Portal Improvements and Updates

August 11, 2022

The Home Page Got a Refresh

The Seattle Services Portal home page got a refresh. All of the existing functionality is available, but in a new layout.

The updates include:

• Short descriptions and images for each category to help you choose the right starting point for new permits and requests.
• A clear distinction between finding a record and creating a new application or request in the portal.
• A link to the Application Index page that lists all the permit, license, or requests you can make in one filterable list.
• Additional language to help first-time users navigate the portal.
• Accessibility enhancements for people with disabilities.
• The removal of confusing Scheduling content previously on the page.

New home page:

July 1, 2022

New Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) Application.

The new Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) ordinance goes into effect today and you can now submit an application for relocation assistance on the Seattle Services Portal. This new program allows income-qualifying tenants that have received a 10% or more rent increase the chance to apply for money to help move. To apply on the Seattle Services Portal, select the “Tenant Assistance (EDRA)” link under Create New. Once we have received your initial application, you will receive information on next steps to provide to upload supporting documentation required for SDCI to complete an eligibility review. More information on the EDRA program and process, can be found at the Renting in Seattle website.

May 12, 2022

Added a “Create New” Page

We added a Create New page that lists all the things you can start in the Seattle Services Portal. It includes updated record descriptions, a link for more information, and the ability to sort and filter the list. It is linked from the portal home page at the bottom of the Create New section.

September 23, 2021

Update to Special Inspections Notification

We have changed when we send you the letter that tells you that you need to nominate an agency to perform Special Inspections on your project. We will now generate this letter when the inspections are created. You’ll no longer received duplicates of this letter with each correction notice.

August 12, 2021

Improved Payment Receipt Report

We have improved the receipt for our customers to help them better find and track their payments for their records. Improvements include:

• Replaced the previous receipt report with a new report that includes all records and fees included in the original transaction. The previous report included all assessed fees (paid and unpaid) and all payments for the record, rather than returning the information related to a specific payment transaction, and did not show other records included in the payment transaction.
• Added help text to the Record – Fees tab, including information about the Fees Due Statement and Payment and Fee Details reports.
• Changed the receipt link label from “View Details” to “View Receipt”.

If you are a frequent user, you may need to clear your browser cache to see these changes.

June 10, 2021

New My Records

We overhauled the My Records page to make it easier to find specific records (even when you don't know the record number!).

When you login and click on the My Records tab, you can now:

• See all your records in one list.
• Search for records within the My Records list.  You can search by address, record number, or another keyword.
• Filter by Record Type, Status, and even an Action such as Pay Fees Due or Renew Application.
• Sort by each column heading more quickly.  You can also now sort by Action.
• Adjust the number of entries displayed in the table from 10 rows to 100 rows per page.
• Use the Select All check box to select all rows in your filtered table (not just the first page on the screen).
• Download your My Records list more quickly, including a filtered view of your My Records list.

We also made the following improvements to My Records:

•  Made it easier to sort by column, column heading, and ascending/descending.
• Clarified confirmation messages for system actions when selecting multiple rows to add to card or add to collections.
• Improved page loading speed.
• De-cluttered your list of records by removing certain records that are no longer necessary after they have been submitted.  For more information and a list of records, see How to Find Completed Applications and Amendments not in My Records.

To learn more, you can watch this short video.

Please share any feedback you have by using the feedback link on the bottom of the My Records page.

April 22, 2021

Added Fee Statement for Fees Due on a Record

You can now generate a Fee Statement for fees due on a specific record. To find the report, open the Record Details, then click on the Reports link on the top right navigation.  For SDCI Customers, this report was renamed from ‘Permit Billing Statement’ to ‘ Fee Statement.’

April 18, 2021

New For-Hire Driver’s License & Dispatch Organization Records

You can now submit new license requests or manage existing For-Hire Driver’s Licenses or Dispatch Organization Licenses.  To submit a new license or manage an existing, select the “Licenses – Taxi & For-Hire” link under Create New on the Seattle Services Portal home page.  First time users of the Seattle Services Portal will need to complete the identity verification process.  After completing the identity verification, customers can submit applications for new licenses, complete annual renewals or submit changes to existing licenses.

