Tex. Loc. Gov't Code Ann. ch. 214 (subchs. A, B, C, G, H, I, Z) § 214.909
DOCUMENT VERIFYING CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
Operative Text
Sec. 214.909. DOCUMENT VERIFYING CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY. (a) A municipality shall issue a document to the owner of a building verifying that the municipality has issued an original certificate of occupancy for the building if:(1) the owner requests the document; and(2) the municipality has a record of issuing the original certificate of occupancy for the building. (b) A municipality may not adopt or enforce an ordinance, regulation, or other measure that requires the owner of a building issued a document described by Subsection (a) for the building to obtain or display the original certificate of occupancy for the building. (c) A municipality must allow the owner of a building to display a document described by Subsection (a) issued for the building in lieu of the building's original certificate of occupancy. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 464 (H.B. 4753), Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2025.
Under Texas Local Government Code § 214.909, when a building owner requests it and the municipality has the relevant records, the municipality must issue a verification document confirming that an original certificate of occupancy was issued for that building. Once that verification document exists, the municipality is prohibited from requiring the owner to produce or display the original certificate of occupancy. The verification document is legally accepted as a stand-in for the original in any context where the original would otherwise be required.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 214.909 gives property owners a practical tool when an original certificate of occupancy has been lost or is difficult to locate: a written request to the municipality can yield an official verification document that carries the same display value as the original. Compliant operators generally keep a copy of this verification document on file and present it whenever a certificate of occupancy is demanded by inspectors or other parties. Because municipalities are expressly barred from rejecting this substitute, maintaining the verification document in building records is a straightforward way to satisfy occupancy-documentation requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 214.909 affects the documentation a building owner is required to maintain, which can be relevant to tenants who want to confirm that a rental unit has a valid occupancy history. Tenants who have questions about whether a certificate of occupancy was ever issued for their building may consult local municipal records or a tenant-rights organization familiar with Texas housing law. If a landlord's compliance with occupancy-documentation rules becomes relevant in a housing dispute, § 214.909's framework for acceptable substitute documents may be a factor worth exploring with a qualified housing attorney.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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