Is there a senior citizen discount or waiver for building permit fees?

Yes, the City of Chicago will waive 100% of building permit fees when the following criteria are met:

• The fee waiver is requested before the permit fee has been paid. (A senior citizen refund is not available.)
• The building owner is at least 65 years old.
• The senior citizen building owner’s household income does not exceed 80% of the area median family income, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (The current area median income limits are available from the Department of Housing.)
• The building owner has owned the building for at least 10 years.
• The building owner has lived in the building as a primary residence for at least 10 years.
• The scope of work is for repair, alteration, or addition to a building with 1 to 3 residential units or a single, individually-owned residential unit (such as a condominium apartment).

To obtain the building permit fee waiver, the senior citizen building owner or a representative should bring proof of eligibility to the Department of Buildings assistance counter on the 9th floor at City Hall.

The Department of Buildings will accept as proof of eligibility for all criteria, except the scope of work, a Cook County Property Tax Bill or similar paperwork from the Cook County Assessor showing that the senior citizen building owner received the Low-Income Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze at the property for the most recent tax year. 

Otherwise, the Department of Buildings will consider the following:

• For proof of age:
  • Current government-issued photo ID, or
  • Birth certificate, or
  • Social security card
• For proof of income:
  • Federal or Illinois income tax return for most recent tax year, or
  • Current enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or
  • Current enrollment in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• For proof of long-term ownership and residency:
  • Deed, or
  • 10-year-old (or older) property tax document or utility bill addressed to the building owner at the property

A Department of Buildings employee will review these documents in person. The Department of Buildings does not retain copies of these eligibility documents.