The Office of Hearing Examiner is a separate and independent office of the City created by the Seattle Municipal Code.  The Office is charged with conducting fair and impartial administrative hearings, when authorized by the Code, to review the actions of various City departments. The Hearing Examiner's decision in a case is usually the City's final decision.

The Office of Hearing Examiner currently handles more than 75 different types of matters.  Click here for the complete list, which also includes links to the applicable Seattle Municipal Code sections.

Proposed Changes to Hearing Examiner Procedures and Filing Fees

The City Council is considering two pieces of legislation that would change Hearing Examiner procedures and filing fees.

The first bill would allow the Office of Hearing Examiner to provide notices and copies of Hearing Examiner decisions electronically to those who wish to receive them in an electronic format.

The second bill would increase most Hearing Examiner filing fees from $50 to $85, in order to cover filing costs and account for inflation since the fees were last revised in 1992.

The City Council's Committee on Economic Resiliency and Regional Relations will hold a public hearing to take comments on the proposed legislation on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers, 2nd floor, Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue.

The proposed legislation is available at the City Clerk’s website. Council Bill number 117451 is related to filing fees and Council Bill 117436 is related to electronic notice.

To learn how to order or listen to a CD of your hearing visit our FAQ page.

Feel free to contact this Office if you have any questions about the Hearing Examiner functions or hearing procedures. Should you have a hearing or need to mail correspondence, please note our street address and mailing address on the right side of this page.