Normal construction activity in the public way, including obstruction of the public way requires a permit from the Engineering Division of Salt Lake City Community and Neighbors. Work in the public way includes replacement or new construction of streets, sidewalks, curb and gutter, drive approaches, and utility excavations. Landscaping does not require a public way permit, unless heavy equipment is used to move material.

Search the city’s permit database (click the Engineering tab).

Public Way Permit Requirements

All contractors applying for a public way permit must have a Utah State contractor’s license, post a bond ($15,000 is the standard amount for typical excavations), and provide a current certificate of insurance, which includes general liability, workers compensation, and automobile liability.

Salt Lake City Engineering Division’s Insurance, Bonding, and License Information Packet.

Residents performing work in the public way adjacent to their property may elect to do the work without hiring a licensed contractor but must obtain a public way permit and provide proof of homeowner’s insurance with limited liability coverage. The license and bonding requirements are waived.

A set of plans, commensurate with the scope and complexity of the work, must be submitted when applying for the permit application.  Depending on the extent of work, approval may be required from the following additional city departments:

• Planning
• Transportation
• Public Utilities Department
• Any other department having a vested interest in the proposed work

Applicants must provide the name, address, and phone number of the contractor, resident, or permit applicant; a scope of work statement, and a construction schedule including proposed start and completion dates.

A permit fee is charged based on the SLC Permit Fee Schedule.  Fees for public way permits vary according to the type of work and the time of year.

All public way work must be accomplished in accordance with City Engineering regulations, standard plans and specifications, and the Traffic Barricade Manual.

A traffic control permit is required from the City’s Transportation Division located at 349 South 200 East Suite 150 (801-535-6630).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting Stephen Hetman (801-535-7910).

Public Way Permit Application Process

Please read our application process guide for applying for a public way permit online. Additional assistance can be obtained by contacting Stephen Hetman (801-535-7910).

Certain areas within the city, like hospitals and universities,  attract non-residents to seek parking in residential areas. This can place undue hardship on area residents and property owners by contributing to excess noise, air pollution, litter, traffic hazards, congestion, and a shortage of available on-street parking spaces. Preventing all day, non-resident vehicle parking in a qualifying area can help to address these problems.

For more information about this program, and to apply or renew your residential parking permit, visit the Residential Permit Parking Program page.

Do you need a dumpster or moving container curbside? Here’s what you’ll need:

• A Traffic Control Permit is required to place a moving container or dumpster on the shoulder of the road and a fee will be charged for the length of the permit.
• Every moving container or dumpster must have four lighted Type 1 barricades, one for each corner (SLC does not provide).
• A container or dumpster may also require a Parking Permit if there is restricted parking – i.e. parking meter, 2 hour parking signs, residential parking areas, etc. (additional fees may be required if this is the case).

Apply here for a traffic control or parking meter permit.

Download instructions for applying for a traffic control permit here and applying for a parking meter permit here.

Download a list of barricade contractors.

For any questions, please call 801-535-6630.

Vehicles that qualify as SmartWay Elite under the most current year EPA SmartWay Elite criteria are eligible for a special parking permit that allows free parking for up to two hours at Salt Lake City parking meters. If your vehicle qualifies, please bring the following items to the Transportation Division office at 349 South 200 East, Suite 150 during regular business hours:

1. Registration
2. Driver’s license
3. Qualifying Green Vehicle
4. Proof of Utah residency if your vehicle registration is from a state other than Utah (lease, rental agreement, deed or two utility bills)

Visit the SLC Green Vehicle Parking Permits for more information on this program.

A traffic control permit is required any time you are working in the public right of way, encroaching into it (working park strip, or on the property side of the sidewalk), staging vehicles or equipment for longer than 48 hours (SLC Code 12.56.520) or encroaching into any parking, shoulder, travel lane, bike lane, alley, or pedestrian path. Staging anything in the public right of way that does not have rubber tires requires a traffic control permit. A public way permit is also required with a traffic control permit. Traffic control permits provide logistics of who is working where. Public way permits are issued so an inspector can inspect the public way for damage or to ensure proper specifications are followed.

SLC Transportation follows the standards found in Part 6 of the 2009 MUTCD. Typical applications for temporary traffic control are found in this chapter, as well as the SLC Traffic Barricade Manual. A traffic control plan is required for any permits closing travel lanes or sidewalks. Typical applications of traffic control plans are available in Part 6 of the 2009 MUTCD, as well. Site specific plans may be required.

