Citywide report
Chicago permit processing times
Across 196,519 issued permits since 2021, the citywide median was 1 day. The range changes sharply by permit type and location.
Records checked196,5192021–Sep. 15, 2026
The short answer
Typical wait1 daymedian issued permit
Usually within17 days75% of records
Long-wait edge71 days90% of records
Evidence196,519issued permits
The median was unchanged from the previous 12 months.
How the waits are distributed
Median is only the middle. This shows how often issued permits fell into each elapsed-time band.
Change over time
Annual permit timing
| Issue year | Records | Median | 75th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38,444 | 0 days | 8 days | 55 days |
| 2022 | 37,656 | 0 days | 8 days | 53 days |
| 2023 | 33,708 | 0 days | 13 days | 72 days |
| 2024 | 32,923 | 5 days | 26 days | 77 days |
| 2025 | 31,706 | 6 days | 26 days | 82 days |
| 2026* | 22,082 | 6 days | 29 days | 90 days |
*2026 is partial through Sep. 15. Year labels use the permit issue date, not the application date.
Context
Community areas with the shortest overall medians
| Report | Median | 75% within | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armour Square | 0 days | 17 days | 755 |
| Avalon Park | 0 days | 11 days | 1,045 |
| Calumet Heights | 0 days | 9 days | 1,129 |
| Chicago Lawn | 0 days | 12 days | 2,383 |
| Dunning | 0 days | 9 days | 1,934 |
| East Side | 0 days | 8 days | 823 |
| Edison Park | 0 days | 18 days | 735 |
| Forest Glen | 0 days | 17 days | 1,297 |
| Hegewisch | 0 days | 5 days | 700 |
| Jefferson Park | 0 days | 13 days | 1,489 |