Standard Permits

INTRODUCTION
Submitting a complete permit application will allow our office to provide a more timely review.

When putting together your permit submittal, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the project manager for your County. Please remember that a decision will not be issued from this office until all necessary documents are received and reviewed. If you are unsure who to contact, you may call our general line at (312) 846-5530.

The Chicago District has transitioned to digital applications.  If it is necessary to provide a hard copy of the application materials, and/or any subsequent material, a digital copy must also be provided for the digital record.  In order to have the highest quality documents, we prefer that the original digital documents are converted to PDF as opposed to the documents being printed and then scanned.  Make sure to put ChicagoRequests@usace.army.mil as the recipient email.  For submittals greater than 10MB and less than 8GB, please use the DoD SAFE (Secure Access File Exchange).  Please contact us for an access code.

The below checklists have been broken down to anticipate the information needed for your particular project. Depending on the complexity of your project, we may ask for additional information or clarification on your project.

Letters of Permission

LETTERS OF PERMISSION AND INDIVIDUAL PERMITS
If you have a project that does not meet conditions within any of the Regional Permits, please contact our office to discuss this project with us. Your project may qualify for a Individual Permit or Letter of Permission. An Individual Permit is required for projects with potentially significant impacts. Individual permit applications are subject to a public interest review, as well as compliance with the Section 404 (b)(1) Guidelines. The requested application materials will be utilized by this office to determine the extent of impacts to the aquatic environment and the degree of wetland impact avoidance and minimization. You must submit all the information required for the Regional Permit, in addition to the following items:

  1. Alternatives analysis.

  2. Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the state.

  3. A detailed description of the project sufficient for Public Notice.

  4. Legible Engineering plans in PDF digital format.

  5. Mailing labels with adjoining property owners names, "OR CURRENT RESIDENT", and addresses must be included as part of your submittal. Labels must be prepared using all CAPITAL LETTERS. 

  6. Lists of authorizations required by other Federal, State and Local Agencies, including approvals received or denials already made.

If a decision is made to issue an individual permit, a fee may be requested before final validation.

SECTION 10 WATERS
Please click here for a list of Navigable Waters under Section 10 of the River and Harbors Act of 1899 found within the Chicago District.