The following is an announcement from the City of Vancouver. For more information about Notarius, the AIBC’s authorized digital signature provider, please visit their website.
As part of the City of Vancouver’s efforts to improve customer service and reduce building and development permit wait times, the City is transitioning to electronic permit applications. With electronic permit applicants, plans can be submitted online 24/7 and City staff will review and issue approved plans electronically.
A number of permit types are already available electronically, including Development Permits. The City is now, over the course of this year, working on the electronic permit process for different types of projects requiring Building Permits.
In preparation to support electronic permit applications, some of your files will require a professional seal and digital signature from your Regulator’s endorsed signing authority (Notarius, for the AIBC). Please follow the instructions outlined by your Regulator’s endorsed signing authority. For example, if your Association uses Notarius, please follow their instructions to digitally stamp and sign a document. Note that an image of a signature or initials does not constitute a digital signature.
Note that electronic documents that have an electronic seal and digital signature cannot have the “Certify” checkbox selected in the Options section. The reason for this is because “Certify” will add restrictions to the document that prevent City staff from stamping and signing.
For more information on how to add a digital signature and information on submitting electronic permit applications, kindly refer to the Electronic Permit Applications page: https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/electronic-permit-applications.aspx
Going forward, if you’re planning to apply for a permit as a permit applicant, please visit https://www.vancouver.ca/permits/apply to set up an online permit account. An online account allows you to see the current status of your permit application, access records from past applications and inspections, upload electronic documents, book inspections, and pay fees online. Instructions on creating an online permit account can be found here: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/creating-an-online-account-guide.pdf.