Development Services

The Department of Development Services uses the Accela portal to accept all Licenses & Inspections (L&I) and Planning & Zoning (P&Z) applications. Please create an account to submit applications. After logging on, you should be able to "Select a Record Type" for the applicable application.

To view existing applications and check their status, please select "My Records". For additional information and documents about L&I and P&Z permits, please view the service pages below.  

Planning & Zoning Applications Portal

Building Applications Portal

Business Licenses & Rental Licensing Portal

Appeal a Blight Citation

An owner may appeal for relief of each citation issued pursuant to Hartford Municipal Code Section 9-94 to a citation hearing officer.

Application for Outdoor Dining and Parklets

The City of Hartford is eager to support its small businesses with a new uniform and standardized process for outdoor activities.

Apply for a Certificate of Apartment Occupancy

A Certificate of Apartment Occupancy (CAO) must be issued by the Director of Licenses and Inspections prior to an apartment or dwelling unit being occupied.

Apply for a Demolition Permit

Apply to demolish a building or structure within the City of Hartford. To ensure safety, all demolition projects and project managers must adhere to the division's regulations regarding demolition procedures.

Apply for Historic Review

Historic review and approval is required before a building permit or demolition permit will be issued. This applies to any historic property and any property located in an historic district.

Apply for Laundromat License

Apply to obtain a Laundromat License here.

Apply for Subdivision/Lot Adjustment

These applications involve changing the configuration (meets and bounds) of existing parcels.

Apply for Weights and Measures Permit

Apply for a Weights and Measures Permit here. All registrations expire June 30th and must be renewed annually.

Apply for a Home Improvement Loan

The Housing Preservation Loan Fund Program offers affordable loans to homeowners to make needed repairs and improvements to their properties located in the City of Hartford.

Apply for a Home Improvement Loan in the Promise Zone

The Sustainable Housing Solutions Program provides assistance to homeowners to make improvements to their 1-6 unit properties located in the City of Hartford’s federally designated Promise Zone.

Apply for a Liquor Permit

Apply for a Liquor Special Permit through the Planning Division here.

Apply for a Rental License

Apply for a Rental License for a building containing at least three (3) dwelling units here!

Apply for a Sign Permit

Apply for Planning & Zoning Signage review here.

Apply for a Wetlands Permit

An Inland Wetlands and Watercourses permit is required when work is to be done within a wetland or watercourse or within the upland review area, which is defined as an area within 100’ of a wetland, watercourse, or floodplain.

Apply to be Mobile Vendor

Apply to be a mobile vendor here!

Apply to be a Pedal Cab Operator

Apply to be a pedal cab operator here.

Apply to be a Temporary Merchandise Vendor

Apply to be a temporary merchandise vendor here.

Commercial Parking Lot Application

Apply to establish a commercial parking lot here!

Homeownership, Home Repair, and Rental Housing Inquiry Form

The Housing Division's work is crucial in reducing blight, stabilizing neighborhoods, and improving Hartford's tax base.

The Division ensures that Hartford continues to be a vibrant city by working diligently to build housing

File a Zoning Appeal

If you have received a denial, citation, or Notice of Violation and you would like to appeal click here.

File an Amendment

Map Amendments are a change to a parcel or parcels on the zoning map to a new zoning district.
Text Amendments are a change in the text of the Zoning Regulations.
POCD Amendments are a change to the text of the adopted POCD.

HOME Application

The Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) supports the City's goal of fostering homeownership opportunities and the rehabilitation and construction of multi-family rental properties.

Homebuyer Assistance

Find out how to apply for the HouseHartford Program. The program offers low and moderate income home buyers down payment assistance for the purchase of one- to four-family homes located in the City of Hartford.

Municipal Improvements (Zoning)

This section applies to improvements proposed either by the council or city agencies, or by qualifying private party action sanctioned or permitted or otherwise approved by the council or city agencies.

Obtain a Zoning Compliance Letter

Request a Zoning Verification Letter or Certificate of Nonconformance here. Zoning Verification Letters are issued for informational purposes to support a real estate transaction.

Apply for a Planning & Zoning Review

Use this request to submit a Planning & Zoning Review for a zoning permit, site plan review, and/or special permits.

