How to Use SDCI Trust Accounts

The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) offers customers the opportunity to create and use a Trust Account to pay for their permitting fees. Trust accounts allows customers to maintain an account with SDCI that they can deposit funds into, and then use the balance to pay for services. You may also request Trust Account statements to track your monthly account activity. SDCI does not charge for this service. 

Customers interested in this option generally have very large development projects or do frequent business with SDCI. Homeowners would likely not benefit from a Trust Account.

This article covers how to:

• Create a Trust Account
• Fund your account
• Link your Trust Account to your Seattle Services Portal account
• View your account balances and activity

Create a New Trust Account:

1. Complete the Trust Account Maintenance form
2. Email your completed form to sciaccounting@seattle.gov
3. You will receive a confirmation email with your new Trust Account number when your account is ready to use

Fund Your Trust Account:

To fund your trust account.

Send a check by mail to:
City of Seattle – SDCI
P.O. BOX 34234
Seattle, WA 98124-1234

You cannot fund a Trust Account with a credit card. If you prefer to pay your fees by credit card, you can choose to pay by credit card instead of your Trust Account on the Checkout page.

Link Your Seattle Services Portal Account to Your Trust Account:

1. Create a new Seattle Services Portal account, if necessary
2. Send an Email to sciaccounting@seattle.gov, including the email address you used to create your Seattle Services Portal account, requesting that SDCI link your two accounts
   

   If you prefer someone else or multiple people to be linked to the Trust Account, be sure to include their email addresses. Everybody that needs access to the Trust Account must have access to a Seattle Services Portal account as well. 

3. You will receive an email confirmation once your accounts have been linked

Once your accounts are linked, you will be able to select Pay by Trust as a payment method when you are on the Checkout page.

View Your Trust Account Balances and Activity

1. Log in to your Seattle Services Portal account
2. Go to Account Management
   
3. Scroll down to the section labeled SDCI Trust Account Information and click on the Trust Account ID you’d like to view
   
4. You can review your current balance under Trust Account Details
   
5. You may review the associated contacts that are currently linked to the Trust Account under Associated People
6. You may review your life-to-date account activity under Transactions, such as deposits, payments, refunds, and adjustments
7. You may also download your account activity into Excel format using the Download Results link