Purpose Statement

First Due supports invoicing for permits that do not have a physical service address. This allows agencies to create and manage invoices for Standalone, Pre-development, and Special Event permits by using a Business Account or Vendor as the billing anchor instead of a service address.

Addressless permit invoices can be created automatically through the Business Portal when payment is required, manually by AHJ staff, or directly from an existing addressless permit.

Background Information

Addressless permits do not have a physical service address available when the permit is created. To support invoicing for these permits, First Due uses a billing anchor to identify the party responsible for the invoice.

An addressless invoice uses exactly one of the following billing anchors:

• Business Account: Available to AHJ staff and used automatically for applicable Business Portal submissions.
• Vendor: Available to AHJ staff only.

Business Portal submissions are always anchored to the Business Account submitting the permit application. The Business Account represents the business entity in the Business Portal, not the individual portal user submitting the application.

The following permit types support addressless invoicing:

• Standalone
• Pre-development
• Special Event

For Business Portal applications that require payment at the time of submission, the applicable fees must be configured before required payment is enabled.

An addressless permit can be associated with multiple invoices. Each individual invoice can be linked to one permit.

Required Permissions

No new permissions are required specifically for addressless permit invoicing.

• The No Service Address – Business billing type uses the same existing permission requirements as the No Service Address – Vendor billing workflow.
• Vendor billing anchors are available to AHJ staff only and are not available to Business Portal applicants.
• Business Account billing anchors are available to AHJ staff and are assigned automatically for applicable Business Portal submissions.
• Users configuring permit billing must have the existing permissions required to modify permit-type configuration.
• Existing permissions continue to control financial actions such as applying payments, discounts, refunds, write-offs, voiding, and reopening invoices.
• Users correcting an invoice by voiding it must have the existing permission required to void invoices.

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Step-by-Step Guide

Configure Billing for an Addressless Permit Type

1. Open the applicable permit-type configuration for a Standalone, Pre-development, or Special Event permit.

2. Locate Do you bill for permits, inspections and/or plan reviews associated with permits of this type? and enable billing.

   
   
    

3. Configure and associate the appropriate fee or line items with the permit type.

   
   
    

4. If applicants must pay when submitting through the Business Portal, open the User Portals configuration for the permit type.

   
   
    

5. Enable Payment Required at time of Application.

   
   
    

6. Verify that all required fees and billing configurations are complete before allowing applicants to submit permits requiring payment.
    

Create an Addressless Permit Invoice Through the Business Portal

1. The applicant begins an applicable addressless permit application from their Business Portal Business Account.

   
   
    

2. The applicant completes the required permit information and proceeds with the application submission.

   
   
    

3. When payment is required at the time of application, First Due calculates the configured fees and presents the applicant with the existing invoice and payment workflow.

   
   
    

4. When the application is submitted, First Due automatically creates the permit and an associated invoice.

   
   
    

5. The invoice is automatically configured with the submitting Business Account as the billing anchor. Applicants cannot select a Vendor or change the Business Account used as the billing anchor.

   
   
    

6. First Due links the invoice to the newly created permit as part of the same submission process.
   
    
7. The applicant can continue through the existing payment workflow.

If the required invoice cannot be created or linked, the permit submission does not complete. This prevents a permit or invoice from being created without the corresponding linked record.

Manually Create a No Service Address Invoice

1. Navigate to Invoicing and select Create Invoice.

   
   
    

2. In Billing Details, select the appropriate Billing Type:
   • No Service Address – Business

   • No Service Address – Vendor

     
     
      

3. If No Service Address – Business is selected, search for and select the appropriate Business Account.

   
   
    

4. If No Service Address – Vendor is selected, search for and select the appropriate Vendor.

   
   
    

5. Verify that the correct billing anchor is selected. An addressless invoice must have either a Business Account or Vendor as its billing anchor, but not both.

