How Do I Apply for a Street Trees - Plant/Prune/Remove (Not Development) Permit?

Instructions for Applying for a Street Trees - Plant/Prune/Remove (Not Development) Permit

Follow these step-by-step instructions to apply for a Street Trees - Plant/Prune/Remove (Not Development) permit using the Seattle Services Portal. This process helps ensure that your application for planting, pruning, or removing trees impacts to the public meets Street Use's requirements for work in the ROW. 

What You'll Need to Start Your Application

Before you start, gather these documents. Most are available on the Street Use Permitting Checklists, Forms, and Templates page.

• Letter of Authorization: A signed document from the property owner giving you permission to manage the permit if the Applicant or Financially Responsible Party is someone different than the Owner.
• Other Documents: Any additional documents specific to your project. A reviewer will notify you if additional materials are needed.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Log in or Register

1. Go to the Seattle Services Portal.
2. Log in:
   • If you already have an account, log in with your credentials.
   • If you don’t have an account, register for a new account before proceeding.

Step 2: Start the Application

1. Click on the Home tab in the portal.
2. Under Create New, select Permits – Street Use.
3. Expand the Trees and Vegetation section by clicking on it.
4. Click Street Trees - Plant/Prune/Remove (Not Development).

Step 3: Provide Project Location

1. On the Location Information page, enter the address of your project. For best results, only enter the Street No. and Street Name when searching.
   • Street No. (required): Enter the house or building number.
   • Street Name (required): Enter the name of the road. When entering a Street Name for a numbered street, such as 5th Ave, only enter "5" in the Street Name field.
2. Click Search. If prompted, select the correct address or parcel number and click Select.
3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 4: Provide Contact Information

On the Contacts page, provide contact details for:

• Applicant: The individual who is filling out this application.
• Owner: Who owns the property, business, or asset.
• Financially Responsible Party (FRP): Who is paying for the permit. (Tree permits are free, but non-urban forestry reviews, when needed, incur a fee.)
• Onsite Contact: The individual who is available if we need to speak with somebody onsite.
• Optionally, add additional contacts like an Authorized Agent in the Additional Contacts section.

1. To add a contact:

   • Click Myself to auto-populate the contact information from your Seattle Services Portal user account. 
   • Click Someone Else to find an existing contact. If the person or organization isn’t found, click the “Person or organization not listed? Add them here." link.

   Note: If the Applicant or Financially Responsible Party is different from the Owner, a Letter of Authorization will be required later.

2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 5: Provide Project Information

1. On the Project Information page, complete the following fields:
   • Project Name: Enter a brief title for the project (for example, “Tree Planting for New Townhomes”). This name appears on your invoice if you are billed.
   • Project and Location Description (required): Describe the work to be carried out, including the address and nearby landmarks, for example:
     Existing house (and/or) two new townhomes. Plant groundcover and 2 Japanese Dogwood Trees (3” CAL) in the planting strip on the S side of NW 73rd St between 20th Ave NW and 21st Ave NW (for green factor and street trees requirement). The sidewalk will remain open.
     Or 
     Pruning 4 street trees on 4^th Ave frontage for street and sidewalk clearance plus removal of dead wood.
2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 6: Provide Related Information

1. On the Related Information page:
   • Optionally, fill in any of the relevant information.
   • Optionally, enter a Customer Reference. There are two fields you may use for your reference. Both fields appear on your invoice if you are billed.
2. Skip the Permit Priority section.
3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 7: Provide Use Details

1. On the Use Information page, follow these steps:
   1. Click Add a Row under the Use Details section.
   2. Complete the following fields in the pop-up window. Required fields are marked with a red asterisk. Click on a blue circle with a question mark for help.
      • Use (required): Keep the default value of "Tree – Plant, Prune or Remove."
      • Use Code: Auto-populates based on the Use selected.
      • Street Category: Select the type of street where the work will occur.
      • Side of Street: Specify the side of the street where work will occur.
      • Use Area (sq. ft.) (required): Keep the default value of "500" square feet or enter a custom value if you need more space.
      • Mobility Type: Select the mobility type that may be impacted by your proposed tree work.
      • Closure Type (required): Select the closure type needed for your proposed tree work. Most work can be completed with intermittent or no closures.
      • Use Start Date (required): Enter the estimated start date. Removals require a 14 day public notice posting.
      • Duration Day(s) (required): Enter the length of time for the work.
      • Exp Date: Auto-populates based on Start Date and Duration.
   3. Click Submit.
   4. Repeat steps for each area of work.
2. Next, under the Tree Action Details section:
   1. Click Add a Row to describe individual trees impacted by the work.
   2. In the Tree Action Details for each species and action combination (e.g. Prune Western Red Cedar, Plant Japanese Dogwood, etc.):
      • Action: Select the action from the dropdown.
      • Count: Enter number of affected trees (same species and size).
      • Species: Specify the tree species. Enter a separate row for each tree species.
      • Tree Size: Enter the tree's size in inches (Diameter Breadth Height (DBH) or Caliper (CAL)) Enter a separate row for each tree size.
      • Reason/Description of Work: Enter the reason the work is being proposed and provide more information about the proposed work.
   3. Click Submit.
   4. Repeat steps for each tree species, size, or action.
3. When all rows have been added, click Continue to proceed.

Step 8: Provide Tree Service Provider Information

The Tree Service Provider Information page displays only if you will be pruning or removing trees.

Note: If you want to hire someone to prune or remove street trees, they must be a licensed tree service provider (TSP), and you must include their license number when you apply.

1. Provide the tree service provider details:
   • Tree Service Provider Name: Enter the name of the licensed tree service provider, or if you will be doing the work use "SELF."
   • Tree Service Provider Registration Number: Enter the tree service provider's license number with a format of LIC-TSP-12345. If you will be doing the work, leave this field blank.

2. Click Continue to proceed.

   Note: An error message will display if the TSP number is entered with an incorrect format or if the TSP does not have an active SDOT status in the registry.

Step 9: Attach Required Documents

1. On the Documents page, if you have a document to upload:
   1. Click Select under the Upload Document(s) section.
   2. Select your document:
      1. Click Select in the File Upload popup.
      2. Select your document and click Open.
      3. Click Done in the File Upload popup.
   3. Select your document type:
      1. In the Document Type dropdown, select the document type that matches the document you uploaded. For example, select "Right of Way Impact Plan" as your document type when uploading the matching document.
      2. Optionally, enter the Description of the document.
   4. Click Save and wait for the upload to complete. Note: It may take a few minutes for your document to fully upload.
   5. Repeat steps for each additional document required. When prompted, select the document type that matches the document you are uploading.
2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 10: Review and Submit

1. On the Review page:
   • Verify that all information is correct.
   • Make edits as needed by clicking Edit in the relevant sections.
2. Scroll to the bottom. Agree to the certification statement by checking the box.
3. Click Continue to submit.

Step 11: Confirmation Displays

A Thank You page displays along with your application's Record Number.

• Your record number has a format of SDOTTREE0000000.
• Keep this number for future reference.

A Proof of Completion requirement will be added to planting and removal applications prior to permit issuance. Once you have completed all work on the project, upload pictures of the completed work to satisfy the Proof of Completion requirement. The orange banner remains visible on the permit until this requirement is met. Refer to How Do I Provide Proof of Completion for my SDOT Tree permit.

Congratulations! Your application has been submitted for review. The Street Use team will contact you if additional information is required. For questions or updates, email [e-mail] and include your Record Number in the subject line.

Need Help?

Reach out to [e-mail] for assistance.