March 25, 2021

New Construction and Inspections record: Publications Purchase Request

You can now submit a request to purchase print copies of the current versions of the Seattle construction code. To find the request, select the “Permits – Trade, Construction & Land Use” link under Create New on the Seattle Services Portal home page. Then look under the General Request header. Once we have received your request, we will determine the shipping costs and send you a notification with how much you owe. Once you’ve paid your fees, we will usually ship your codes by Priority Mail within 5 days of your payment.

March 11, 2021

New Street Use Amendment: Enable Contact Access

You can now give someone access to your Street Use record. You can add them as a contact yourself by using the free Enable Contact Access amendment. All they need is a Seattle Services Portal account. All you need is the email address associated with their Seattle Services Portal account. Once you submit the amendment, the contact is immediately added to the record and an email lets them know they have access. See How Do I Give Someone Access to My Permit?

February 11, 2021

New COVID Site Safety Form

SDCI has added a link to the required COVID Site Safety Form in the record inspection section. All customers are required to submit this form before their first inspection. SDCI inspectors can now easily confirm the form has been submitted, helping reduce potential failed inspections due to not meeting this submission requirement.

December 10, 2020

Added Revision Request for Trade Permits

You can now request a revision on an issued conveyance, side sewer,  or refrigeration permit. See How Do I Revise an SDCI Issued Permit.

New Contact Amendment Process

You can use our new contact amendment to add contacts to your record at several stages through the record’s life cycle. You can add certain contact types without contacting SDCI staff. If the contact type needs to be verified, SDCI will review and process your contact amendment to quickly add it to your record. See How Do I Add or Update Contact Information on My SDCI Record?

November 12, 2020

Revised RRIO Inspection Due Dates

Property managers and landlords will see that their Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance due date has been changed from 11/15/2020 to 3/15/2021. We have made this change because RRIO inspections are temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We moved the inspection due dates to a date when safe inspections may be possible.

Integrating Side Sewer Permits

If you are submitting an SDCI side sewer application, you can now request an SDOT side sewer application at the same time. When the SDCI permit is issued, an SDOT application is automatically created. You will receive an email with your new SDOT application number.

Stand-Alone Curb Cut Permit Changes

SDCI and SDOT have combined stand-alone curb cut permits so applicants only need to apply for one permit. If you need a stand-alone curb cut permit, apply for an SDOT ROW Construction permit, with a use type of New/Replace Concrete Driveway. Please note: Curb cuts reviewed under a SDCI construction permit still require a permit from both departments.

November 9, 2020

Street Use Applications

You can now apply for the following Street Use permits through the Seattle Services Portal. This is the second release for Street Use. All Street Use permits are now available online.

• ROW Construction (today’s Construction Use): Permits the use of the right-of-way for construction purposes. Can also be used to permit the repair or improvement of the street scape when it does not meet the thresholds of a Street Improvement Permit.
• Heavy Crane: A new permit type specific to the installation and/or removal of tower cranes larger than 100 tons.
• ROW Maintenance: A new permit type used to permit short-term uses of the right-of-way, such as for building maintenance, residential dumpsters and storage containers, or small sidewalk and/or driveway repairs when the right-of-way disturbance is under 100 square feet.
• Minor Utility: Used to permit the installation of utility infrastructure with minimal impacts to the street and/or sidewalk – those that do not meet the thresholds of a Utility Major Permit (UMP).
• Utility Major Permit: This permit type is for installation of utility infrastructure that meets the thresholds of a Utility Major Permit (UMP), including projects that trigger curb ramps per the Right-of-Way Opening and Restoration Rule (ROWORR).
• Street Improvement Permit: Used to permit street, alley and/or sidewalk improvements required by the Land Use code or other related codes (e.g., Stormwater). Also used when installing a public water/sewer/combined mainline.
• Final Plat: This permit is for the second, final phase of the City of Seattle subdivision process.