   
   
    

6. Add the applicable line items or fees to the invoice.
    
7. Add any applicable notes or attachments using the existing invoice workflow.
    
8. Save the invoice.
    
9. Link the invoice to the applicable addressless permit using the existing permit-linking workflow.

Create an Invoice Directly From an Addressless Permit

1. Open the applicable addressless permit.

2. Open the permit's Invoicing area and select Create Invoice.

   
    

3. First Due automatically determines the billing anchor from the owner associated with the permit.
   • A permit owned by a Business Account creates a No Service Address – Business invoice.
   • A permit owned by a Vendor creates a No Service Address – Vendor invoice.
4. Review the inherited billing information. The billing anchor is pinned to the permit owner and cannot be changed while creating the invoice from the permit.
5. Add the applicable line items or fees.
6. Complete any additional invoice information required by your agency.
7. Save the invoice. The invoice remains linked to the permit.

Additional invoices can be created for the same permit when needed.

Manage an Addressless Invoice After Creation

1. Review the invoice's billing anchor before emailing, mailing, or applying a payment.
2. An invoice becomes locked when any of the following occurs:
   • The invoice is emailed.
   • The invoice is mailed.
   • Any payment is applied, including a partial payment.
3. Once locked, the invoice's billing anchor and top-level billing information cannot be changed.
4. If a locked invoice has an incorrect billing anchor, use the existing void process and create the appropriate replacement invoice.

Business Portal-originated invoices remain anchored to the Business Account that submitted the permit and cannot be reassigned to another Business Account or Vendor.

Best Practices

• Configure fees before enabling required payment. Business Portal submissions requiring payment depend on valid fee and billing configuration.
• Verify the permit owner first. When creating an invoice directly from an addressless permit, the Business Account or Vendor associated with the permit determines the invoice's billing anchor.
• Make billing corrections before the invoice locks. Review staff-created invoices before emailing, mailing, or accepting payment.
• Use only one billing anchor. An addressless invoice cannot be assigned to both a Business Account and Vendor.
• Do not use a Vendor for Business Portal submissions. Business Portal addressless permit invoices are anchored to the Business Account submitting the application.
• Do not expect a later permit address to update an existing invoice. If a physical address is subsequently associated with the permit, First Due preserves the invoice's original billing anchor and does not automatically populate the invoice's service address.
• Review Pre-development permits carefully when an address is added later. Pre-development permits can later have a physical address linked through Occupancy. This does not automatically change previously created addressless invoices. Standalone and Special Event permits do not use this Occupancy address-linking mechanism.
• Void and recreate when necessary. If an invoice is locked or originated from the Business Portal and the billing anchor is incorrect, use the existing void workflow rather than attempting to reassign the billing anchor.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why can't a Business Portal applicant select a Vendor for an addressless permit?

Vendor billing anchors are an AHJ-only option. Addressless permits submitted through the Business Portal use the submitting Business Account as the billing anchor.

Why did a Business Portal permit requiring payment fail to submit?

Verify that the required fee and billing configuration is complete for the permit type. The permit, invoice, and permit-to-invoice link are created as part of the same submission process. If invoice creation or linking fails, the submission is rolled back to prevent orphaned records.

Can I change the Business Account or Vendor after creating the invoice?

For staff-created invoices, billing information can only be changed while the invoice remains unlocked. The billing anchor becomes immutable after the invoice is emailed, mailed, or receives any payment, including a partial payment. Business Portal-originated invoice anchors cannot be reassigned.

What should I do if the wrong Business Account or Vendor is on a locked invoice?

Use the existing invoice void process and create a new invoice with the correct billing information. Voiding an invoice requires the existing permission associated with that action.

Why did a partial payment lock the invoice?

Any payment, including a partial payment, causes the invoice to lock. Once locked, the billing anchor and other top-level billing information cannot be modified.

Can I create more than one invoice for an addressless permit?

Yes. A permit can be linked to multiple invoices. Each invoice can be linked to one permit.

What happens if an address is added to the permit later?

The existing invoice keeps its original billing anchor and is not automatically updated with the new address. For Pre-development permits, an address can later be associated through Occupancy, but this does not backfill the address onto an existing addressless invoice.

Will addressless invoices appear in invoice lists and reports even though they do not have a service address?

Yes. Addressless invoices remain available in supported invoice list and reporting views. The Business Account can be displayed while the physical service address remains blank.

Can AHJ staff create a Business Account-based invoice without starting from a permit?

Yes. Staff can create an invoice from Invoicing and select No Service Address – Business as the Billing Type, then select the appropriate Business Account as the billing anchor.