Business license renewals can be paid online at NationalCity@hdlgov.com.  Parking citations can be paid online at www.CitationProcessingCenter.com.

.

Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover Credit Card payments.

No.

Only if you plan to sell at the National City Swap Meet more than twice a year. The fee for the Swap Meet business license is $50.00 and the license is valid until the end of the year. You do not need a license if you only plan to sell 1-2 times per calendar year.

Before having a garage sale, rummage sale or yard sale you must obtain a valid permit from the City’s Finance Department. The fee for the permit is $10.00 and each sale can last up to 4 consecutive days.

Every household is limited to 2 garage sales per year.

A valid business license must be acquired prior to conducting business in the City.  Therefore, application and payment for a new business license should be submitted no later than 6 weeks prior to the date the business owner plans to begin conducting business, to allow adequate time for processing to be completed, including zoning approval and fire inspection.

The deadline to submit a renewal application and payment for an existing business is February 28^th.

You should receive your business license 4-6 weeks after you apply.

Yes.  The reprinting fee is $10.00.

You must complete a new Business Clearance Application (PDF) and pay a $50.00 relocation fee. In addition, please contact the Planning Department to ensure that your type of business is permitted at the new location.

Go to the www.CitationProcessingCenter.com. You should be able to view your ticket by entering your license plate number and the state you live in. 

Any person, firm, corporation, partnership or other entity owning residential rental units in the City must apply and pay an annual license fee. The annual license fee is calculated based on a per unit basis or a flat fee plus a percentage of gross rents.

A residential unit is defined as any room or combination of rooms rented out as a single-family dwelling, to be occupied by an individual or group of individuals.

You should contact the Planning Department when you want to find out what improvements or land use can occur on a particular property. Zoning regulates setbacks, height or construction requirements as well as the type of business.

You can obtain zoning information in this website on the Land Use Map (PDF), if you know the street address or cross streets. Additionally, you can contact the Planning Department at (619) 336-4310.

Please contact the Planning Department to obtain the zoning of your property. The Land Use Code will determine what may be built in each zone.

You must know the zoning designation of your property in order to determine the setback information. You can obtain zoning information on the Land Use Map (PDF), in this website if you know the street address or cross streets. Zoning information is also available by contacting the Planning Department at (619) 336-4310. If you know your zoning designation you can view the setbacks online using the Land Use Code.

The Planning Department reviews all plans for walls and fences. Building permits are required for any fence or wall that are taller than 72 inches (six feet). Building permit applications are available through the Building Department. The maximum height permitted for a residential fence or wall is generally 6 feet; however, this depends on the location of the wall on the property. Please contact the Planning Department at (619) 336-4310 or check Land Use Code to obtain specific information on block walls and fences.

In certain circumstances a home occupation may be approved. Please contact the Planning Department at (619) 336-4310 to determine requirements and to apply for a Home Occupation Permit. You may obtain additional information from Land Use Code Section 18.12.090.

Second units or granny flats, otherwise known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), are generally allowed in most single-family residential zones within the City. A discussion with Planning Department counter staff can verify your property’s zoning and potential for an ADU.

A variance is an authorization issued for a particular parcel by the Planning Commission to allow a property owner to deviate from development standards (e.g. parking, setbacks) set forth in the zoning regulations. In order to be approved, the variance request must meet several State-mandated findings.

• Click here for the Variance application (PDF)

Click here to learn more about the Planning Commission.

Click here for fee information (PDF).

Each process is different, but may take from 2 or 3 months or even up to year or more. Please contact the Planning Department for additional information. The discretionary application packet can be found  here (PDF).

The parking requirements differ depending on the type of the use. Specific parking requirements are available in Land Use Code.

If you know the property's address you can either call the Planning Department at (619) 336-4310 or the San Diego County Assessors Office. 

Information on fees collected for a building permit can be determined at the Building counter or call (619) 336-4210.

A licensed surveyor completing a survey of your property can determine the location of your property lines. The City has plans that show your lot dimensions; however, you cannot determine the exact location of your lot lines without a survey of the property. The City does not recommend any specific surveyor or survey company.

You may contact the Building Division at (619) 336-4210 to find out if we have a set of plans.

Yes. Some sign permits can be issued over the counter by the Planning Department. All others require a building permit from the Building Department.  Over the counter permits available at the Planning Department include:

1. Painted Wall Sign Permits,
2. Sign Reface Permits, and
3. Banner Permits

Yes. Planning Department approval is required and can be obtained over the counter.

You will need to fill out a temporary banner permit application and submit the application with the filing fee of to the Planning Division at (619) 336-4310.

• Click here for the Banner Permit Application (PDF)