Electronic construction permitting is changing the way communities across the nation do business, speeding the building permit process for the people more involved - builders, inspectors, and plan reviewers - and providing better and more timely information to decision makers, managers, and staff throughout city hall.

Initiated by a few pioneering jurisdictions in the early 1980s, electronic permitting is becoming mainstream. Private vendors offer a variety of excellent permitting software and systems that can be tailored to a jurisdiction's needs. Many can be integrated into larger, government-wide electronic management systems. Regardless of the software of system used, progressive local governments everywhere are adopting electronic permitting.

This publication is designed to help America's communities understand the process of selecting and implementing an electronic permitting system. Benefiting from the experiences of others, communities can implement electronic permitting systems with better results and at lower cost.

Through its Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program, HUD is pleased to provide this publication on electronic permitting systems.