Mayor Lurie Unveils Latest Wave of Common-Sense Reforms Through PermitSF

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today unveiled the latest pieces of his PermitSF plan, his effort to drive the city’s economic recovery by making the city’s permitting process fast, predictable, and transparent. The latest reforms include the introduction of a new legislative package, introduced to the Board of Supervisors today as well as major customer service reforms now in effect at the Permit Center. The legislative package contains six ordinances with common-sense changes for those living, building housing, or operating a business in San Francisco—including allowing families to park in their own driveways and providing greater flexibility for the use of historic buildings.

The package of reforms to the Planning Code and Public Works Code and customer experience improvements add to the 10 ordinances enacted or introduced through PermitSF—which are already helping small businesses open and grow and driving San Francisco’s economic recovery. This summer, the city hosted nearly 500,000 people for a series of concerts in Golden Gate Park that was projected to generate $150 million in economic activity. Earlier this year, Mayor Lurie extended the First Year Free Program, helping businesses open and grow, and he signed legislation establishing five new entertainment zones across the city and launched another in the Castro, activating public spaces and revitalizing neighborhoods.

“Today, we are getting rid of the nonsense and focusing on common sense, with a new set of reforms that will make it easier for San Franciscans to live, grow, and invest in this city,” said Mayor Lurie. “The changes we’re making today will let residents park in their own driveways, help historic buildings survive, and improve people’s experiences at the Permit Center. We are building a city government that works for everyone, and when government works, San Francisco wins.”

“PermitSF has brought together a range of leaders and staff from all levels in San Francisco to work together and make vital change,” said Liz Watty, Director of Current Planning at San Francisco Planning and PermitSF Director. “We are continuing to push common-sense reforms that provide meaningful benefit to everyday San Franciscans as well as build a better foundation for a new wave of construction activity we hope to see in San Francisco.”

The legislative package introduced today includes ordinances that would:

• Allow San Franciscans to park in their own driveways: Eliminating the Planning Code requirement for a screen or fence will reduce conflict between neighbors and ease parking congestion, especially in residential neighborhoods and close 132 active complaints. It does not change the restriction from blocking the sidewalk. This legislation is cosponsored by District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen, District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar, and District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio. 
• Ease restrictions for how historic buildings can be used: This change will help keep San Francisco’s beloved historic buildings activated. Historic buildings often have unique architecture making them harder to fill with traditional tenants. Adding greater flexibility for these special buildings will ensure they won't fall into disrepair due to disinvestment.
• Make it easier to install public commemorative plaques, such as those found dotted on the sidewalks in the Castro, by reducing the number of approval hearings required. This legislation is cosponsored by Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman.
• Reduce permitting fees for development projects of $100 million or more and shifting application fee timing to provide greater predictability for applicants, helping projects move forward more efficiently, ensuring fees don’t stand in the way of major projects that deliver public infrastructure and investment to the city. This legislation is cosponsored by District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey.
• Make it easier to add accessory dwelling units by aligning local rules with state law and clarifying the zoning appeal process, affirming that the appeal period is 15 days. This legislation is cosponsored by District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood. 
• Remove a requirement that all excavation permits include a parking plan with San Francisco Public Works, saving applicants at least $700. This legislation is cosponsored by Supervisor Mahmood.

Mayor Lurie is also taking action to improve the permitting customer experience for homeowners, business owners, and others navigating the process. As part of that work, the city is: 

• Implementing a new process to apply for a permit to install rooftop solar panels and energy storage systems like home batteries. San Francisco has received more than 500 of these installation applications since the beginning of 2025, and the city anticipates a continued surge of permit applications in the coming months. The improved permitting process will ensure the city can meet this demand and support San Franciscans as they reduce their environmental footprints. 
• Issuing “over-the-counter” permits for small restaurants seating fewer than 50 people seeking to remodel their space, saving small business owners up to a month of processing time. Over-the-counter permits can be issued in person and in real time at the Permit Center, often in a single visit.
• Putting in place new protocols to escalate cases any time the city is asking an applicant for more than three revisions to their plans. Around 15% of permit applications needing detailed cross-departmental review are returned to applicants three or more times for revisions. This improvement will make these reviews more consistent, while saving time and money for permit applicants.
• Removing the requirement for a meeting with city staff as a prerequisite for submitting a permit application for larger development projects, speeding up the process for projects that will add much-needed housing.

In the 200 days since Mayor Lurie launched PermitSF, the city has already taken steps to make permitting faster, simpler, and more accessible, including:

• Launching a single webpage for permitting information—the first step to having one online hub for permit information and application submission.
• Expanding service hours at the Permit Center to better meet customer demand.
• Establishing transparent, standardized performance metrics for “in-house” permit issuance for complex projects.
• Passing legislation that cuts red tape for business and homeowners. Legislative changes feature improvements for storefronts, entertainment and nightlife businesses, pop-ups, and businesses located downtown, as well as for homeowners managing routine home repairs.
• Introducing legislation to reform the Building Code—eliminating an average of $24,000 and four months for geotechnical engineering studies and third-party evaluators under the Slope Protection Act and removing a requirement that residential driveways and sidewalks be built to exceed the state’s heavy truck standards for how much weight they can bear.

“This legislation would ease costly, time-consuming permit requirements that drain resources from cultural nonprofits like the Tenderloin Museum,” said Katie Conry, Tenderloin Museum Executive Director. “Streamlined permitting will allow us to focus on what matters most: preserving our neighborhood’s history and providing vital cultural programming for our community.”

“Expanding the types of uses that can be permitted in historic buildings throughout the city will allow greater activation of historic properties and a streamlined planning and entitlements process,” said Carolyn Kiernat, Principal at Page & Turnbull. “The proposed legislation will not only keep historic buildings occupied and in use, allowing them to remain an integral part of our city’s streetscape, it will also significantly reduce the time and cost required for the planning approval process. Keeping historic properties occupied and income-producing is a major first step toward their long-term activation, maintenance, and preservation.”