Table of Contents

Charlottesville, Virginia — Regulatory Process Guide

This wiki documents civic processes for residents, property owners, and businesses operating in the City of Charlottesville, Virginia. Each section maps a workflow from the Charlottesville City Code of Ordinances as an interactive BPMN process diagram. Use this as a starting point to understand what steps are required, which city departments are involved, and where to find official forms.

Primary contact: Neighborhood Development Services (NDS), City Hall, 605 E Main St · (434) 970-3182


Process Directory

This guide is organized as one page per civic process. Each process page follows the same format: governing city code chapter, key official links, and an interactive BPMN process diagram. Select a process below.

I. Business & Licensing

II. Building & Construction

III. Zoning & Land Use

IV. Signs

V. Historic Preservation

VI. Environmental & Utilities

VII. Special Activities & Public Space

VIII. Transportation

IX. Taxation

X. Animals & Noise

Quick Reference: City Departments

Department Primary Responsibilities Contact
Neighborhood Development Services (NDS) Zoning, building permits, BAR, sign permits, subdivisions (434) 970-3182
Commissioner of Revenue Business licenses, BPOL tax, vehicle decals (434) 970-3170
City Treasurer Tax payments, real estate, personal property (434) 970-3146
Public Works ROW permits, streets, stormwater (434) 970-3800
City Utilities Water/sewer connections and permits (434) 970-3500
City Market Vendor licensing (434) 970-3371


XI. FOIA — Freedom of Information Act

Virginia FOIA governs public access to government records and open meetings. See the dedicated deep-dive page for complete process flows, SpiffWorkflow implementation guidance, role mapping, and legal reference.

FOIA Deep-Dive: Records Requests, Open Meetings, Enforcement & SpiffWorkflow Implementation

Key processes covered:

Charlottesville FOIA Contact: City Attorney's Office · 434-970-3131 · Submit a Request Online


Full Code of Ordinances

Browse the complete Charlottesville Code of Ordinances on Municode. The code is organized into 34 chapters covering all areas of city regulation. The most recent supplement is Supplement 63 (updated February 2026).