Completing an Application

Agencies configure the specific sections and fields for each type of permit or planning application form. Regardless of these specifics, the general interface for filling out an application form is consistent.

Applications for business licenses and contractor registration also follow this process. For more information, see Completing a License Application, Applying for a Business License Renewal, Applying for a Business License Amendment, and Renewing and Amending Contractor Registration.

This example illustrates an in-progress permit application form. The left pane shows text entry fields and the right pane shows the tabs that open the steps for each page of data collection. In this example, the right pane shows Step 2 of 8, and the left pane shows the Applicant Information page.

General Navigation Controls

The application form includes these buttons for general navigation:

• The Continue button moves the user through the steps, from one page to the next.

  You can also click the step name in the right pane to move to next or previous steps.

• The Cancel button closes the form in a pending status.

• The Save button lets users save their progress without submitting the application.

  You’ll see warnings when you save an incomplete application, but you can still save the application and complete it later.

• On the final step, a Submit button replaces the Continue button.

  Submitting an application initiates the workflow for the application. Registered public users can’t make changes to submitted applications.

Data Entry Pages

An anonymous public user who starts an application must sign in before the application form appears. Users who haven't previously registered must register before accessing, filling out, and submitting an application.

The application begins with data entry steps that the agency configures. There can be one or many data entry steps. Agencies configure the sections and fields for each data entry step. For more information, see Intake Form Designer Topics. See Using Predefined Field Groups for more information about the sections that might be used in an application form.

Data entry sections are generally self-explanatory, but the following information includes some notes about common page controls.

Note:

When conditions are applied by agency staff to a parcel, address, person, contractor license, or business license with the Prevent Application Progress option enabled, then the application may prevent you from submitting any new application that contains the object. Click the condition icon that is displayed next to the Application record ID field to see the list of conditions. Only agency staff can drill down to the Conditions details page for each condition by clicking the Source Reference link. They must resolve conditions before applicants can proceed with submittal.

Grids

Some intake forms contain one or more grids, which are page controls that enable you to collect and display data in a tabular fashion, using rows and columns. Although the buttons may vary slightly depending on whether you’re adding new data or selecting from available saved data, the basic controls work like this.

To add data to a grid:

1. Click the Add button, which sometimes shows only a + (plus sign) or includes text like Create New.

   A drawer opens where you can enter new data.

   You may have the option to add data by clicking a different button to select from saved or available data.

2. Select or enter all the required data for the grid.

   A grid can contain many fields (columns) to capture data of different types, such as dates, numbers, text, drop-down lists, checkboxes, and so on. The number and types of fields depends on the intake form designed by the agency.

   Note:

   Some fields are configured to be read-only and can't be updated.

   Click the Add button on the drawer to save the data to the grid.

3. Repeat the steps when adding multiple rows.

4. Click Continue to move to the next page in the application form.

Other controls on the grid may enable you to perform actions:

Page Element	Description
or	Click the icon button next to the column name to sort the column data in ascending or descending order.
Row actions	Available row actions may include Delete (garbage can icon) to remove the data in a row and Edit (pencil icon) to update data in a row.

Applicant

All applications include this section, which is used to identify the applicant. The applicant is also automatically added to the Contacts grid.

When a registered public user starts an application, this information is prepopulated, and certain identifying fields are read-only.

• From the Select an applicant drop-down list, agency staff can select an applicant.

• The Create New button enables agency staff to register a new applicant.

• Updates made to the address, phone, or email when applying can be saved to the user’s account profile.

Agency staff members who complete an application on behalf of a member of the public must identify the applicant by selecting an active profile for an existing registered user or by registering a new user.

When registering a new user, the staff member can continue with the application after entering and submitting the required registration information. A confirmation email is sent to the account email address so the user can complete the registration process by clicking the provided link and setting an account password. The registration is valid even if the agent abandons the application.

Registered users and agency staff with appropriate permissions can update the applicant’s address, phone, or email in subsequent applications and optionally save the changes to the user’s account profile. System administrators can also update account information.

See The Public User Registration Process.

Application

The Application section includes the application information like the record ID and a field where applicants can enter a description. Agency staff can provide the date the application was received while entering data into the form. The received date field isn’t available for applicants applying online.

The Received Date determines the effective-dated fee schedule that will be used when calculating fees for the application.

To define the start and end dates of a fee schedule, see Setting Up Fee Schedules.

Related Transactions

The Related Transaction section allows you to link your current application to other existing applications in the system. Click the Link Applications button to open the Link Transaction page. Select all the desired applications using the check boxes and then click the Add Selected As button to view the options of link type:

• Primary

• Subapplication

• Linked

Select one of the above options to establish a link between the current application and the selected transaction applications. If the current application is:

• Primary: You can select existing applications and link them as Subapplications.

• Subapplication: You can only select an application that is not a subapplication and link it as Primary. Once a permit is marked as a subapplication, the system disables the option to link the application as Primary.

Existing applications that are in terminal statuses such as Completed, Canceled, Withdrawn, or Denied aren't available for selection.

