How to apply for the Permiso Único (single business permit) in Puerto Rico

The Permiso Único is a document that consolidates into a single application and a single certificate the permits and endorsements that used to be requested separately at different agencies. Instead of going to the Fire Department for one endorsement, Health for another and the permits office for the use permit, the application enters through one portal and the agencies with jurisdiction review their part within that same file. The permit is tied to the location and the specific use you declared: it does not move with you and it does not cover an activity different from the one you applied for. The system is administered by the Permits Management Office (OGPe), part of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce, together with the concerned agencies, and filings go in through the Single Business Portal (SBP).

It applies to businesses that will operate from a location in Puerto Rico. What you need depends on the use you will give the space, not on the size of the business: the same location can require different endorsements depending on whether food is handled, the public is served, merchandise is stored or machinery is operated there. Before applying you must confirm that the use you want is allowed at that location under the land-use classification; that is the filter that decides whether the process is viable at all. Watch the use type, too: OGPe distinguishes non-residential use, which is what requires a Permiso Único, from residential use, which goes through a Permiso de Uso Residencial (PUS). If you are going to build or remodel, that is not something you file yourself: OGPe refers you to a licensed architect or engineer to obtain a construction permit.

• An identified location, with its physical address and cadastral number.
• Confirmation that the use you are requesting is allowed at that location. OGPe states this is checked with the cadastral number in the Planning Board viewer, https://gis.jp.pr.gov/mipr/, and it is the first step on its own list.Verified against the official source
• That the location’s use be non-residential: OGPe states that non-residential use — commercial, industrial, institutional or other uses unrelated to housing people — is what requires a Permiso Único, while residential use goes through a Permiso de Uso Residencial (PUS).Verified against the official source
• A user account in the SBP (Single Business Portal) and, inside the SBP, a project profile: OGPe lists both as separate steps before filing the Permiso Único.Verified against the official source
• Reviewing the licenses that apply to your business: OGPe states that non-residential use requires a Permiso Único and that, depending on the type of business, it also requires special licenses.Verified against the official source
• A precise description of the activity to be carried out at the location, since that determines which endorsements you will be required to obtain.
• The business information: name, legal structure, and details of the person authorized to handle the permit.
• When the project requires it, plans or technical documents signed by a professional licensed in Puerto Rico.

• Proof of ownership or a lease agreement for the location.
• Current photo identification of the person filing.
• Proof of the entity’s registration with the Department of State, if the business operates as an LLC or a corporation.
• Merchant registration certificate (Registro de Comerciante) issued by Hacienda, when it applies to your activity.
• Plans, floor sketches or technical documents required by the agency for the requested use.

1. 1

   Step 1: Confirm the use is allowed at that location

   Before signing a lease or investing in a build-out, verify that the activity you want to run is allowed at that location under the land-use classification. This is the step that saves the most money and the one most people skip: a beautiful location with a use that is not permitted cannot be fixed with paperwork, and the permit will be denied on that ground.

2. 2

   Step 2: Follow the sequence OGPe publishes

   For a new business in an existing location that needs no construction, OGPe lists six steps in this order: using the cadastral number, check at https://gis.jp.pr.gov/mipr/ whether the use is permitted; review the requirements list; review the licenses that apply to your business; create an SBP user; inside the SBP create a project profile; and file the Permiso Único there. The middle steps are easy to skip — especially the project profile, which most people do not expect — and without them the application never opens.

3. 3

   Step 3: Identify which endorsements you will be required to obtain

   Endorsements depend on the activity. A business that handles food, one that receives the public in an enclosed space, and one that only stores merchandise do not need the same things. Describe your operation precisely from the start: if you declare one activity and then carry out another, the permit does not cover you and the file has to be redone.

4. 4

   Step 4: Get the location ready before the inspection

   Several endorsements involve a physical inspection. Clear emergency exits, current fire extinguishers, signage, and electrical and plumbing installations in working order are what gets checked and what most often sends files back. Handling them before the inspector arrives is cheaper than paying for a second visit.

5. 5

   Step 5: File in the portal and respond quickly to any requests

   Create your account, complete the application and upload the documents. After filing, check the file often: when an agency requests an extra document or a correction, the clock keeps running and the file sits still until you answer. Long delays are almost always unanswered requests rather than slow agencies.

6. 6

   Step 6: Receive the permit, display it, and note when it must be renewed

   Once approved, the permit becomes available in the portal. Display it at the business as the agency requires and keep a digital copy. The Permiso Único is not permanent: it has a validity period and must be renewed, and it must also be updated if you change location, ownership or activity. Confirm in the portal the validity period that applies to your permit.

Online, in the Single Business Portal (SBP), which OGPe describes as the digital platform where individuals and companies in Puerto Rico file permits, licenses, inspections, certifications, consultations and authorizations, construction included. OGPe belongs to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce. For questions before filing, the portal publishes the phone numbers 787-765-2900 and 787-758-4747.

• Signing the lease and building out before confirming the use is allowed at that location.
• Creating the SBP user and going straight for the application, without first creating the project profile OGPe lists as a separate step.
• Describing the activity vaguely or incompletely, and ending up with a permit that does not cover what you actually do.
• Leaving a document request unanswered and assuming the file is still moving forward.
• Treating the permit as permanent and neglecting its renewal, or failing to update it after a change of location, owner or activity.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Oficina de Gerencia de Permisos (OGPe)

  OGPe

  www.permisos.pr.gov

• About the Single Business Portal

  OGPe

  www.permisos.pr.gov

• MIPR viewer — land-use lookup by cadastral number

  Junta de Planificación

  gis.jp.pr.gov

• Permit information sources and regulations

  OGPe

  www.permisos.pr.gov