The new PermitSF portal allows “homeowners and business owners to obtain the permits they need more easily and faster than ever, beginning initially with five permit types,” according to a statement from the city.
That means people seeking those permits will not have to visit San Francisco’s permit center in person. The portal also accepts online payments.
The launch caps a year of development work for the portal and comes as the city works to revise its overall permitting process via new laws and other reforms.
“With the launch of the PermitSF portal, we’re giving homeowners, small-business owners and event organizers a faster, more straightforward way to get the permits they need online, with fewer delays and more certainty,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie in the statement. “In a city known for innovation, interacting with City Hall should feel just as modern, and PermitSF is an important step toward a fully digital permitting system and more responsive government.”
Permits available on the portal include approvals for the replacement of doors, windows or siding, and for fire alarms and sprinklers. People putting on special events can also use the portal to begin the approval process — the city intends to unify special event permitting, which now requires approval from no less than four departments, according to the statement.
“This new process is a game-changer,” said Ryan Filibert, California Fire Detection lead engineer, in the statement. “I used to have to send my staff to the Permit Center to simply hold our place in line for permit review. Now, we can get back that time and save our business and our customers money.”
OpenGov worked with the city to build the online portal.
Permitting is helping to drive a significant amount of government technology business, as shown by recent deals. The public sector also is turning to artificial intelligence to improve the permitting process.
