Lake County expressly warns that its permit activity reports are not official records of open or expired permits. Use them to discover permit numbers, then ask Building Services for the records or confirmation needed for the actual decision. Activity-report limitation
Preserve the useful discovery-versus-verification worksheet
An address search and an official status response should not occupy the same column. Use one row per permit so a completed trade inspection is not mistaken for completion of the entire project.
| Permit number and scope | Search result and lookup date | Official record or response | Unanswered question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building or parent project | Displayed status and identifiers | Permit-level status and available closeout record | What remains on this permit? |
| Linked trade work, if present | Trade permit and inspection entry | Relevant inspection result or final record | Is it actually linked to this project? |
| Changed or interrupted work | Contractor and last visible activity | Applicable change, extension or reissuance decision | Which route does Building Services require? |
This is LSL’s research worksheet, not a County form or a certification of title, property condition or compliance.
Search with the identifier you have
The County lists address, alternate key, application date, contractor, issue date, owner, permit number and permit type as discovery routes. Use another appropriate identifier if the first query is unhelpful; a name match alone does not establish the intended parcel. Search menu
The address interface says to omit the street type: enter Main, not Main Street. It also allows a street-only search when the house number is unknown. Record the actual query so another person can reproduce it. Address instructions
An empty result means no record was found by that query. It does not distinguish an address-format problem, a different records custodian or missing historical data. Confirm the permitting authority before treating a gap as evidence that work was unpermitted.
A contractor change and an expired permit are different questions
The March 2026 contractor-change packet concerns an active permit. Its checklist calls for notarized statements from the owner, incoming contractor and relinquishing license holder, plus application records and a new Notice of Commencement where applicable. Expired permits require a renewal request. Contractor-change packet, page 1
There is an important unresolved-case branch: page 1 describes a new permit and full project fee when a party disagrees and withholds the required statement. Page 2 separately provides a checkbox for an unreachable, abandoned or deceased prior contractor. The checkbox is not LSL’s finding that the statement or fee requirement is waived. Explain the actual circumstance to Building Services rather than choosing the favorable reading.
Use a current request, not a self-calculated expiration
The linked standalone extension form is dated December 24, 2020; the contractor-change packet includes an April 2025 version on page 8. Both distinguish application extension, permit extension and reissuance, with space for the reason, evidence, completion schedule and the office’s decision. Ask which version and route apply now. Standalone form · Packet version
This guide does not apply the forms’ printed expiration provisions to a private permit or assume that every current extension is covered by those older paragraphs. For official help, the search pages list 352-343-9653. Supply the permit number and ask for its current status, outstanding requirements and applicable request—not simply whether the website looks complete.
LSL reviewed the search pages and forms on September 20, 2026, including the forms’ layout and differing revision dates. No private permit was searched and no extension, contractor change or closeout was approved through this review.