Washington’s SB 5290 (2023) sets default deadlines for local project permit decisions under RCW 36.70B.080: 65 days for permits without public notice, 100 days with public notice, and 170 days with notice and a hearing, counted from completeness, with a refund of 10% or 20% of the permit fee when a decision is late, unless the jurisdiction has adopted qualifying process improvements.
This page summarizes the statute for agency staff. It is not legal advice. Read the statute and consult your agency’s counsel.
Which Washington agencies does it apply to?
RCW 36.70B.080(1) applies to development regulations adopted by counties and cities under RCW 36.70A.040, the Growth Management Act. Counties subject to RCW 36.70A.215, and cities of 20,000 or more within them, also have annual reporting duties under subsection (4).
How fast must completeness be decided?
Within 28 days after receiving a project permit application, the local government must issue a written determination that the application is complete or incomplete. If it does not, the application is deemed procedurally complete on the 29th day (RCW 36.70B.070(1)(a), (4)(a)).
What are the decision deadlines?
| Permit type | Default time to final decision | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Does not require public notice | 65 days | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(d) |
| Requires public notice | 100 days | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(d) |
| Requires public notice and a public hearing | 170 days | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(d) |
| Consolidated review of more than one permit | Generally the longest applicable period | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(e) |
Days are calendar days counted from the determination of completeness. The count excludes time spent waiting for the applicant to provide information or pay a fee, time during an applicant’s written suspension of review, time awaiting another government’s action, time preparing an environmental impact statement, and time for appeals (RCW 36.70B.080(1)(g)).
What refunds apply if a decision is late?
A local government may collect 80% of the permit fee up front and the rest once the timelines are met. If a decision is late:
| Delay | Refund | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Late, but by no more than 20% of the original period | 10% of the permit fee | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(l) |
| Late by more than 20% of the original period | 20% of the permit fee | RCW 36.70B.080(1)(l) |
The refund rules do not apply to a jurisdiction that, when the application is deemed complete, has implemented at least three of the process options listed in RCW 36.70B.160(1)(a) through (j) (RCW 36.70B.080(1)(l)(ii)). The refund provisions took effect January 1, 2025. The section has been amended since, most recently by Laws of 2026, ch. 235; the deadlines and refunds above are from the current text.
How can a review tool help staff meet these deadlines?
A review tool does not make an agency compliant, and it does not decide anything. It can shorten the reading and drafting:
- Completeness within 28 days. CrossBeam Permits compares the package with the jurisdiction’s own list of what a complete application must contain and drafts the written determination for staff to review.
- Fewer review rounds spent on missing items. An applicant pre-check before submittal lets applicants fix missing or inconsistent items before the clock starts.
- Drafted plan review. It reads the full plan set against the state building code and the jurisdiction’s local amendments and drafts findings, each citing a code section and a sheet, for staff to accept, edit or reject.
- Backchecks. On resubmittal, it checks each prior item and reports which appear resolved.
Staff make every determination, and the jurisdiction remains responsible for meeting its deadlines.
Does CrossBeam Permits work in Washington?
Yes. Reviews already run on local code in the Greater Seattle area, and CrossBeam Permits can set up for any Washington city or county.
We work with agencies anywhere
CrossBeam Permits works with cities, counties and agencies anywhere in the country, under whatever timelines their state sets. See also California ADU 60-day timeline and California post-entitlement permits.
Sources
Facts and sources checked October 30, 2026.
- RCW 36.70B.080, “Development regulations: Requirements, report, time periods for local government actions” (accessed 2026-10-30)
- RCW 36.70B.070, “Project permit applications: Determination of completeness” (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Washington State Legislature, SB 5290 (2023-24), “Concerning consolidating local permit review processes,” chaptered as Laws of 2023, ch. 338 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- RCW 36.70B.160 (process options referenced by the refund exception) (cited as referenced in RCW 36.70B.080)
CrossBeam Permits is operated by Onboard Dot AI LLC, Huntington Beach, California. Not affiliated with Crossbeam, the partner-ecosystem software company at crossbeam.com.