Opportunity Florida - Economic Development in Northwest Florida

PERMIT STREAMLINING INITIATIVES

Companies with extensive permitting and regulatory needs can benefit from streamlining procedures.

Streamlining is achieved through commitment among the state's regulatory agencies and local governments to provide quicker, less costly and more predictable permit approvals to significant economic development projects without reducing environmental standards.

Why?

Florida understands that businesses need certainty, predictability and efficiency in government regulations.

How?

The following are general methods of permit streamlining provided by the State of Florida:

Expedited Permit Review Process: Process that allows significant economic development projects to obtain expedited review of all needed state and regional permit applications and, at the option of a participating local government, local development permits or orders and comprehensive plan amendments.
Economic Development Liaisons: Florida provides for the appointment of Economic Development Liaisons in the departments of Transportation (including each District Office), Environmental Protection, Labor & Employment Security, Education, Community Affairs, Management Services, the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Revenue, and each Water Management District. Each department appointee has general knowledge of both the state's permitting and other regulatory functions and of the state's economic goals, policies and programs.
Quick Business Counties: Encourages local governments to expedite and streamline permitting, adopt permitting best management practices and integrate local permitting processes into the statewide One-Stop Permitting Internet System.
One-Stop Permitting Internet System: The System is to provide individuals and businesses with a central source of permit information and requirements, as well as who to contact for a specific location. The System includes permits required from DEP, DCA, DOT, each WMD, and QBCs. Additional state agencies as well as counties and municipalities will be added as the system implementation expands.