Hermosa Beach residents and contractors no longer need to visit City Hall to file for certain permits.

The city launched its Online Permitting Portal on Wednesday, Aug. 26, allowing round-the-clock digital submissions, real-time status tracking, and secure online payments for three categories of permits. No appointment needed.

Available now are improvement permits covering curb and gutter, sidewalk, street, or driveway construction; utility permits for sewer caps, sewer lateral connections, and utility service connections; and street banner permits.

The city said more permit types will be added later in 2026 but did not specify a timeline.

How it works

Applicants can upload required documents, pay fees, and check permit status at any hour through the portal. The city has posted how-to videos at hermosabeach.gov to walk users through the submission process.

Before the portal, all three permit types required in-person visits to City Hall during business hours. The digital system accepts applications nights, weekends, and holidays.

Software contract preceded launch

In a separate action, the Hermosa Beach City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday, July 28, to approve an agreement with IK Consulting, LLC for ongoing technical assistance with the Accela Civic Platform, according to the city council meeting recap. Accela is a government permitting and licensing software system. The city's portal announcement did not name the technology powering the new system.

What's next

Permits not yet available online still require in-person processing at City Hall. The city has not announced a date for the next batch of permit types to go live or identified which permits will be added.