Skip to main content

Search

Knowledge Center

Invoice Permits with No Address

Purpose Statement

Addressless permit invoicing allows invoices to be created and linked to permits that do not have a service address.

This functionality supports the following addressless permit types:

  • Standalone
  • Pre-development
  • Special event

For addressless permits, the invoice uses a business account or vendor as the billing anchor instead of requiring a service address. Business Portal submissions use the submitting business account, while AHJ staff can work with business- or vendor-anchored permits and invoices.

Background Information

Addressless permits can be created without associating the permit with a service address. Each addressless permit still has an owner:

  • Business Portal submissions are associated with the submitting Business Portal business account.
  • AHJ-created permits can be associated with a business account or vendor.

Invoicing supports these permits by using the permit owner as the billing anchor.

Two addressless billing types are available:

  • No Service Address – Business — Uses a Business Portal business account as the billing anchor.
  • No Service Address – Vendor — Uses a vendor as the billing anchor.

The business account refers to the Business Portal business entity, not the individual Business Portal user.

A single permit can have multiple invoices associated with it. Each individual invoice is associated with one permit.

Required Permissions

No new permissions are introduced for addressless permit invoicing.

The No Service Address – Business billing type uses the same permission that controls the existing addressless vendor billing functionality.

Existing permissions continue to control financial actions such as:

  • Applying payments
  • Discounts
  • Refunds
  • Write-offs
  • Voiding invoices
  • Reopening invoices

Vendor billing anchors are available to AHJ staff only and are not available through the Business Portal.

Configuring Bill for Permit and Required Payment follows the existing permissions for permit-type configuration.

If an invoice is locked and must be corrected, the user must have the existing permission required to void an invoice.

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Configure Billing for an Addressless Permit Type

  1. Navigate to the permit-type configuration for the applicable addressless permit type.
  2. Locate the Bill for Permit setting.
  3. Enable Bill for Permit as needed.
  4. Navigate to the permit type's User Portal tab.
  5. Enable Required Payment when applicants should be required to pay as part of their Business Portal permit submission.
  6. Verify that the appropriate fee and billing configuration is set up for the permit type.

Important: If Required Payment is enabled but the permit type does not have the necessary fee configuration, automatic invoice creation can fail.

Business Portal Automatic Invoicing

When Required Payment is configured for an addressless permit type, the Business Portal handles invoice creation automatically.

  1. The applicant completes a standalone, pre-development, or special-event permit application through the Business Portal.
  2. The applicant submits the application.
  3. First Due creates the permit and associates it with the submitting business account.
  4. First Due automatically creates an invoice using No Service Address – Business.
  5. The submitting business account is automatically used as the invoice's billing anchor and billing contact.
  6. First Due links the invoice to the permit.
  7. The applicant is presented with the existing invoice payment process to complete payment.

The permit, invoice, and permit-to-invoice link are created within the same submission transaction. If invoice creation or linking fails, the submission is rolled back so that a partially created permit, invoice, or link is not left behind.

The applicant cannot change the business billing anchor through the Business Portal.

See Knowledge Based Article: Pay for a Permit with No Address in the Business Portal

Manually Create an Addressless Invoice

AHJ staff can create an addressless invoice using either a business account or vendor as the billing anchor.

  1. Navigate to Invoicing → Create Invoice.
  2. In Billing Details, open the Billing Type selector.
  3. Select the appropriate billing type:
    • No Service Address – Business to bill a business account.

    • No Service Address – Vendor to bill a vendor.

  4. Select the appropriate business account or vendor.
  5. Complete the invoice by adding the applicable line items, fees, notes, and attachments.

  6. Save the invoice.

  7. Link the invoice to the applicable standalone, pre-development, or special-event permit.

An addressless invoice must have one billing anchor. A business and vendor cannot both serve as the billing anchor for the same invoice.

 

Create an Invoice From an Addressless Permit

Creating the invoice directly from the permit automatically uses the permit's existing owner as the billing anchor.

  1. Open the applicable addressless permit.

  2. Navigate to the permit's Invoicing area.

  3. Select Create Invoice.
  4. First Due pulls the applicable permit information into the new invoice.
  5. Verify the inherited billing information.
    • A business-owned permit uses No Service Address – Business.
    • A vendor-owned permit uses No Service Address – Vendor.
  6. Complete the applicable line items and fees.
  7. Save the invoice.

