How Individual Permits are Created and Tracked

Each permit in the Shovels database receives a unique permit ID that remains persistent throughout its entire lifecycle. As updates are made to the permit - such as status changes, valuation adjustments, or contractor assignments - we update the data while maintaining the same permit ID. This approach ensures a continuous record of the permit's progression without creating duplicate entries. The permit lifecycle typically flows through several stages: filing (status: in_review), approval (status: active), and completion (status: final). If a permit is abandoned or revoked, its status changes to inactive. For each status change, we update the corresponding date fields (file_date, issued_date, final_date) while maintaining the same unique identifier. This consistency allows users to track a permit's complete history without having to piece together fragments across multiple records. Our deduplication process ensures that even when jurisdictions report the same permit multiple times with different statuses, Shovels presents a single, up-to-date record with the most current information.