Public Resource Center

The Public Resource Center (PRC) provides information on permits, applications, and historical records. The PRC also provides access to publications. We issue land use permits, process corrections and land use applications virtually through the Seattle Services Portal.

Some of our most frequently requested services are:

• Environmentally critical areas exemptions
• Grading season extensions
• Land use (master use) permit renewals and shoreline extensions
• Minor Master Use Permit revisions
• Land Use Analysis (Opinion) and Interpretation letters
• Shoreline exemptions
• Tree & Vegetation Removal Approvals
• Zoning verification letters (aka rebuild letters)

Support Hours

While the Public Resource Center is closed to in-person visits until further notice, you can contact staff directly via email or chat. If your application is already being reviewed, please contact your assigned reviewer directly. You can find your assigned reviewer by logging into the Seattle Services Portal. 

Chat Hours:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Email:

Submit a question at any time and get a response within 2 business days.

• Building & Land Use Questions

Microfilm, Permit & Property Records

Permit records from 1894 to 2004 are available in our public Microfilm Library (see PRC location and hours above). Records from 2005 to present are in our online Permit and Property Records library or the Seattle Services Portal. These records include:

• Permits
• Plans (available in person or by email request only)
• Soils and other technical reports
• Land use files

Copies may be ordered in paper or electronically (preferred). Please see our current Fee Subtitle for costs. The library can be contacted anytime at (206) 233-5180 (message only) or at sci_microfilm@seattle.gov for questions or requests. While we are unable to research records for our customers, we are happy to check our archives for any images we may have and will work with customers to provide those images via email.

Publications

Many of our publications are available for free on our Resources page. Our codes pages provide online access to most codes enforced by SDCI.

Print copies are available for sale through the Seattle Services Portal. See our pricelist and our ordering instructions.

To order, send an email to sciaccounting@seattle.gov or call us at (206) 386-9780. You may also mail your request, along with a check payable to the City of Seattle, to:

SDCI Cashier Station
700 Fifth Ave, Suite 2000
P.O. Box 34234
Seattle, WA 98124-1234

Subscription Services

• Our Land Use Information Bulletin provides twice-weekly notice of land use applications, decisions, and other land use actions. Subscribe to our listserv — in the upper right of this page — to get an email alert when we post the latest public notices.
• Our blog, Building Connections, keeps you up-to-date on Seattle planning, design, construction, and land use issues, and on legislation in process.