Dear Chicagoan,

As part of Mayor Johnson’s commitment to making the building permit process quicker and more user friendly for all Chicagoans, the Department of Buildings is excited to announce the expansion of our year-old Express Permit Program to cover additional types of work beginning Monday, September 16.

As we prepare for the expansion of this important program, this message contains some important tips.

Sincerely,

Marlene Hopkins
Building Commissioner

What is the Express Permit Program?

The Express Permit Program provides a fast, web-based way for homeowners, businesses, and other building owners/tenants (and the contractors who work with them) to obtain building permits needed to repair or replace existing features of a building or undertake specific small improvement projects, such as adding residential solar panels. The Express Permit Program replaced the paper-based “easy permit,” “short form,” and “solar express” permit programs in November 2023.

What’s included in the expansion?

The September 2024 expansion will replace the 20-year-old process for obtaining electrical-only permits. It will also provide a new online process for repairing or replacing existing porches and decks, obtaining monthly electrical or plumbing maintenance permits, submitting fire alarm system drawings, and obtaining stormwater management plan approval.

What isn’t changing … yet?

The Express Permit Program expansion won’t change the existing application processes for plan-based building permits, sign permits, conveyance device (elevator) permits, sewer- or water-connection permits, or demolition (wrecking) permits. Stay tuned for announcements about changes for these permit types in 2025.

How can I learn more?

The Department of Buildings will offer several free public webinars about the expanded Express Permit Program in late September. Details on how to sign up for these programs will be provided soon.

Winding down the existing electrical-only process

New electrical-only applications will not be accepted after 4:00 p.m. on September 11, 2024. If you do not complete a pending electrical-only permit application (other than a fire alarm system permit application) in the old system by Friday, September 13, 2024, you will need to reapply in the new system once it is live. Fire alarm system permit applications started in the old system must be completed by December 31, 2024.

On Friday, September 13, only limited in-person services will be available at City Hall as most staff will be preparing for a successful expansion of the Express Permit Program.

Licensed contractors and design professionals—new account creation

If you are a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor, general contractor, mason contractor, or plumbing contractor or an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer with an email address on file in our existing electronic permitting system, but haven’t yet created an account in the new website used for the Express Permit Program (ipi.cityofchicago.org), you will receive an email from donotreply@cityofchicago.org inviting you to create a new account for this website, linked to your existing license. Please look out for this invitation email, which will be sent the week of September 9.

If you attempt to create an account without this invitation, your new account may not be correctly linked to your existing license, and you may not have access to important features.

If you attempt to create an account before receiving your invitation, it will not be linked to your existing license, and you may not have access to important features.

Licensed contractor e-acceptance

When an Express Permit Program permit application is submitted by an owner or expediter indicating that work will be performed by a contractor licensed by the Department of Buildings, the licensed contractor will be notified by email (no account required) and must click a link in the email to accept the job before a permit will be issued. This will help to prevent contractor license fraud.

Licensed contractors who need to update their official email should log in to to their account on the Dynamic Portal or contact Continental Testing Services the City of Chicago's trade license support partner.