Effective July 1, 2026

Permit Applications and Plans to be Submitted Online

Accela Citizens Access (ACA)

The City of Downey Building & Safety Division is excited to announce the expansion of our electronic plan submittal portal, Accela Citizens Access (ACA), effective July 1, 2026. This system will continue to be implemented in phases to help facilitate a smooth transition for our customers. We no longer accept paper plans for submission. Please note, all plan submissions will be required to be processed through our online portal. We will continue to work towards improving the customer experience and we are confident that these changes will offer greater convenience, efficiency and overall satisfaction for our customers. 

Electronic Plan Check Submittal Process and Information

• City of Downey's Accela Citizen Access (ACA) link is used to submit for electronic plan check.
• How to Register for Citizen Access Account. This handout shows the process of registering for Accela Citizen Access. You must be registered to submit for plan check.
• Electronic Building Plan Check Submittal requirements. This handout shows the requirements for submitting for electronic plan check. The handout covers formatting, scale, orientation and resubmittal requirements.
• Electronic Building Plan Common Errors.
• SolarAPP+ Automated residential solar plan review. 

Electronic Plan Check Tutorial Videos

• Account Registration Tutorial
• Log-in Tutorial
• Creating an Application Tutorial
• Request an Inspection Tutorial
• SolarApp+ Information & Tutorials
• Upload Plans and Finalize Submission
• Issues and Conditions
• Submit Revised Plans
• Download Approved Plans
• Revisions to Approved Plans
• Plan Review Issues Report