Electronic permit applications

Guide to submitting your permit application electronically

Review these guidelines before submitting your permit applications electronically.

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  Register and log into your online permit account 

  The importance of having an online permit account

  • An online permit account is needed to share documents and communicate with our staff throughout your application process. To support the review of your application during the application process, staff will ask questions or request additional documents.
  • You can pay most permitting-related fees online through your online permit account.
  • When your permit is issued, you will have access to your issued permit and any drawings or documents that have been accepted.

  Important note To apply online, you’ll need to register for an online account and then log in.

  Register and log into your online permit account

  Review details on how to set up an account PDF file (740 KB)

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  Prepare drawings and documents

  Note All permit applications will have specific document requirements that will consist of drawings (such as architectural, mechanical, and so on) and documents (such as schedules, forms, and reports).

  Electronic file requirements

  • Submit drawings and documents separately
    • Note If your drawing has more than 1 page, do not separate the pages into different files. For example, if your architectural drawing set has 20 pages, upload all 20 pages as one file. Don't upload each page separately—all the pages have to be in 1 file.
    • Note Uploaded documents (such as schedules, forms, and reports) as individual files. 
  • Combining multiple or different document types will delay the processing of your application
  • Submit all drawings and documents in PDF format unless noted. (Don't upload the files combined as one ZIP file or individual ZIP files.)
  • Don't lock, apply passwords, or include any other document restrictions
  • Don't exceed 300MB in size
  • Clearly depict the scope of work related to the application
  • Complete and sign forms (application and others) electronically
  • Submit the drawing package as one single file, ideally
  • Submit landscape drawings separately from other drawings
  • Split the drawings by discipline (for example architectural, mechanical), if the total drawing package exceeds 300MB, so the file sizes are less than 300MB
  • Have a logical file name (for example address, drawing type, revision number)

  Electronic drawing requirements

  • Drawings must have a blank space in the title block in the same location on each page, relative to the size of the column, for staff to apply the City’s stamp (minimum of 2 inches wide and 3 inches tall)
  • Present in acceptable industry standards in legible scale (for example, everything on the same page must be the same scale)
  • Drawings use vector format PDF (Scanned paper drawings may not be accepted and may delay the approval of your permit.)  
  • Contain a digital seal and are digitally signed in accordance with a professional body or association when required
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  Add professional seals and digital signatures

  Before you upload drawings and documents

  Before providing your drawings and documents, you must make sure that any drawings or documents that are required to be signed and stamped contain both a professional seal and digital signature from your association’s endorsed signing authority, which includes: 

  • The Architectural Institute of BC (AIBC) External website, opens in new tab
  • Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia External website, opens in new tab
  • The Association of BC Land Surveyors (ABCLS) External website, opens in new tab

  Guidelines

  Accepted documents

  We accept both PDF and PDF/A documents, in accordance with your professional association’s guidelines around PDF and PDF/A documents. 

  • Convert PDF/A format documents before applying an electronic stamp or digital certificate
  • Make sure you review and are aware of PDF/A limitations (as governed by ISO 19001) before submitting them to us such as: 
    • Converting to PDF/A may wipe out the text within fillable boxes
    • PDF/A does not support layered documents
    • PDF/A does not support JavaScript

  Professional seals

  Apply to every document that is required to be sealed (including on every drawing sheet in a multi-page drawing set) and page of required Letters of Assurance:

  • An image of your professional seal
  • A signature
  • The date

  Digital certificates

  • Only 1 (one) digital certificate per individual is required for a set of drawings and/or required documents. Don't apply your digital certificate to each page of a PDF file.
    • Adding a digital certificate to every page will increase the file size, and it may result in a file that can't be opened for processing. Staff may ask you to upload a new file with only 1 digital certificate per individual.
  • Follow the instructions outlined by your association’s endorsed signatures to apply your electronic stamps/seals and signatures and your digital certificate.
    • Adding a stamp/seal/signature and date image (Acrobat External website, opens in new tab /Bluebeam External website, opens in new tab )
    • Batch stamping (Bluebeam External website, opens in new tab )
    • Applying a digital certificate (Bluebeam External website, opens in new tab /ConsignO External website, opens in new tab )
  • An image of a signature or initials alone doesn't make it a digital certificate. To avoid delays in processing your application, make sure you also apply a digital certificate to your document using an approved signing authority, such as Notarius.
    • Electronic stamping isn't equivalent to digitally signing a document; a digital certificate is required for staff to authenticate submitted drawings or documents.
    • Scanned or photocopied seals ("wet") and signatures without digital certificate are not accepted.
    • Make sure that you don't certify ("lock") your documents prior to submission. For example, in Notarius’ ConsignO software suite, don't check the “Certify” check box under “Advanced Options” in the signature dialog box when applying your digital certificate—this will prevent our staff from applying subsequent stamps or signatures. Note Applying a a digital certificate to a document to validate the professional seal and signature is not the same as certifying (locking) the document.

  Screen capture of ConsignO desktop

  

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  Apply for permits

  Review and apply for a variety of permits

  Note Only certain permits are available to apply for through your online permitting account.

  Log into your online permit account to submit your application. If you don't see the permit type listed, contact us for more information.

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  What happens after submission

  A. Application review

  Following the submission of your application package:

  • We will review it for completeness.
  • The application fees will be calculated.

  Once all required application documents have been submitted and fees paid, we will conduct a detailed review of your application. During this review:

  • We may contact you, requesting that you address any conditions or deficiencies through your online permit account.
  • You’ll be able to see the current status of your permit application through your online permit account. Find and review steps for specific permits (including online permit guides tailored for specific permits).

  B. Permit issued

  Once your plans are approved and your permit has been issued, you will receive an email from us with instructions on how to view and download your permit documents from your online permit account.

  Important note You no longer need pick up your issued permit document(s).

  C. Inspections

  If an inspection is required, you’ll be able to request an inspection through your online permit account.

  Approved drawings for the jobsite

  For your inspection, one paper set of City of Vancouver-approved drawings (full-sized and to scale), displaying the City accepted stamp, needs to be made available for viewing at the jobsite for our Inspectors. 

  Important note One printed copy of the City-approved permit needs to be made available for viewing at the jobsite for our inspectors.

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  Questions and follow-up

  Submit application questions

  Note You’ll receive a tracking number which you can use to follow up in our Van311 app.

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