September 27, 2026. Search labels, appointment availability and record coverage can change; confirm them on the linked City pages before relying on a missing result.