What does “Ready to Issue” mean on a building permit?

Your plans are fully approved and the permit is ready to be issued — the only thing standing between you and an active permit is paying the final fees. At LADBS, 'Ready to Issue (RTI)' means you pay final issuance fees and obtain the inspector's card. On Accela portals (San Diego, San Bernardino) 'Ready to Issue' means plans are approved and you pay remaining fees to get the permit. Note: on these Accela portals 'Ready to Issue' is still classified as a pending phase because the permit has not been formally issued yet.

What should you do when a permit shows “Ready to Issue”?

Log in, pay the remaining issuance fees, and collect your permit and inspector's card (job card). Once issued you can legally start construction. Do not begin work before the status reaches 'Issued' — starting early can trigger penalty fees equal to the cost of the permit in some jurisdictions.