Request a Zoning Variance

The zoning board of appeals may grant a variance to grant relief to a property owner from strict compliance with the provisions of the zoning regulations.

Starting a Business

Follow these steps to start a business in Hartford!

Tax Abatement Application

A tax abatement agreement is a contract between the City of Hartford and the owner of a rental property that fixes taxes on an annual basis at a rate less than the full tax amount. Tax abatement can be used with residential properties that is occupied solely by low or moderate-income persons or families. The housing may be newly created, or existing.

Check out the PlanetBids Vendor Portal below for other City Bid opportunities. You can also sign up for notifications if you register as a vendor in Planetbids. Please note, if you already have a vendor profile, log into your account by clicking on the PlanetBids Vendor Portal button, then select "Bid Opportunities".

PlanetBids Vendor Portal

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OTHER NOTICES

Hartford Public Library Website Redesign. Hartford Public Library (HPL) is excited to announce an open Request for Proposal (RFP) for a website redesign. HPL is seeking a creative, qualified freelance website designer, design firm, or agency to create a dynamic and user-friendly platform to enhance brand awareness, effectively showcase the Library’s services and resources, improve the user experience, and align with the Library's mission and new branding.

HPL’s priorities are to ensure ease of navigation and intuitive wayfinding, provide a wide variety of high-quality services, prioritize community engagement, expand both physical and virtual access to programs and services, and continue to focus on employee development and internal communication.

If you are interested in applying, please email your proposal and all requirements/deliverables in PDF format, with “RFP Website Project” in the subject line, by May 5, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. EST. to the following:

Communication & Marketing Team
Hartford Public Library
communications@hplct.org

HPL will host an open Q&A window for the Website Redesign RFP from April 10 to April 28, 2025. During this period, please email questions you may have regarding the RFP to communications@hplct.org. Questions will be answered and posted publicly at https://www.hplct.org/about/rfp for all applicants to review. This ensures transparency and equal access to information for all participants. 

RFP --> Hartford Public Library Seeks Website Redesign

Q&A --> Website RFP Q&A - updated 4.18

Brand Guide --> HPL Brand Guide

REGULAR MEETINGS

Find our Meeting agendas, minutes, and updates at CivicWeb. For specific commission pages, please see below:

• Planning and Zoning Commission: 
  https://hartford.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?type=27
• Historic Preservation Commission:
   https://hartford.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?type=59
• Zoning Board of Appeals: 
  https://hartford.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?type=70
• Complete Streets Taskforce: 
  https://hartford.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?type=73

Social Media

Follow us on the socials!

• Facebook: @DDS4HARTFORD
• Instagram: @SafeStreetsHartford and @DDS4HARTFORD
• X (Twitter): @DDS4Hartford
• TikTok: @DDS4Hartford
• Mailing List: Sign Up Form

ONGOING PUBLIC COMMENT

A fifteen (15) day public comment period will begin on Saturday, January 24, 2026 and end on Friday, February 7, 2026. The City of Hartford Department of Development Services (DDS) is looking for public comment on the Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact and/or Notice of Intent To Request Release of Funds regarding the HOME Project known as Hartford Trade School Redevelopment. 

The former trade school will be converted into mixed-income apartments. The design includes 48,224 residential gsf with 57 rental units including 6 studio units, 37 one-bedroom units, and 14 two-bedroom unit types. The project will convert the former school in a historically sensitive manner, utilizing state and federal historic resources to preserve many major features of the building, including the facades, circulation patterns, gymnasium flooring, and exposed concrete decking. The project will further replace all windows with historic replica windows to match the original windows from the school's construction.

Eleven (11) of the 57 residential units will be affordable housing units as identified by the HUD HOME program, and the rent and income limits will be restricted to those at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for 8 of the HOME assisted units and above 60% of the Area Median Income for 3 of the HOME assisted units.  The total cost for the project is estimated at $33,544,292.00, with $750,000.00 in HOME funds from the City of Hartford..

Access the Environmental Review Record (ERR) by clicking on the link below.

https://cpd.hud.gov/cpd-public/environmental-reviews