City of St. Louis Launches New Online Building Permit Portal to Modernize and Streamline Approvals

The City of St. Louis today announced the launch of a new online building permit portal designed to modernize the application process, reduce approval times and significantly limit the need for in-person visits to City Hall.

"The development community and everyday citizens have been demanding a simple, easy and 21st century way to apply for building permits. To end 70 years of population decline and make it possible for all St. Louisans displaced by last year's tornado to stay in the city, we have to make it faster, easier and cheaper to build in St. Louis," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "This is one more important step toward making St. Louis a city that supports growth and new housing, and we're going to keep finding ways to make progress."

The new system allows residents, contractors and developers to submit applications, upload plans, pay fees and track permit status entirely online. By integrating review workflows across zoning, planning and inspections, the portal improves coordination between departments and eliminates delays caused by manual routing and paper-based processes.

"This new online portal represents a major step forward in how we serve the public," said Ed Ware, building commissioner for the City of St. Louis. "Our goal is to make the permit process faster, more accessible and more predictable. By allowing customers to apply and manage permits online, we're saving them time and making it easier to invest in our neighborhoods."

For contractors who regularly pull permits, the time savings are substantial. Jeff Kujath of Kujath Construction said, "Before the online portal, getting a permit could take up an entire day at City Hall. Now I can do it online in a fraction of the time. That means less time dealing with paperwork and more time focused on my projects."

Others have seen dramatic improvements in turnaround times. John Meller of City Carport shared, "I've submitted permits online and had them back in three days, whereas before it would take weeks. If something's missing, they just email me, and I can fix it right away. I don't have to drive downtown or go back and forth on the phone."

The launch of the portal reflects the City's continued commitment to improving customer service, supporting responsible development and leveraging technology to deliver more efficient government services.

Residents and contractors can access the STL City Permits online building permit portal on the City's website under the Building Division section.