The billing anchor is inherited from the permit and cannot be changed from this workflow. No billing-anchor picker is displayed.

If the permit has the wrong owner, correct the owner on the permit before creating the invoice. Changing the permit owner later does not retroactively update invoices that have already been created.

 

Add an Address to the Permit Later

A permit that was originally created without an address can later be associated with a real address.

  1. Open the addressless permit.
  2. Use the existing permit functionality to add or link the appropriate address.
  3. Save the permit changes.

See Knowledge Base Article: Location Independent Permits

Adding an address to the permit does not automatically change the address or billing anchor on previously created invoices.

For example, if an invoice was originally associated with a business account, adding an address to the permit does not remove that business association or automatically copy the permit's new address to the invoice.

Staff may manually add an address to an invoice through the normal invoice editing process when appropriate, provided the invoice is not locked.

Understand Invoice Locking

Invoice locking applies to addressless invoices as well as other invoice workflows.

An invoice becomes locked when any of the following occurs:

  • The invoice is emailed.
  • The invoice is mailed.
  • A full payment is applied.
  • A partial payment is applied.

Once locked, the invoice's billing anchor and top-level billing information cannot be changed.

If a locked invoice contains incorrect billing information, use the existing Void process and recreate the invoice as appropriate.

Business Portal-originated invoices have an additional restriction: the billing anchor is always fixed to the submitting business account and cannot be reassigned, even before another locking event occurs.

Best Practices

  • Verify the permit owner before creating an invoice directly from an addressless permit. The invoice inherits that owner automatically.
  • Confirm fee configuration before enabling Required Payment for a Business Portal permit type.
  • Use No Service Address – Business when a business account is responsible for the invoice and No Service Address – Vendor when an AHJ-selected vendor is responsible.
  • Do not attempt to assign both a business and vendor to the same invoice. An addressless invoice uses exactly one billing anchor.
  • Review billing information before emailing, mailing, or applying a payment. Any of these actions lock the invoice, including a partial payment.
  • Correct Business Portal business ownership before invoicing when possible. Business Portal-created invoice anchors cannot be reassigned.
  • Remember that adding an address to a permit does not automatically add that address to its existing invoices.
  • Use the existing void-and-recreate process when billing information must be corrected on a locked invoice.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why can't I save an addressless invoice without selecting a business or vendor?

An addressless invoice requires a billing anchor. Select either a business account or vendor, depending on the billing type being used. Both cannot be selected simultaneously.

Why did my Business Portal addressless permit submission fail when Required Payment was enabled?

Verify the AHJ's fee and billing configuration for the permit type. If invoice creation or linking fails, the Business Portal submission is designed to roll back the entire transaction rather than leave partially created records.

Can a Business Portal applicant select a vendor instead of their business?

No. Business Portal submissions use the submitting business account as the billing anchor. Vendor billing anchors are available only to AHJ staff.

Can I change the billing anchor when creating an invoice from a permit?

No. When an invoice is created directly from an addressless permit, the billing anchor is inherited from the permit's existing owner. Correct the owner on the permit before creating the invoice if necessary.

Will changing a permit's owner update invoices that have already been created?

No. Existing invoices are not retroactively updated when the permit owner changes.

Can one addressless permit have more than one invoice?

Yes. A permit can be associated with multiple invoices. Each individual invoice is associated with one permit.

What happens to existing invoices if I later add an address to the permit?

The existing invoices remain unchanged. Their business or vendor billing anchors are retained, and the permit's new address is not automatically copied to the invoices.

Why can't I change the business or vendor on an invoice?

The invoice may be locked. An invoice locks after it is emailed, mailed, or receives any payment, including a partial payment. Locked billing information cannot be edited. Use the existing void process when a correction is required.

Can I change the business on an invoice created through the Business Portal?

No. The submitting business account is permanently used as the billing anchor for a Business Portal-originated invoice. If a correction is required, use the applicable void process.

Does a partial payment lock an invoice?

Yes. Any payment amount, including a partial payment, locks the invoice. This locking behavior applies across invoice workflows.