Permits

In-Person Services

Effective 7/1/2021, the following services are being provided IN-PERSON at our offices at 49 South Van Ness Avenue. An appointment is not required. Permit Center hours are available here.

•    Street Space Permits

•    Voluntary Sidewalk Repair Permits (Not in response to a Notice to Repair)

•    Inspection of Right-of-Way Conformity Permits

•    General BSM permitting questions

•    Acceptance of documents for a permit under review (I.e. bonds, insurance, etc.)

•    Acceptance of payments for permits via check or credit card. Cash will not be accepted.

       NOTE: Payments will only be accepted if an invoice has already been generated by our team; for applications            submitted over email, it may take up to two weeks for us to generate the invoice depending on the type of the          permit submitted. We will not be able to expedite the issuance of the invoice in-person.

Alternatively, you may apply for both new or renewal Street Space or Voluntary Sidewalk Repair requests online. You may apply online here. Following submission of your request, you will be sent an invoice via email with payment instructions. Tow away signs and placards will be sent by email after payment is received. There is no need to visit our offices at 49 South Van Ness Avenue when applying online.

Remote Services

Permit Application Submittals: All other permits are required to be submitted to our office remotely. You may email your online permit application form along with the required permit application materials to BSMPermitdivision@sfdpw.org. You do not need to include payment with your emailed submission; an invoice will be sent to you with online payment instructions after submission. If your application type requires hard copy plans, you do not need to include them with your electronic submission. You will be notified by your plan checker if the plans are later needed.

Notice to Repair (NTR) Permit Application Submittals: If you would like to apply for a Sidewalk Repair or Street Improvement permit in response to a Notice to Repair (NTR), please complete our online form. After the form is submitted, you will receive an invoice at the email provided or will be contacted if additional information is required.

Fee Payments: To pay permit fees, citations or non-sufficient funds (NSF) fees, or to add funds to drawdown accounts using credit/debit card or echeck, visit our online payment kiosk. Please note that you will not be able to pay for a permit invoice until it is generated by our team.

Permit Recordation Services: For Vault, Major/Minor Encroachment or other permits requiring recordation, recordation services are again being offered in-person by the Assessor Recorder’s Office. Additional information is available here. Please do not conduct notarization or recordation of any permit until you are provided with detailed instructions by your plan checker. Prematurely notarizing or recording a permit will cause you to have to repeat the process again after your permit has been issued.

For additional help, please email us at one of the following based on the nature of your question:

To learn more about how Prop H may affect the permitting process, click here.

Public Works issues permits to help residents and businesses activate their sidewalks and storefronts and to ensure the safety of the City’s right of way during construction. Our goal is to make the process as efficient and transparent as possible. Find information on the different permit categories below.