Note:

By default, the page shows only the applications that have the property address same as what you’ve entered in your current application. You can remove the filter to see all available transactions that are open for linking. Also note that the linking options available are based on your application type—Primary or Subapplication.

For more details, see Working with Related Transactions.

Uploading Attachments

The Attachments step in an application intake form provides a grid where you can upload files relevant to your application, such as documents or images. Depending on the agency setup for permit, planning, and business license applications, the Attachments section may display required document cards with the types of documents that are required for an application type and the stage in the application process at which they are required.

This example illustrates the Attachments step in an intake form for an application type with required documents. The document is required before the application can be submitted and in this case, has been uploaded and appears in the attachments grid.

Whether you upload files directly to the grid using the Add (+) button or by clicking the Upload button on a required document card, the process is basically the same. The main difference is that the document's category and subcategory are prepopulated when you upload through the required document card. If you add attachments before the application has been saved, the upload action prompts the application to be saved first.

Here's how to upload an attachment in an application intake form:

1. Attachments grid - Click the Add (+) button. Select the file in File Upload dialog box and click the Open button.

2. Required documents section - Click the Upload button on a required document card. Select the file in File Upload dialog box and click Open.

   The Category and Subcategory of the document are filled in for you to match the document requirements on the card.

   Once you've uploaded the required document, the button changes to Upload More.

3. In the New attachment drawer, enter a description and select the document properties, including Document Category and Document Subcategory.

4. Click Upload.

Depending on agency setup, you may be prevented from uploading protected PDF files.

The file appears in the attachments grid. Depending on your permissions for each uploaded file, you can view details, preview, download, or delete the attachment. After you submit the application, the files including required documents that you added appear in a list on the Attachments page in the application's detail pages.

For more information, see Setting Up Required Documents and Working with Attachments.

Terms and Conditions

If a data entry step includes the Terms and Conditions section, public users must agree to the terms before continuing past that step.

Agency staff can’t accept terms on behalf of a public user, so this section is hidden from agency staff. Instead, users are prompted to accept the terms when they first sign in.

For more information, see Managing Public User Accounts and Setting Up Terms of Use.

Contacts

The Contacts section lists people who are contacts for this specific application. These people can be, but aren’t required to be, the applicant’s profile contacts.

The list of contacts for the application displays the contact type, description, and level of application access.

The contact types and levels of access that a contact can have are different for business license applications and permit and planning applications. For more details about contact types and their access to a business license application, permit, or planning application, see Setting Up Contact Types.

Here's general information about contacts:

• Select an existing contact from a list, or enter information for a new contact on the Contact Details page.

• The applicant is automatically added as the primary contact in the Contacts section, but you can add or select a different primary contact. You can change the contact type, but you can't remove the applicant contact. You can also change the primary contact in the application details after submission if you are the applicant, primary contact, or business owner for business license application.

• The page where you enter or edit contact details includes explanatory text to ensure that you are aware of the type of access the selected contact type confers. Applicants and agency staff can elect to provide more access to the contact.

• All application contacts must have a contact type that describes the role of the person relative to the specific application. Different contact types have different levels of application access, as set up by your agency. When you add a contact to an application, you select a contact type, but you can upgrade the level of application access.

• When you add a new contact, select the Add this contact to the applicant's account check box to replicate them to the applicant’s list of profile contacts. Applicants and system administrators only have the option to update contact information and save updates on the user's profile.

• If configured by your agency, the system sends an email notification to contacts on the intake form upon application submission as well as to new contacts when they are added to the application after submission.

• The applicant can never be made inactive on an application whereas other contacts can.

• Contact information for the contractor entered in the Contractor section in the application appears in both the Contractor and Contacts sections.

Furthermore, permit and planning application contacts have different levels of application access than do license application contacts:

• When you add a new contact, you can see the level of access each contact type confers—Full or None. You must select an agency-defined contact type but you can give the contact full access, which is similar to applicant-level access.

  Applicants and contacts with full access can also make a contact inactive. Inactive contacts can't access the application. This change can be made in the permit and planning application details.

• If the contact type is configured to allow permit or planning application access, and the contact email matches the account email for a registered user, then that registered user can access the permit or planning application after it's been submitted.

Review

A Review step appears after the last data entry step for an application. The page for the Review step shows all of the data entry sections on a single, long page, where you can still make updates.

Click the Submit button after providing any missing information.

Click the Cancel button to exit the application without submitting it.

Stopping the Submission Process

Your agency can configure a Business Rules Framework event to automatically stop the submission process and display a message describing the reason for stopping the process.

Agencies configure stop process actions in the Business Rules Framework. You use the following events to configure the business rule for business license, permit, and planning applications:

• Before Business License Application Submitted

• Before Permit Application Submitted

• Before Planning and Zoning Application Submitted

Additionally, your agency can configure a Business Rules Framework event to automatically perform actions when the application is successfully submitted. You use the following events to configure the business rule for business license, permit, and planning applications:

• After Business License Application Submitted

• After Permit Application Submitted

• After Planning and Zoning Application Submitted

For details, see Setting Up Stop Process Actions and Setting Up Business Rules.