On November 5, 2026, the City and County of Denver introduced the StartSmart: Application Intake Assistant, an AI-powered tool designed to provide instant completeness checks on permit applications. This tool aims to reduce the time required for projects to enter the review process and is available online for formal site development plans and building permits.
According to the city, the tool will help both customers and city staff by minimizing communication about incomplete applications and expediting the overall permitting process. More application types are expected to be added in 2027.
Press Release: City and County of Denver
Published November 5, 2026. Reproduced in full from the City and County of Denver.
Denver launches new tool to speed up permit intake process
DENVER, The City and County of Denver today launched the StartSmart: Application Intake Assistant. This new, AI-powered tool will provide permitting customers an instant completeness check on permit applications, with the potential to significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for a project to be ready to begin the review process. The tool is available online for customers submitting applications for formal site development plans and building permits, and it connects directly to the city’s online permitting portal E-permits. More application types are expected to be added in 2027.
This innovation supports not only customers, but also city staff in Community Planning and Development, who process applications and will be able to get them into plan review queues faster, rather than spend more of their time communicating with customers about incomplete applications. The StartSmart: Application Intake Assistant is one of a suite of tools developed by the Denver Permitting Office, in partnership with the multiple city agencies that support permitting and development in Denver.
"This new tool, developed in partnership with CivCheck, a vendor selected through a competitive RFP process, reflects Denver's commitment to turning innovation into real-world results," said Chief AI and Information Officer Suma Nallapati. "CivCheck first showcased its capabilities at Denver's inaugural DenAI Summit, the country's first city-led conference focused on utilizing AI technology to solve hard social problems. The collaboration demonstrates how emerging technologies can help improve public services by reducing processing times, providing faster feedback to customers, and supporting more efficient government operations."
“StartSmart allows our employees to work smarter, so they can work harder for Denverites,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “This tool will reduce wait times, improve customer service, and help people get answers in minutes instead of days.”
“This tool has the ability to flag missing information for our customers before they submit,” DPO Director Jill Jennings Golich said. “One of the best ways to ensure a smooth plan review process is to start on the right foot. This tool will provide time savings for our customers, and reduce the back and forth that happens in the intake process today.”
“Our staff work hard to get everyone through the intake process quickly, and the more information we can provide up front, the easier it is for everyone,” CPD Executive Director Brad Buchanan said. “This is a great example of how technology can support greater efficiency without compromising the processes that ensure every building in Denver is safe and up to code.”
How it works
When customers submit permitting applications through the tool, they are checked for completeness and correctness based on specific project requirements before they are processed to begin plan review. Previously, when an application was not ready or complete, city staff would communicate with customers and ask them to resubmit, a back-and-forth that could sometimes last days. The new intake assistant will provide customers with instant feedback, highlighting errors or missing information for customers to provide so that customers can be confident that when they submit, their applications will be processed and begin the plan review process sooner.
The tool will not replace intake or plan review approvals by city staff, who will continue to provide the final decision on whether an application is ready for plan review and whether a project is approved for permits. The intention is to provide more information more quickly at the start of a project so applications can be processed faster. Other “StartSmart” tools developed by the DPO include StartSmart: Restaurants and StartSmart: Residential Projects, which provide project-specific information about requirements when a customer enters in details about what they want to do.
