What services can I find on SF.gov?

Updated

SF.gov is the official website of the City and County of San Francisco, and it groups city services into a handful of broad categories: jobs, marriage and partnerships, visiting City Hall, permitting, business, housing, and government information. You can use it to find a service, look up an elected official, or locate a meeting or event. The site is organized around these categories rather than a single search box, so knowing which category fits your task is the fastest way to get where you need to go.

Services listed on the homepage

The homepage presents services in two main ways: a short set of quick links and a set of topic cards.

Quick links

  • Search for jobs
  • Marriage and partnerships
  • Visit City Hall
  • Information for City staff
  • Find a meeting or event

Topic cards

Category What it covers
Permitting Help keep buildings safe and neighborhoods livable
Business Starting, owning, and closing a business
Housing Renting affordable housing, buying a home with City help, and Rent Board resources for tenants and landlords
Government Voting, volunteering, public records, and contacting elected officials

Finding the right service for your situation

  • Looking for work or city employment: use the "Search for jobs" link.
  • Planning a wedding or registering a partnership: start with "Marriage and partnerships."
  • Planning a visit or needing in-person help: check "Visit City Hall."
  • Doing construction, renovation, or neighborhood work: go to the Permitting category.
  • Opening, running, or closing a business: go to the Business category.
  • Looking for a place to live or dealing with a landlord/tenant issue: go to the Housing category, which includes affordable rentals, City homebuying help, and Rent Board resources.
  • Wanting to vote, volunteer, request public records, or contact officials: go to the Government category.

Elected officials and government contacts

If your task is to reach a specific office rather than a service, SF.gov lists current elected officials:

  • Mayor: Daniel Lurie, the 46th Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco
  • Board of Supervisors: meets regularly to establish policy and adopt legislation; the page lists the Board President and supervisors by district (Districts 1–11)
  • Elected officers: Public Defender, District Attorney, Sheriff, Treasurer, Assessor-Recorder, and City Attorney

This section is useful when you need to know who represents a district or which office handles a function before you submit a request or comment.

How to use the site effectively

  1. Decide whether your task is a service (permit, housing, business) or a contact (an official or department).
  2. If it's a service, pick the matching topic card above and follow it to the specific page.
  3. If it's a contact, use the elected officials list to identify the right office or district.
  4. For time-sensitive items, check "Find a meeting or event" — the homepage also surfaces citywide events, such as San Francisco Fleet Week events happening Oct 4 to 12.

A common snag: the homepage shows category names, not every individual service, so a specific task like "apply for a permit" or "find Rent Board help" requires one more click into the relevant category. If you already know the department name, going straight to that category is faster than browsing the homepage.