Accela API

Name: Accela API API
Brand: Accela API
Availability: InStock

★ Only Publicly Available SpecProductivityCollaborationoauth230 EndpointsREST

For Agents

Manage Accela civic records, inspections, addresses, parcels, and documents through a streamlined 30-endpoint surface so agents can automate permit lookups and inspection scheduling.

Quickstart

Get started with Accela API in minutes using your preferred integration method.

# Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf)
{
  "jentic": {
    "url": "https://api.jentic.com/mcp",
    "auth": "oauth"
  }
}

# Then ask your agent:
"look up a permit by address"

# → Jentic returns the GET /events tool with parameter schema, agent executes.

Capabilities

What an agent can do with Accela API API.

Search and retrieve agency records (permits, licenses, applications) with id and filter queries

Create new records and update existing record fields via PUT /v4/records/{id}

Schedule inspections on a record and update results once they are complete

Look up addresses and parcels to populate or filter records

GET STARTED

Start building with Accela API API

Explore with Jentic

View OpenAPI Spec

Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for Accela API, keeping it validated and agent-ready.

The Accela API is a focused 30-endpoint cut of the Accela Civic Platform surface, covering the most common operations for managing records, inspections, addresses, contacts, parcels, documents, and professionals. It targets civic engagement applications — permitting portals, contractor tools, and inspection apps — where developers need core CRUD on records and inspections without the full breadth of the platform API. Authentication is OAuth 2.0 against auth.accela.com and requests are scoped to an agency via the X-Accela-Agency header.

Use Cases

Patterns agents use Accela API API for, with concrete tasks.

★ Citizen-Facing Permit Status Lookup

A municipal portal lets citizens check the status of permits and licenses on their property using GET /v4/records and GET /v4/addresses. The portal forwards the citizen's address to Accela, retrieves matching records, and displays current status, fee balance, and next inspection date. This reduces inbound phone calls to the permit office and gives applicants real-time visibility.

Search GET /v4/records using an address filter and return the most recent permit's status, balance, and next scheduled inspection

Contractor Permit Submission and Tracking

A contractor management tool calls POST /v4/records to submit new permit applications on behalf of licensed contractors, then polls GET /v4/records/{id} for status changes. The tool also uses /v4/inspections to request inspections as work progresses. Contractors get a single dashboard across multiple agencies that all run Accela.

Call POST /v4/records to create a new electrical permit, then schedule a rough-in inspection via POST /v4/inspections

Inspection Field App with Result Capture

Field inspectors use a mobile app that loads the day's inspections, captures result codes and notes, and updates them via PUT on the inspection record. The app also attaches photos to the record using the documents endpoints. Compared to paper-based workflows, agencies see same-day case updates and a complete digital audit trail.

Update inspection id 12345 with result code 'Passed', add notes, and attach a verification photo to the parent record

Agent-Driven Permit Operations via Jentic

An AI assistant inside an agency's helpdesk uses the Accela API through Jentic to handle constituent calls — looking up record status, finding the next inspection slot, or creating a service request record. The agent searches Jentic for the right operation, the OAuth flow is brokered, and credentials never enter the agent's context window.

Through Jentic, search 'find all open permits at an address', load GET /v4/records, and return open records ordered by date

Key Endpoints

30 endpoints — the accela api is a focused 30-endpoint cut of the accela civic platform surface, covering the most common operations for managing records, inspections, addresses, contacts, parcels, documents, and professionals.

METHOD

PATH

DESCRIPTION

GET

/v4/records

Search records with filters

POST

/v4/records

Create a new record

GET

/v4/records/{id}

Retrieve a specific record

PUT

/v4/records/{id}

Update a record

GET

/v4/addresses

Search addresses

GET

/v4/addresses/{id}

Retrieve a specific address

POST

/oauth2/token

Obtain an OAuth access token

GET

/v4/records

Search records with filters

POST

/v4/records

Create a new record

GET

/v4/records/{id}

Retrieve a specific record

PUT

/v4/records/{id}

Update a record

GET

/v4/addresses

Search addresses

GET

Why though Jentic?

Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.

Credential isolation

Accela OAuth client credentials and agency scopes are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault. Jentic brokers the OAuth flow and injects access tokens, so raw secrets stay out of agent context.

Intent-based discovery

Agents search by intent — for example, 'create a new permit record' — and Jentic returns POST /v4/records with the input schema, including the X-Accela-Agency header field.

Time to first call

Direct integration: 2-5 days for OAuth, agency header plumbing, and error retries. Through Jentic: under 1 hour for the first working record call.

Related APIs

Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.

Alternative

Accela Civic Platform API

The full 86-endpoint Accela platform API including workflows, payments, and agency settings.

Choose the full Civic Platform API when you need workflows, payment records, professionals search, or agency reference data. Choose this main API for a leaner surface.

Complementary

Data.gov API

Federal open data catalog for cross-jurisdiction reference data alongside agency-specific Accela records.

Use Data.gov for non-agency data such as census or environmental layers. Use Accela for the agency's own case records.

Complementary

Stripe API

Process card payments for civic fees and post the result back into Accela record fees.

Use Stripe to capture the payment, then call Accela to mark the fee on the record as paid.

FAQs

Specific to using Accela API API through Jentic.

What authentication does the Accela API use?

OAuth 2.0 with authorization at GET /oauth2/authorize and token exchange at POST /oauth2/token. Each call also requires an X-Accela-Agency header to scope to the relevant agency. Through Jentic, OAuth client credentials are stored encrypted and tokens are injected at execution time.

Can I create new permit records with the Accela API?

Yes. POST /v4/records creates a new record of a configured record type, and PUT /v4/records/{id} updates fields on an existing record. The set of allowed record types is determined per agency, so look up the available types in the agency's Accela environment first.

What are the rate limits for the Accela API?

The OpenAPI spec does not document explicit rate limits. Accela enforces per-agency limits configured in the production and sandbox environments and documented in the agency's developer portal. Implement exponential backoff on HTTP 429 responses.

How is this Accela API different from the Accela Civic Platform API?

This Accela API is a 30-endpoint subset focused on the most common record, inspection, address, contact, and parcel operations. The Accela Civic Platform API is the full 86-endpoint surface that adds workflow, payment record detail, agency settings, and broader search. Pick this one when a smaller agent tool surface is preferable.

How do I create a permit through Jentic?

Run pip install jentic and search 'create a new permit record for an applicant'. Jentic returns POST /v4/records, you load the schema, supply the agency and applicant fields, and execute. The OAuth handshake and X-Accela-Agency header are handled by the Jentic execution layer.

Does the Accela API support webhook notifications?

The current OpenAPI surface focuses on synchronous record and inspection operations and does not expose webhook subscription endpoints. To detect record changes, poll GET /v4/records with a last-updated filter, or use Accela's separate event subscription channels in their portal.