Annual Vehicle Permits

What is an Annual Vehicle Permit?

An Annual Vehicle Permit is a Street Use permit that allows for short-term uses of the public right-of-way with minimal impacts to the travelling 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. 

Street Use Annual Vehicle permits are only for construction-use related work in the right-of-way. If you need an Annual Vehicle Truck permit for commercial vehicles and trucks, go here.

You can learn more about the Annual Vehicle permit in our Client Assistance Memo (CAM) 2108: Annual Vehicle Permit Requirements.

Is the Annual Vehicle Permit the right permit for me?

The type of work allowed under an Annual Vehicle Permit is based on duration, time of day, impact, location and density of construction. Before applying for an Annual Vehicle Permit, carefully review the allowable uses, restrictions and conditions listed below.

Allowable Permit Uses Under an Annual Vehicle Permit

The following types of work may be allowed under an Annual Vehicle Permit if the work meets the restrictions and conditions outlined on this page. Please note that, depending on the work being performed, other permits may be required.

• Maintenance work;
• Maintenance hole access, splicing, and aerial work;
• Rot detection for wood poles;
• Public amenity installations (such as benches, art, bike racks, etc.);
• Building mounted sign installations; or
• Street tree pruning that falls under the threshold of minor pruning as defined in the Street Tree Manual.

Restrictions

The following list describes work that shall not be conducted under an Annual Vehicle Permit:

• Potential damage to City-owned assets, such as damage to the sidewalk, pavement, signal infrastructure, trees, appurtenances (e.g. poles, fire hydrants, etc.);
• Street closures or detours onto other streets;
• Transit lane closures;
• Protected bicycle lane closures;
• Business or resident access closures;
• Lifting/booming materials;
• Work during the AM or PM peak hours, as defined by the City of Seattle Traffic Control Manual for In-Street Work; 
• Work longer than 8 hours in duration on residential streets;
• Work longer than 2 hours in duration on arterial streets and non-arterial streets in Urban Villages and Urban Centers except during the hours of 10 PM - 4 AM; 
• Pedestrian access closures on arterial streets in Urban Villages and Urban Centers (pedestrian re-routes allowed per our Director's Rule 10-2015: Pedestrian Mobility In and Around Work Zones).

How do I apply for an Annual Vehicle Permit?

Beginning June 10th, 2019, all Annual Vehicle Permits must be applied for through the Seattle Services Portal. Once you enter the application information, the number of permits requested and click submit, you will receive an email the next day with instructions on how to access a PDF document with a list of all Annual Vehicle permits. There is a 150 unit limit per application. If you exceed this amount, you will need to submit multiple applications.

Approximately 3-5 business days later, you will receive a hang tag in the mail. If you applied for more than one Annual Vehicle Permit, each hang tag will come in a separate envelope. Each vehicle will need to have a hang tag and the associated printed permit in the vehicle while performing work in the right-of-way.

What do I need to do after I get my Annual Vehicle Permit?

Before performing any work, ensure that all conditions listed below and the permit boilerplate language have been met.

Conditions

The following list describes the conditions that must be met to perform work under an annual vehicle permit. If the work cannot meet all the conditions listed below, a single use permit must be obtained. 

• If performing work in a Construction Hub on a street that, according to the Hub Hot Spot Maps, requires Hub review, the work must be scheduled with the Hub Coordinator at least 10 business days before work is scheduled to begin; 
• Work is not allowed within two lineal blocks of previously scheduled work, including Special Events;
• All work shall be performed and completed according to the current or amended City of Seattle codes and rules, including the following:
  • the Noise Ordinance;
  • the City of Seattle Traffic Control Manual for In-Street Work;
  • and our Director's Rule 10-2015: Pedestrian Mobility in and around Work Zones.