How to Estimate and Pay Permit Fees

Permit Counter Temporary Closures

To protect the health and safety of our staff and customers, and to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19, we closed our public-facing customer service counters on Monday, March 16, 2020. Our counters remain closed until further notice. This includes both the Street Use and the Traffic and Parking permit counters at the Seattle Municipal Tower on floors 23 and 37. We are still processing permit applications.

You can submit applications for all permit types online through the Seattle Services Portal.

Our staff will be available to provide application coaching and assist with issuing permits by phone or e-mail.

I'd like to learn more about...

Parking Permits and Related Fees

Street Use Permits and Related Fees

How to Use the Use Fee Estimator

Public Space Permits - Occupancy Fees

Public Space Vending Permits

How to Pay Your Permit Fees or Dispute a Fee or Charge

Parking Permits and Related Fees

For information about parking permit fees, please visit the Parking Permits page.

Street Use Permits and Related Fees

Update

Our Hourly rates and Permit Fees are changing! Check out this Powerpoint to see the ones that will go into effect January 1, 2022.

There are several types of fees related to Street Use permits.

  • Permit Fees
  • Hourly Rates
  • Use Fees
  • Occupation Fees

Permit fees are one-time fees for the issuance or renewal of a permit.

NOTE: Depending on its complexity, an application may incur our hourly rate for inspection and review for which you will be billed separately.

Use fees are what we charge permit holders for the square footage area of the right-of-way that they use short-term for non-transportation uses. Use fees are charged in addition to permit and hourly rates.

Occupation fees are what we charge permit holders for the square footage area of the right-of-way that they use long-term for non-transportation uses. Occupation fees are charged in addition to permit and hourly rates.

Both Use and Occupation fees help fund the voluntary improvement program (SMC 15.04.100) and road maintenance programs, subsidize permitting for positive uses of the right-of-way, program administration, and process improvements. Beginning this year, these fees will be adjusted annually based on the percentage change of the Average Assessed Land Value (AALV). 

Click here for the complete fee schedule.

How to Use the Use Fee Estimator

With the completion of our migration to Accela, we have updated our online fee estimating tool accordingly. Please note that this tool is only for Use fees and does not include any related permit fees or hourly rates that you may incur. If you are applying for a Public Space or Vending permit, see the section below on Public Space Occupancy Fees and Vending Permits. 

Updated 1/13/22

Public Space Permits - Occupation Fees

Visit the Public Space Permits web page for a complete list of these permits.

We are assessing Occupation fees for many of our permits based on the impacts to high use areas like arterials and in Urban Centers and Villages. Table 1: New Occupation Fee Model (below) illustrates the model 

Table 1: Occupation Fee Model (Effective 6/10/2019)

Cost per square foot Urban Center Urban Village Neither
Arterial street $1.40 $1.35 $.90
Non-arterial street $1.20 $1.15 $.70

You can look up information about Urban Centers, Urban Villages, and street types on Streets Illustrated.

Permits with Occupation Fees

The table below shows the permitted use description and relevant Occupation fee. 

Table 2: Occupation Fee According to Permitted Use

Permitted Use Description Occupation Fee
At-grade structures See Table 1: Occupation Fee Model
Above- or below-grade structures $0.70 per square foot
Fixed ground sign $767 per sign
Fenced material storage and private use See Table 1: Occupation Fee Model
Merchandise display See Table 1: Occupation Fee Model
Sidewalk cafés See Table 1: Occupation Fee Model
Curb space cafés (streateries)

$3,176/removed paid parking space or $300/removed non-paid parking space
Non-decommissioned underground storage tanks $767 per tank
Permanent soldier piles $1,011 per pile
Structures, moorage, and overhangs in state waterways $2.18 per square foot
Active areaways $0.70 per square foot

Public Space Vending Permits

We encourage street-food and flower vending to increase public use, enjoyment, and safety of our public right-of-way. Street-food vending is a great way to encourage walking, add vitality to the street, and promote local economic development. Please visit our Vending Permits page for more information about these permit types.

How to Pay Your Permit Fees or Dispute a Fee or Charge

Invoiced Fees

To pay an invoice, please mail a check to the address listed on your invoice.

Invoiced fees cannot be paid over the phone or at either the Street Use or Traffic permit counters. If your permit was issued through the Seattle Services Portal, invoiced fees can be paid online. Otherwise, please remit payment according to the instructions on the invoice.

Online Fee Payments

Please log into the Seattle Services Portal to make your payment.

Information on how to find and pay fees can be found in the Fees section of the Help Center.

*To dispute or inquire about a Street Use fee or charge

New Fee Dispute and Inquiry Process Begins May, 2, 2022

If you have a fee dispute and/or inquiry realted to  Street Use permit on or after May 2, 2022, pelase follow the below process:

  1. Complete the Dispute Request Form

  2. Upload the Dispute Request Form to the permit using a Document Type of Dispute Request Form on the Attachments tab per the instructions in the How Do I Submit a Street Use Fee Dispute Request? help article.

In-Person Payments

We are not accepting in person payments at this time. 

Paying by Check

To pay by check:

Make the check out to City of Seattle, SDOT

In a memo on the check include: St Use, permit #, project address

Mail the check to:

SDOT, Street Use

PO Box 34996 Suite 2300

Seattle, WA 98124-4996