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RICHMOND, VA - Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that the Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) online tracking system received the 2025 Commonwealth Technology Award for Innovative Use of Technology at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) Conference.
"VPT has made life easier for thousands of Virginia businesses and families," said Governor Glenn Youngkin. "When permits move quickly, businesses can grow and professionals can succeed. VPT takes the guesswork out of the process and gives agencies the tools to deliver faster, more transparent results. This award is a proud recognition of Virginia's leadership in cutting red tape and driving innovation in government."
The Governor's permitting reform work began in 2022 with a pilot program at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). In 2024, the DEQ pilot was expanded to include additional agencies and launched as the VPT dashboard. VPT now includes permit and license applications from 10 state agencies and covers 100,000 applications per year. Virginia citizens can log on to VPT and track their permits and licenses the same way they would a FedEx package. This has brought an unprecedented level of transparency to the process and has become the model for similar innovations in other states and in the federal government.
It has also allowed agencies to expedite the processing of permit and license applications. DEQ has cut its permit processing times by 65% since launching the pilot program. Other agencies have had less time but have also achieved considerable improvements. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Energy (ENERGY), Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services (VDACS), Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), and Virginia State Police (VSP) have all cut processing times by 10% or more since VPT was launched in 2024.
Executive Order (EO) 39 (2024) built upon the success of VPT by directing state agencies to eliminate unnecessary permits or licenses, digitize all permitting and licensing steps, and speed up the issuance process. A handful of agencies-notably VDACS, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Virginia Department of Taxation (TAX), DEQ, VMRC, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)-have significantly simplified their permit application processes or even eliminated unnecessary permit types.
"The success of VPT is yet another example of how Virginia has become the model for regulatory efficiency and transparency across the nation," said Reeve Bull, Director of the Office of Regulatory Management. "Other states, as well as federal agencies, are now in the process of adopting similar reforms. We are honored to receive this recognition of Virginia agencies' extraordinary work to date and are redoubling our efforts to build a best-in-class regulatory system in Virginia."
In the next several months, Virginia agencies will continue to move all permitting and licensing activity online and further reduce processing times under Executive Order 39.
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