Traffic control permits are a living document. If SLC Transportation receives calls regarding your traffic control set up or maintenance, your permit may be amended or revoked.

In areas with parking meters or restricted parking, a parking meter permit is also required. If a traffic control permit is in an area where meters or restricted parking is applied, a permit for the parking made unavailable to the public is required.

Apply here for a traffic control or parking meter permit. You can download the detailed instruction for the traffic control permit application process here. For any additional questions please call 801-535-6630 or stop by our office at 349 South 200 East, Suite 150.

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Contractors looking to bid a job within Salt Lake City are strongly encouraged to call before the bidding process to make sure all fees associated with the bid are known.

SLC Transportation will require an ADA compliant pedestrian path for the entire duration of the project. This may include a canopied pedestrian walkway or alternate pedestrian path. A site-specific plan and schedule of work will be required anytime a pedestrian path or bike lane is proposed to be closed longer than the time required to complete the excavation that would interrupt the sidewalk or bike lane.

Staging of equipment or materials is not an acceptable reason to close a sidewalk or bike lane. SLC Transportation is aware of the Zero Lot Line construction trend. The burden of staging equipment or materials in the public right of way will not be placed on the city. There are instances when a long-term sidewalk closure will be approved, but it is rare. A long-term closure will require a plan review to be approved.

 

If you are working in the public right of way and parking will be made unavailable, a parking meter permit is required. In areas with open parking, a traffic control permit will also be required. SLC Transportation will not issue permits that extend beyond the property face or the job area.

Parking permits are not issued over the phone. Parking permits need to be applied for at least 24 hours (on business days) in advance of the requested date. If the permit comes in after 4 PM the day before it will not be processed. Permits requested the day of will not be processed.

Food trucks are asked to come into the office to apply for the first time.

Meter numbers are required. If SLC Transportation provides numbers for you, we will not be held accountable for the area not working for which you intended it.

For refunds on issues with meters, send an email to Techpermit@slcgov.com as early as the issue is known for consideration of a refund. For issues with bagged meters, please contact SLC Compliance at 801-535-6628

Apply for a parking meter permit here. You can download detailed instruction on how to apply for a parking meter permit here.

Visit the Parking Meter map for details on locations of parking meters across the City.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 801-535-6630 or stop by our office at 349 South 200 East, Suite 150.

Here is a list of the standard documents used in the City’s permitting process.

• APWA Standards and Specifications (2017) (Must be purchased directly through APWA in order to view)
• SLC Traffic Control Manual
• Part 6 of the 2009 MUTCD

Check the Helpful Design Guides & Standards webpage for more resources and information about design standards and roadway policies.

When you phone into our office you will be required to provide us with a project number, an address and a contact person’s name and phone number. We will also need to know if this is a residential property or commercial property. In most cases, we will field review the site within the same day or the next day.

What we look for in our transportation inspection

1. Ingress and egress from the site. We check for proper sight distance on either side of the driveway(s). We, also, check that trees, power poles, signs and other obstructions are out of the Sight Distance Triangle. Providing adequate sight distance allows for a safer entrance and exit to and from public streets. We look for driveway grades, widths, one way-two way designation, etc.
2. Striping of the parking lot. All lane lines are well spaced and that they meet city standards. All parking stalls are evenly spaced and allow for access between vehicles. Grades of parking areas, maximum slope exposed to ice and snow conditions are 4% from side to side and 6% front to back.
3. ADA striping of parking stalls. The first stall needs to be van accessible, 16 feet wide. An 8 foot wide stall and an 8 foot wide cross hatched area for loading is required. A standard ADA stall is 13 feet wide (8 feet for the vehicle and 5 feet for loading). Each stall shall be marked with ADA pavement marking in the center of the stall as well as an ADA sign placed in front of the stall, either on a pole or on the wall of the building as to not impede walking in front of vehicle. A single loading area between two ADA stalls can be used. The sign needs to be 60 inches above the parking surface to the bottom of the sign. The side slope and front to back slope of the ADA Staging area shall not exceed 2%. A ramp opening per ADA standards needs to be provided near the ADA stall that allows for easy access into the building.
4. Bike Rack. A bike rack needs to be installed. Five percent of the required parking stall requirement is to be accommodated with bike parking. It should be visible from the public street, as near as practical to the front entrance where it can be visibly seen. The rack is to be of the type to support the bike by the frame. The bike rack may be mounted on any accessible surface such as grass or concrete.
5. Pedestrian access from the public way to the parking lot and to the building shall be safe and unobstructed per ADA / building code standards (stairs, rails, ramps, etc. as needed). In conjunction with City Engineering inspections we will look at the public sidewalk for tripping hazards, ADA ramps at intersections, etc.

