Permitting and Licensing

The state has a reputation for high housing costs and bureaucracy in front of developers. But city planners hope a new online tool could help make it easier for residents to build smaller shelters.

The system issues began roughly three weeks ago and are believed to be related to online traffic. Officials will work weekends to implement possible solutions, and are reviewing options for a larger upgrade.

Backed by private equity and based in the Midwest, gWorks sells billing, permitting and other tools to local governments, utilities and special districts. BBI, meanwhile, has more than 300 clients in Mississippi and Louisiana.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles announced availability of the digital driver’s license, learner permit or ID in June 2024. It is accepted at a growing number of businesses and airports in New York and nationally.

Nearly two dozen cities have been awarded the What Works Cities Certification, which recognizes localities for data usage to inform policy and funding, engage residents, evaluate programs and improve services.

State legislators have introduced a bill that would activate mobile or digital driver’s licenses, and ID cards. The benefits, a sponsoring state senator said, include streamlining identification and age verification.

Local governments use BS&A software for budgeting, taxes, licensing and other activities. Boyce, strong in Indiana, sells similar services to cities, schools and utilities. The deal follows a big investment in BS&A.

New Mexico’s most populous city went live late last month with a new way to submit planning requests. Users can now make permit and construction project applications, payments and register businesses online.

MyGov serves some 150 clients and gives Tyler a way to boost its product offerings to local governments. The move comes as public administration stands as one of the main gov tech opportunities for 2025.

After legislation took effect Jan. 1, the Secretary of State’s Office will work with the technology company to let users add their driver’s license or state ID to the Wallet. A sign-up page for interested Illinoisans has been set up.

The permitting and licensing company, based in Canada, bought Camino last year. Now it’s rebranding the company’s permitting and development guide offerings following significant fundraising by Clariti.

The $63 million upgrade began in 2021 and will replace 50 separate computer systems dating to the 1980s. Offices will be closed Nov. 8, giving officials a four-day weekend with the planned Nov. 11 Veterans Day closure to install and test new software and components.

A new executive order adds teeth to the state’s permit transparency and streamlining work. It instructs agencies to do more to simplify the user experience on their platform, and bring more approval processes on board.

A new mobile and online licensing and permit system is in the works, with a target date of March 2025. Hunters, skiers and others will be able to store licenses on their phones, and register a harvest without tagging an animal.

The company, which serves local governments, has bought software and a consulting service from ePRepSolutions. Among the main reasons is to help public agencies recover costs for parks and recreational facilities.

The Riverside Co.’s acquisition reflects a belief these types of software will continue a growth spurt, fueled in part by governments adopting better tools. Cloudpermit says it has worked with more than 850 agencies.

The process, which takes about three seconds, debuted this week for people visiting other countries via Denver International Airport. The new U.S. Customs and Border Protection system compares images to those already on file.

Pinole, Calif., in the Bay Area, is using digital technology from eTRAKiT and Symbium to make permitting and approval faster and easier on home improvement jobs and rooftop solar installations.