Purpose Statement
The Business Portal allows applicants to submit and pay for supported permits that do not require a service address.
Addressless permit invoicing is supported for:
- Standalone permits
- Pre-development permits
- Special-event permits
When payment is required, First Due automatically creates an invoice for the permit using the submitting business account as the billing account. This allows the application and payment process to continue without requiring a service address.
Background Information
An addressless permit does not need to be associated with a property or service address when it is submitted.
For Business Portal applications, the permit is instead associated with the Business Portal business account submitting the application.
When the AHJ has configured the permit type to require payment, First Due automatically:
- Creates the permit.
- Associates the permit with the submitting business account.
- Creates an invoice using the business account as the billing anchor.
- Sets the billing contact from the business account.
- Links the invoice to the permit.
- Presents the existing invoice payment process to the applicant.
The billing account is the business entity, not the individual Business Portal user submitting the application.
Required Permissions
No new permissions are introduced for addressless permit invoicing.
For Business Portal applicants, the business billing anchor is automatically determined from the business account submitting the application.
Applicants cannot:
- Select a vendor as the billing anchor.
- Select a different business as the billing anchor during submission.
- Reassign the business associated with the automatically created invoice.
Vendor-anchored addressless invoicing is available only to AHJ staff and is not available through the Business Portal.
Video
Step-by-Step Guide
Submit and Pay for an Addressless Permit
- Sign in to the Business Portal using the appropriate business account.
Begin an application for a supported addressless permit type.
Supported permit types include standalone, pre-development, and special-event permits.
Complete the required permit application information.
A service address is not required for these addressless permit types.
Review the application information and submit the permit application.
- When Required Payment has been enabled by the AHJ for the permit type, First Due automatically creates an invoice as part of the submission.
The invoice is automatically associated with the business account submitting the application.
The individual portal user is not used as the billing anchor.
Continue to the invoice payment process presented after submission.
- Complete payment using the existing invoice payment workflow.
First Due creates the permit, invoice, and permit-to-invoice link as part of the same submission transaction. If invoice creation or linking fails, the transaction is rolled back rather than leaving a partially created permit or invoice.
How Business Portal Billing Works
Business Portal addressless permit invoices always use the submitting business account.
The applicant does not need to select a billing type, business account, vendor, or service address during the invoice-creation process.
For addressless permits requiring payment, First Due automatically uses No Service Address – Business and associates the invoice with the business account that submitted the application.
The business billing anchor cannot be reassigned through the Business Portal. If the billing association is incorrect and requires correction, AHJ staff must use the applicable invoice correction process.
Best Practices
- Verify that you are working under the correct Business Portal business account before submitting the permit application.
- Review the application information before submitting, particularly when payment is required.
- Complete the payment process presented after submitting a permit that requires payment.
- Contact the AHJ if the wrong business account was used. The business associated with a Business Portal-originated invoice cannot be reassigned.
- Do not expect to select a vendor during Business Portal submission. Vendor billing is available only to AHJ staff.
- If the permit does not present a required payment, the AHJ may not have enabled Required Payment for that permit type.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why am I not being asked to enter a service address?
Standalone, pre-development, and special-event permits can be configured as addressless permits. These permits can be submitted without a service address.
Which business will be billed for my permit?
First Due uses the Business Portal business account submitting the application. The individual portal user submitting the application is not used as the billing anchor.
Can I select a different business when paying for the permit?
No. The invoice is automatically associated with the business account that submitted the permit application, and the Business Portal does not provide an invoice-anchor reassignment option.
Can I select a vendor instead of my business?
No. Vendor billing anchors are available to AHJ staff only. Business Portal addressless permit invoices use a business account.
Why wasn't I asked to pay when I submitted my permit?
Required payment must be enabled by the AHJ for the applicable permit type. If it is not enabled, the automatic required-payment workflow described in this article does not apply.
What happens if First Due cannot create the invoice during submission?
Invoice creation and linking occur within the permit submission transaction. If the invoice step fails because of a configuration or validation issue, the transaction is rolled back so that the permit, invoice, or link is not left partially created.
What should I do if the wrong business account is associated with the invoice?
The business associated with a Business Portal-originated invoice cannot be reassigned. Contact the AHJ for assistance. The specification identifies voiding as the staff-side correction path when an invoice's fixed business anchor must be corrected.
Can an address be added to the permit later?
Yes. An addressless permit can later receive a real address. Adding an address to the permit does not automatically change the billing anchor or add that address to an invoice that has already been created.