After our inspection we will sign off approval for your Certificate of Occupancy (CO). If the work is incomplete, we will discuss the items needed for full inspection compliance (punch list) and then return promptly to the job site after you have made the correction on the punch list, per your return phone call. A temporary permit will be issued, only, if all public safety issues have been addressed, (such as stocking shelves or phasing the building occupancy, etc.) in order to assist you in your project completion.

A Certificate of Address is required for all new building construction in Salt Lake City.  Utility companies require a certified address before utilities can be connected.  The fee for a Certificate of House Number is $13. The name of the property owner is required on the Certificate of House Number application, along with the name, address, and telephone number of the person requesting and paying for the Certificate.

• The Salt Lake County parcel number for the lot.
• The lot number and subdivision name, if the new address is in a recorded or soon to be recorded subdivision.
• The original address of the lot, if the structure has been or will be demolished and a certified address is needed for the lot.
• A measurement for the new address from an existing address or from a dedicated street.
• The address of the existing structure, if the new address is for an additional door or entrance, such as remodeling a house into a duplex, or construction of an additional entry on an existing building to accommodate separate tenants.

Applications for a certificate of address are available through the Engineering Division located at 349 South 200 East, Suite 100 or download our Application for a Certified Address.  Additional information can be obtained by submitting an inquiry to SLCAddressing@slcgov.com, or by contacting Ashleigh Smith (801-535-6178) or Rebecca Thomas (801-535-7794).

When you phone into our office you will be required to provide us with a flag number, an address and a contact person’s name and phone number. We will also need to know if this is a residential property or commercial property. In most cases we will field review the sight within the same day or next day.

What we look for in our transportation inspection

1. Location of the structure in relation to the area that the rubble is pulled to known as the work area. This determines if the work can be done on site or needs to be done in the public area.
2. How close the public sidewalk and public street or public alley is to the structure. If there is a large distance between the structure and the sidewalk or the street or alley you will most likely not be required to install barricading. If the sidewalk or street is to close to the structure you will be required to install barricading to protect the public. This requires you to come into our office and receive guidance on how the barricading is to be laid out. You are required to provide a sight plan of the area showing the public sidewalk and public street.

After our field inspection we will call in the location to the permit counter as a “No Barricading Required” or “Barricading Required.”

The process of obtaining a “Demo” permit is four to five steps;

1. Call our office for an inspection.
2. Our field review of the location.
3. Our phone in report of our findings.
4. You may then receive you permit with a “No Barricading Required” or “Barricading Required.”
5. If you receive a “Barricading Required”, you will need to stop into our office at 349 South 200 East, Suite 150 to receive instruction on how the barricading is to be laid out.

Click here to review the Salt Lake City ADA Compliance Manual for accommodating pedestrian access during construction.

