Getting Started

PermitsData API gives you access to building permit records, inspections, code violations, and contractor data for Salem, Oregon through a simple REST API.

Quick Start

1. Create an account

2. Get your API key

After confirming your email, create an API key in your dashboard. Your key will start with pdi_.

3. Make your first request

Search for building permits by address:

curl -H "X-API-Key: pdi_your_key_here" \
  "https://api.permitsdata.com/v1/permits/search?address=123+Main+St&type=residential"

Authentication

All API requests require an API key passed via the X-API-Key header. API keys start with the prefix pdi_.

Authentication Header

curl -H "X-API-Key: pdi_your_key_here" \
  "https://api.permitsdata.com/v1/permits/search?address=123+Main+St"

Base URL

All API requests should be made to:

https://api.permitsdata.com

Permits

Search and retrieve building permit records.

Permits Endpoints

GET /v1/permits/search
  ?address=123 Main St       # Street address (partial match)
  &type=residential           # Permit type filter
  &status=issued              # Status filter (issued, pending, expired, etc.)
  &date_from=2024-01-01       # Issued after this date
  &date_to=2024-12-31         # Issued before this date
  &page=1                     # Pagination (default: 1)
  &per_page=25                # Results per page (default: 25, max: 100)

GET /v1/permits/{permit_number}   # Get a single permit by number

Permit Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
permit_number	string	Unique permit identifier
type	string	Permit type (Residential, Commercial, etc.)
status	string	Current status
address	string	Property address
description	string	Work description
valuation	number	Estimated project value in USD
issued_date	string	Date permit was issued (ISO 8601)
applicant	string	Applicant name

Inspections

Access inspection records linked to permits.

Inspections Endpoints

GET /v1/inspections/search
  ?permit_number=BLD-2024-00142   # Filter by permit
  &address=123 Main St            # Filter by address
  &result=pass                    # Filter by result (pass, fail, partial)
  &date_from=2024-01-01           # After this date
  &page=1

GET /v1/inspections/{id}          # Get a single inspection

Violations

Look up code enforcement violations.

Violations Endpoints

GET /v1/violations/search
  ?address=123 Main St            # Filter by address
  &case_number=CE-2024-001        # Filter by case number
  &status=open                    # Filter by status (open, closed, resolved)
  &page=1

GET /v1/violations/{case_number}  # Get a single violation

Contractors

Search licensed contractors.

Contractors Endpoints

GET /v1/contractors/search
  ?name=Smith                     # Search by name (partial match)
  &license_number=CCB-12345       # Filter by license number
  &trade=plumbing                 # Filter by trade type
  &status=active                  # Filter by license status
  &page=1

GET /v1/contractors/{license_number}  # Get a single contractor

Response Format

All successful responses follow a consistent format with a data wrapper:

Success Response (List)

{
  "data": [
    {
      "permit_number": "BLD-2024-00142",
      "type": "Residential",
      "status": "Issued",
      "address": "123 Main St",
      ...
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "page": 1,
    "per_page": 25,
    "total": 142
  }
}

Errors return a detail field:

Error Response

{
  "detail": "Invalid API key"
}

Rate Limits

Rate limits are enforced per API key. The limits depend on your plan:

Plan	Monthly Limit	Rate Limit
Free	100 requests	5 req/min
Basic	2,500 requests	30 req/min
Pro	25,000 requests	120 req/min
Enterprise	250,000 requests	500 req/min

When you exceed your rate limit, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests response with a Retry-After header.

Error Codes

Code	Meaning
400	Bad request -- invalid parameters
401	Unauthorized -- missing or invalid API key
403	Forbidden -- insufficient permissions
404	Not found -- resource does not exist
429	Too many requests -- rate limit exceeded
500	Internal server error