Other new features include the ability to:

• Request start date changes, end date extensions, or scope of work revisions to your issued permit.
• Submit Job Start notifications online to inform Street Use that permitted work is mobilizing in the right-of-way.
• See the status of your inspections and request inspections online.
• Withdraw a recently submitted application.

Please refer to the SDOT Permits and Services website for more information.

August 13, 2020

Removing Temporary Permits

We have removed temporary permits that are older than 90 days, with the naming convention 20TMP-xx, from the Seattle Services Portal system. This will make it easier for customers to find current and in-progress permits by removing unnecessary records from their account. Going forward, we will remove all temporary records older than 90 days. This means that customers need to finish n permit (received the green Thank You page) that they have started within 90 days.

July 24, 2020

Updated Boiler Inspection Dates

We have made changes to the Seattle Services Portal so that all boiler records and certificates will now show the correct inspection date. This will help customers know when to expect their next inspection.

Added Side Sewer Billing Statements

We have updated the Seattle Services Portal so that Side sewer billing statements will now be sent to the primary contact for an account.

July 10,2020

Added Contractor Disclosure Information to Online Application Process

We have updated the online application process to collect your contractor disclosure information using the Seattle Services Portal. We no longer require you to upload a separate document to the portal. This will make it easier for SDCI to verify your contractor’s license status.  You need to provide this information before we will issue your permit. You can do this at various points in the construction application and permitting process. This change applies to Construction, Phased Construction, Demolition, Mechanical, Blanket (Tenant Improvement), and Grading records. See How to Add or Update Contractor Information on Your SDCI Record, for instructions.

Accepting International Payments

Customers who need to pay for fees from outside the United States can now complete their transactions in the Seattle Services Portal.

June 25, 2020

Increased Document Size Limit

We have increased the size limit for documents that you can upload to your application. The new limit is 1 Gigabyte.

RRIO Certificate of Compliance Fees

We have updated the system so that it will email customers when they need to pay a fee to get their RRIO Certificate of Compliance, and automatically issue the certificate once fees are paid. If you have hired a private inspector to conduct the RRIO inspection, you will receive an email notification if there are outstanding filing fees 3-7 days after the inspection. You will no longer be able to get a RRIO Certificate of Compliance if there are any outstanding fees.

May 18, 2020

The SDOT Urban Forestry permit for planting, pruning, or removing and replacing a tree in the right-of-way is now available online.

May 15, 2020

Ability to Reprint Invoice(s)

Portal users can now reprint copies of their fee invoices, even if they have already been paid. Reprinting a paid invoice will show the payment and receipt history in the “Previously Paid Amount(s)” section of the invoice. You can access the reprint report under the Reports link in the upper right of your Record Details page. That report includes information on how to reprint a single invoice or reprint all fee invoices of a Permit Record from life-to-date.

Documents Change

We have added new document categories for construction, mechanical, and phased construction permits, construction permit revisions or renewals, and gas piping licenses. We have also added new document categories for green building. Customers now are able to select the Green Building Design Review Commitment Form (also embedded on the plan set) and the Green Building Certificate/Performance Report documents that required for any project using the green building standard.

April 23, 2020

New Tenant Relocation & Billboard Notices

If your project triggers the Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, we will now send a notification to the owner, applicant, and financially responsible party. Customers will have more time to apply for a TRAO license.

Customers with billboard permits will now get a notification when they need to pay their renewal fee.

March 12, 2020

No-Show Fees Must be Paid to Schedule Appointments

Customers will no longer be able to schedule intake appointments if there is is an unpaid no-show fee on their construction, mechanical, or demolition record.

New Phase Issued Status

We have created a new Phase Issued status for Phased Permit records. This status means the one or multiple phases have been issued, but that the last phase has not yet been issued.

Site Plan Required on Environmental Permits

If you are submitting a request for an environmentally critical area or shoreline exemption, you are now required to upload a site plan. We have always required this document, but the system would allow customer to submit their requests without this information.

February 23, 2020

Temporary No Parking Permits

SDOT’s self-verification of Temporary No Parking barricades has moved to the Seattle Services Portal. You may now apply online for your Temporary No Parking permit in unpaid areas. Temporary No Parking permits for paid areas are already available online.