This article describes how to submit an application for the following permit types:
- Block Party - refer to How Do I Submit an Application for a Block Party or Play Street Permit
- Council Term
- Gardening in Planting Strip
- Private Structures/Use, such as signage and sidewalk café
- Seasonal Business Use
- Shoreline Street End
- Street Vacation
- Temporary Activation, such as a farmer's market
- Vending
- Waterway
Not sure what kind of SDOT permit you need? Refer to the SDOT web site for more information.
To submit an online application, follow these general steps. The specific information required varies based on the permit you need, but the process steps are the same:
- Login to the Seattle Services Portal.
IMPORTANT: if you do not yet have a Seattle Services Portal Account, you must register before proceeding. The contact information you provide during registration must match the contact information we have on record for your application.
- Click the Home tab.
- Under Create New, click Permits – Street Use.
- Records are grouped by type of permit. Click the triangle symbol next to each group to expand (or collapse) the list. If you are not sure what kind of permit you need, descriptions of each permit are provided. Not all Street Use permits are available online. If you do not see your record type, please go to the Street Use web site for further details.
- Select your record type. (In this example, we select Private Structures/Uses under Long Term Use).
- Click Continue Application to start the Application process.
- In Step 1, Location Information, enter the address for the project, if required. For best results, only enter the Street No. and Street Name when searching for the address. When entering a Street Name for a numbered street, such as 5th Ave, only enter "5" in the Street Name field.
- Click Search. The remaining address fields are auto-filled if there is a match. If there are multiple matching addresses, you are prompted to select the correct address. In the rare case where you are asked to select a parcel, select any parcel in the list.
- Click Continue Application to proceed to Step 2.
- In Step 2, Contacts, your application requires four contacts:
- The Applicant - who is applying
- The Owner - who owns the property, business, or asset. For Street Vacation permits, use the project owner.
- The Financially Responsible Party - who is paying for the permit
- The Onsite Contact - who is available if we need to speak with somebody onsite
- To add the Applicant contact information, click Select from Account to auto-populate the contact information from your Accela user account. If the Applicant is someone else, click Look Up to find an existing contact or click Add New to create a new Contact.
- Scroll down to provide information about the remaining three required contacts. To copy details from a contact you have already added to your application, select the appropriate same as option. Or you can use Select from Account, Add New, or Look Up.
- To optionally add additional contacts, such as an Authorized Agent, scroll down to the Additional Contacts section.
- Use Select from Account, Add New, or Look Up to add the additional contact information.
- Click Continue Application.
- In Step 3, Project Information, provide the Project Name. This field is for your reference.
- For the Project Description, enter a detailed description. The screen displays some guidance about the kind of information to provide.
- Click Continue Application to proceed to Step 4.
- In Step 4, Related Information, optionally use this section to tell us about what else is related to your application, such as an SDCI permit, other SDOT permit, or enforcement action.
- Optionally, enter Customer Reference. This is for your reference.
- Scroll down and click Continue Application to proceed to Step 5.
- In Step 5, Use Information, scroll down and click Add a Row.
- A pop-up window prompts you to provide Use information.
- Select the Use Code Description from the drop-down menu. The Use Code is automatically populated based on the use code description selected.
- Fill in the rest of the fields, such as Side of Street and other right-of-way impact information. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Click on a blue circle with a question mark for help.
- Click Submit.
- The pop-up form closes and you are returned to the Use Details section. The use information you just added is visible. To add another Use, click Add a Row.
- The same pop-up is displayed. Enter the required information.
- Once all the uses are added, click Continue Application to proceed to Step 6.
- In Step 6, Attachments, if your application requires documents, the screen displays the list of required documents. Documents vary by record type and use. Some documents are required at application, and some can be provided later during the review process.
- To attach a document(s), click Select.
- On the File Upload pop-up, click Select.
- Browse your computer and select the correct document, just like you browse to find a document to attach to an email. Click Open to upload your file.
- To attach more documents, repeat steps 32-33. Once all documents are selected, click Done.
- When you attach your document, select a Document Type. Make sure to select the document type that matches your required document, otherwise the system does not know you have provided the requested document. For example, select Site Plan as your Document Type when uploading the matching document. Then click Save to attach the document(s) to the application.
- The document(s) you just saved are displayed. Click Continue Application to progress to Step 7. If you see a red Attention message, that means you either have not selected the correct Document Type and/or have missed a required document. If a document is missing, go back to step 31 and upload the missing document. If you selected the wrong Document Type on a document that you have already saved, upload the document again and pick the Document Type that matches the Condition in the Attention message. You may also add a description explaining that you are uploading the document a second time with the correct Document Type. When you see a message with a green checkmark, click Continue Application again to progress to Step 7.
- In Step 7, Review, a summary page is displayed. Review your application information. Click the Edit button to go back and make updates.
- Once reviewed, check the box to agree to the listed terms and conditions.
- Click Continue Application to submit your application.
- A message is displayed confirming that your application is submitted. Plus, an e-mail is sent to the four required contacts on the application. Make note of your Record Number.
- You can log into the Seattle Services Portal at any time to view the status of your application.