The county government primarily handles unincorporated areas, while incorporated cities like Oklahoma City, Edmond, and Norman maintain their own building departments and zoning authority. Permits for residential and commercial construction are routed through the specific municipality where the property is located. Unincorporated areas are subject to county-level zoning and floodplain management regulations.
How this fits with the state
The state authority here is Oklahoma Construction Industries Board; local building departments. The county file does not replace that — it adds the permit office, local overlays, and the actual filing path.