Citywide permit type
Express Permit Program processing times
Across Chicago, 91,329 issued express permit program permits had a median processing time of 1 day.
Source: City of Chicago Building Permits · Issued-permit cohort · Updated Sep. 16, 2026
The short answer
For Express Permit Program processing times, 91,329 issued permit records show a median processing time of 1 day; 75% were issued within 8 days and 90% within 25 days, covering January 2021 through September 15, 2026.
The median was unchanged from the previous 12 months.
Express Permit Program processing times: wait distribution
For Express Permit Program processing times, 91,329 issued permits are distributed across five elapsed-time bands from same-day issuance through waits of 91 days or longer.
Change over time
Express Permit Program processing times: annual permit timing
Express Permit Program processing times has 6 publishable issue-year cohorts spanning 2021–2026, representing 91,329 issued records in the annual table.
| Issue year | Records | Median | 75th percentile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,475 | 0 days | 3 days | 22 days |
| 2022 | 11,531 | 0 days | 4 days | 31 days |
| 2023 | 11,938 | 0 days | 8 days | 37 days |
| 2024 | 21,035 | 2 days | 9 days | 25 days |
| 2025 | 20,186 | 3 days | 9 days | 21 days |
| 2026* | 14,164 | 2 days | 9 days | 20 days |
*2026 is partial through Sep. 15. Year labels use the permit issue date, not the application date.
Context
Express Permit Program processing times: All permit types, from shortest to longest median
Express Permit Program processing times has 91,329 issued records, a 1 day median, and a 8 days 75th-percentile wait in this release.
| Report | Median | 75% within | Records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Permit Process | 0 days | 1 day | 33,486 |
| Elevator Equipment | 0 days | 0 days | 6,546 |
| Reinstated Permit | 0 days | 0 days | 1,775 |
| Scaffolding | 0 days | 0 days | 1,019 |
| Wrecking & Demolition | 0 days | 55 days | 4,023 |
| Express Permit Program | 1 day | 8 days | 91,329 |
| Signs | 23 days | 61 days | 13,362 |
| New Construction | 27 days | 92 days | 8,073 |
| Renovation & Alteration | 28 days | 85 days | 36,906 |
More Express Permit Program processing times comparisons
The Express Permit Program processing times cohort contains 91,329 issued records; related links retain separate location and permit-category cohorts.
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