How Do I Apply for a Street Use Annual Vehicle Permit?

Instructions for Applying for a Street Use Annual Vehicle Permit

Follow these steps to apply for an Annual Vehicle Permit using the Seattle Services Portal. This process helps ensure that your application meets Street Use's requirements for uses of the public right-of-way with minimal impacts to the traveling public and existing infrastructure. Annual Vehicle Permits are obtained for a calendar year and required for each vehicle in use simultaneously. These permits are not renewable and must be applied for each year.

For information on allowable uses and restrictions, see SDOT’s Annual Vehicle Permits page.

Tip: If you are looking for a permit to park in front of your residence in a Restricted Parking Zone (RPZ), please refer to How to Submit a Restricted Parking Zone Permit Application. Do not apply for an Annual Vehicle permit.

This article also explains how permit records and permit documents are created based on the number of annual vehicles requested on your application.

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 Your Application

1. Click on the Home tab in the portal.
2. Under Create New, select Permits – Street Use.
3. Expand either the Utility or the ROW Construction section by clicking on it. The application is the same from either group.
4. Click Annual Vehicle Application.

Step 3: Provide Contact Information

On the Contacts page, provide contact details for:

• Applicant: You, the person filling out this application.
• Owner: The person or company owning the property, business or asset.
• Financially Responsible Party (FRP): The person or company handling costs for the permit.
• Onsite Contact: The person 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 4: Provide Related Information

1. On the Related Information page, 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. In the Vehicle Information section:
   • Number of Annual Vehicles:  Enter the number of vehicles you need an Annual Vehicle Permit for. There is a limit of 150 vehicles per application. For more than 150 vehicles, submit an additional application.
   • Year: Enter the current or next year. If the current date is September 30 or earlier, the default is the current year. If the current date is October 1 or later, the default is the next year. If the default is next year, you may change the default to the current year if you need a permit for the current year. You may not apply for next year’s permits until October 1 or later.
   • Total Fee Estimate: The fee estimate populates based on the number of vehicles.
3. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 5: Attach Required Documents

1. On the Attachments page, there are no documents required to apply.
2. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 6: 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 7: Confirmation Displays

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

• The record number has a format of SUVEH0000000.
• Keep this number for future reference.

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.

You can log into the Seattle Services Portal at any time to track the status of your application.

Step 8: Permits Are Created

Once the application is approved and issued, one permit record is created for each annual vehicle you requested back in step 4. You will see these permits in your My Records list.

• The application starts with SUVEH.
• The permits start with SUVEHP.

A permit document is also created.

• There is a single PDF file that contains a permit for each vehicle.
• The document is attached to your application - the one that starts with SUVEH.
• The document is named SU005_StreetUsePermitSet followed by a date and time stamp.
• The document is created by a nightly process, so takes up to 24 hours before the document is available.
• Shortly after the document is created, the Record Status on your application changes from Issued to Closed.
• Your permit records remain in Issued status until they expire on December 31 of the permitted year.

Step 9: Print the Permits

1. To view or print your permit(s), follow the steps below. For full details, refer to How Do I Find and Print Permits and Other Documents for My Street Use Permit.
   1. Open the Application record (SUVEH), not the Permit record (SUVEHP).
   2. Click on the Attachments tab.
   3. Click on the blue linked file name for your permit at the bottom of the page.
   4. Once you access the PDF you can print your permit there.
2. Place your permit in your vehicle.

Need Help?

Visit the Seattle Services Portal help center, email [e-mail], or call [phone].