Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
The ordinary permit form states that a compliant permit will be issued within a few days. For wind/solar special-use projects, applicants have one year after the special-use permit to apply for a building permit and two years thereafter to complete the project.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call (618) 327-4800 ext. 345 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Washington County Zoning Office is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact (618) 327-4800 ext. 345.
The ordinary permit form states that a compliant permit will be issued within a few days. For wind/solar special-use projects, applicants have one year after the special-use permit to apply for a building permit and two years thereafter to complete the project.
The certificate-of-zoning-compliance form includes inspection-date fields and requires a site plan and property measurements. Call (618) 327-4800 ext. 345 for an appointment; special solar/wind projects also require county review, road approvals, and inspections or third-party engineering as applicable.
The current county materials require compliance with the Washington County Zoning Ordinance and applicable local, Illinois, and national construction/electrical codes; no single 2026 edition list was published. The ordinance includes current commercial solar and wind siting requirements. The county states that all construction requires a building permit, including agricultural buildings. Its fee schedule lists agricultural-purpose buildings as ag-exempt from the filing fee and structures under 150 square feet at $0, but these fee exemptions do not state that construction is permit-free.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.