How to Fill Out the Georgia Authorized Permit Agent Form

An authorized permit agent form is the local building department document a property owner or licensed contractor uses to put someone else on record as the person who can file, sign, and pick up building permits for a specific project. You fill in the property, owner, and agent details, attach copies of the agent’s ID and any contractor licenses, get the signatures notarized when the jurisdiction requires it, and deliver the package to the permit office with jurisdiction over the project site.¹ The form is short. The attachments are what trip people up.

When You Actually Need One

The most common user is a licensed contractor whose permits are pulled day-to-day by an office manager, project coordinator, or outside expediter rather than the qualifying agent on the license. Many states require a separate authorized permit agent form for each project where someone other than the license holder appears at the counter.² Property owners who hire an unlicensed helper or a permit expediting service use the same form to give that person standing at the permit counter.

One point worth being clear about: this is not a blanket authorization. Departments that follow the one-form-per-project rule expect a fresh original for each job. A company running several active projects may need a stack of these on file at different permit offices at the same time.

What to Gather Before You Start

Pull these together first. Missing pieces are the leading cause of rejection at the counter.

The property’s full street address and parcel identification number, sometimes called the folio number or appraisal district account number. Both appear on the property’s tax records or deed.³
The property owner’s full legal name, mailing address, phone number, and signature. If the owner is a business entity, include the company name and the title of the officer signing.
The agent’s full legal name, company affiliation, mailing address, and phone number.
A copy of the agent’s government-issued photo ID, almost always a driver’s license. Some jurisdictions also want a copy of the owner’s driver’s license for signature verification.⁴
Copies of the individual contractor’s license and the company license, if the principal is a licensed contractor.²
A short project description or scope of work, if the form asks for it.

There is no universal template. Each city or county publishes its own version, usually as a downloadable PDF on the building department’s website. If you cannot find it, call the permit office and ask for the authorized agent or agent affidavit form by name.

Filling In the Form

Enter the property details exactly as they appear on tax records. A mismatch between the address on your form and the address in the building department’s system is one of the fastest ways to trigger a rejection. If you are unsure of the parcel number, the county assessor’s website usually has a free lookup tool.

Fill in the owner and agent names, addresses, and contact details. Print clearly on paper forms. Where the form asks for the agent’s role, keep it accurate: “permit expediter,” “office manager,” or “project coordinator” are common entries.

The signature block carries the legal weight. The owner, or an officer of the owning entity, signs to confirm the delegation, and the agent typically signs an acknowledgment accepting the responsibility. Many jurisdictions require both signatures to be notarized with a wet seal; photocopies and faxes are not accepted.⁵ Some departments will accept a copy of the owner’s driver’s license in place of notarization, but if you are unsure, get it notarized. Notary fees for a single acknowledgment typically run $2 to $15.

Where to File It

Deliver the completed form, original signatures, and all supporting documents to the permit office in the city or county where the project is located.² In-person submission at the permit counter is the most reliable route because a clerk can review the package on the spot and flag anything missing. Some building departments now accept scanned originals through an online portal, though availability varies.

Once processed, the agent’s name is linked to the parcel or project file in the permit tracking system. Some offices update same-day; others take a day or two. Ask for a confirmation receipt or reference number so the agent can verify their standing before showing up to pull a permit.

Do not send the form to a state licensing board unless the board specifically requests it. This is a local building department document, not a state licensing filing.

What the Agent Can and Cannot Do

The International Building Code allows an owner’s authorized agent to file permit applications and sign them.¹ Most building departments extend that in practice to paying permit fees, picking up approved permits, and handling routine counter interactions. Some also allow the agent to request or schedule inspections, depending on local rules.

The authority is strictly administrative. Your agent cannot make design decisions requiring a licensed professional’s stamp, override the building official’s determination on a code question, or bind the owner to financial obligations beyond permit fees. The form is not a general power of attorney. It is a narrow designation limited to building department transactions on a specific project.

The owner remains legally responsible for the work. Even with an agent handling every piece of paperwork, the property owner is the party on the hook for meeting all applicable building codes and zoning requirements. If violations surface, the building department looks to the owner, not the agent.

How Long the Authorization Lasts

In most jurisdictions, the agent’s authority is tied to the specific project or permit named on the form and ends when that permit is closed out. Departments that use the one-form-per-project approach do not let one authorization carry over to a different job, even at the same address. If the permit expires or the project wraps, the authorization effectively ends with it.

Some departments also reserve the right to revoke an authorization at any time for administrative reasons, whether or not the project is still active. And if the property changes hands through a sale, foreclosure, or transfer, the new owner has to file a fresh form naming their own agent. The authorization runs from a specific owner to a specific agent for a specific project.

Revoking or Replacing the Agent

To remove an agent before the project is complete, submit a written revocation to the same permit office that received the original form. Most departments do not have a dedicated revocation form. A signed and dated letter on the owner’s letterhead identifying the property, project, and agent being removed will usually do the job. Some offices will ask you to notarize the revocation, particularly if the original was notarized. Call ahead and confirm what the department wants.

Swapping one agent for another mid-project means filing both the revocation of the old agent and a new authorized permit agent form at the same time. The building department will not recognize two active agents for the same permit unless its local rules specifically allow it.

Mistakes That Get Forms Rejected

Missing documentation is the single most frequent reason forms come back. The agent’s ID copy was not attached, or the contractor license was left out. Counter clerks work from a short checklist, and anything absent stops the process.