• Traffic control manual, pages 25 to 70
• page 25 – Work Outside the Shoulder
• page 26 – Work on Shoulder or Parking Lane
• page 27 – Shoulder Closed on Divided Roadway
• page 28 – Work in Center of Road (Maintaining Two-Way Traffic, 35 MPH or Less)
• page 29 – Work in Travel Lane (Maintaining Two-Way Traffic, 35 MPH or Less
• page 30 – Lane Closure on a Low-Volume Road (No Flagger, Traffic Self-Regulating, 25 MPH or Less)
• page 31 – Lane Closure on a Two-Lane, Low-Volume, Low Speed (30 mph or less) Road (One Flagger Operation)
• page 32 – Lane Closure on a Two-Lane Road (Two Flagger Operation)
• page 33 – Temporary Road Closure (Not to Exceed 15 Minutes)
• page 34 – Center Turn Lane Closed on a Three-Lane, Two-Way Road
• page 35 – Lane Shift on a Three-Lane, Two-Way Road
• page 36 – Lane Closure on a Four-Lane, Undivided Road
• page 37 – Lane Closure on Divided Roadway
• page 38 – Double Lane Closure on Divided Roadway
• page 39 – Center Lane Closure on Divided, Multi-Lane Roadway (Speeds of 35 MPH or Less
• page 40 – Half Road Closure on Multi-Lane Roadway
• page 41 – Half Road Closure on Multi-Lane Roadway (cont.)
• page 42 – Lane Closure in Advance of an Intersection (Work Area on the Through Road)
• page 43 – Lane Closure in Advance of an Intersection (Work Area on the Side Road)
• page 44 – Lane Closure Beyond an Intersection (Work Area on the Through Road)
• page 45 – Lane Closure Beyond an Intersection (Work Area on the Side Road)
• page 46 – Left Lane Closure on Far Side of Intersection (Speeds of 35 MPH or Less)
• page 47 – Right Lane Closure on Far Side of Intersection (Speeds of 35 MPH or Less)
• page 48 – Closure in the Center of an Intersection
• page 49 – Surveying
• page 50 – Street Closure with Detour
• page 51 – Street Closure with Turn Lanes
• page 52 – Pedestrian and Worker Safety
• page 53 – Sidewalk Closure Pedestrian Detour
• page 54 – Sidewalk Closure Pedestrian Walkway Provided
• page 55 – Sidewalk Corner Closure
• page 56 – Construction Fence
• page 57 – Canopied Walkway at Mid-Block
• page 58 – Canopied Walkway at Corner
• page 59 – Typical Canopied Walkway Detail
• page 60 – Canopied Walkway Notes
• page 61 – Mobile Operations
• page 62 – Intermittent and Continuously Moving Mobile Operations
• page 63 – On the Shoulder
• page 64 – On the Shoulder (continued)
• page 65 – On a Two-Lane Road
• page 66 – On a Two-Lane Road (continued)
• page 67 – On a Two-Lane Road Using Flaggers
• page 68 – On a Two-Lane Road Using Flaggers (continued)
• page 69 – On a Multi-Lane Road
• page 70 – On a Multi-Lane Road (Continued)

• TA-1 Work Beyond Shoulder
• TA-2 Blasting Zone
• TA-3 Shoulder Work – Diff Locations
• TA-4 Shoulder Work Mobile Short Term
• TA-5 Shoulder Closure with Crash Cushion
• TA-6 Shoulder Work with Minor Encroachment_Old Manual Pg 26
• TA-7 Road Closure with Diversion
• TA-8 Road Closure with Off-Site Detour
• TA-9 Road Closure with Detour
• TA-10 Lane Closure on two-lane road – Using Flaggers
• TA-11 Lane Closure on two-lane road – Low Volume
• TA-12 Lane Closure – Two Lane – Using Traffic Signals
• TA-13 Road Closure – Temporary – Flaggers
• TA-14 Haul Road Crossing
• TA-15 Work in Center of Road – Low Volume
• TA-16 Surveying Centerline of Road
• TA-17 Mobile Operations – Two Lane – Truck Mounted Attenuator
• TA-18 Half Street Closure – Minor Street
• TA-19 Detour for Oneway
• TA-20 Road Closed with Detour
• TA-21 Lane Closure – Near Side Intersection
• TA-22 Right Lane Closure – Far Side Intersection
• TA-23 Left Lane Closure – Far Side Intersection
• TA-24 Half Street Closure – Far Side of Intersection
• TA-25 Closure of Multiple lanes at Intersection
• TA-26 Closure at Center of Intersection
• TA-27 Closure at Corner of Intersection
• TA-28 Sidewalk Closure or Diversion
• TA-29 Sidewalk Closures with Ped Detours
• TA-30 Left Lane Closure
• TA-31 Lane Closure Diverting across Double Yellow – Long Term Lane Restriping
• TA-32 Half Street Closure – Divert Across Double Yellow – One Lane Each Direction – High Speed
• TA-33 Right Lane Closure
• TA-34 Lane Closure with Temporary Barrier
• TA-35 Mobile Operation on Multi-Lane Road
• TA-36 Lane Shift – Restripe Lines
• TA-37 Double Right Lane Closure
• TA-38 Interior Lane Closure on Multi-Lane – Oneway Road
• TA-39 Median Crossover – One Lane Each Dir – Crash Cushion
• TA-40 Traffic Merging – Entrance Ramp
• TA-42 Work in Vicinity of OFF RAMP
• TA-43 Partial OFF RAMP Closure
• TA-44 Work in Vicinity of ON RAMP
• TA-45 Movable Barriers – Line Restriping
• TA-46 Railroad Crossing – Work in Vicinity of