As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, certainty, and customer service, the MPCA is improving the way we track and administer permits. These efforts are part of periodical reviews the agency performs on the environmental work we do to show progress on the agency's strategic plan goals and objectives. These improvements also align with the executive order that Governor Tim Walz issued on Feb. 13, 2026, which instructs the MPCA to develop more efficient and predictable permitting systems for businesses and residents in Minnesota.
MPCA permit tracker
The MPCA's permit tracker allows regulated parties and the public to view the status of permit applications currently under review and issued by the agency. This is part of our continuous improvement work on permitting programs. The tool includes data going back to July 1, 2019, covering the total number of applications received for each permitting program in the MPCA.
How to use the permit application tracker
Learn about the features and data available in MPCA's permit application tracker in this short, two-minute tutorial.
Legislative report
Each year, the MPCA issues a report to the Legislature that tracks efforts to improve permitting efficiency. Our last report, issued in November 2025, shows the agency meets permit timeliness goals 99% of the time for priority permits. Still, there are ways the agency continues to improve our permitting process including new online tools that allow electronic submission of permitting data and additional resources that help permit applicants with necessary calculations their applications.
Recent legislative updates
A number of updates were made to the MPCA’s permitting process during the 2025 legislative session. These changes include:
Permit application deficiencies
The MPCA will now advise a permit applicant of any application deficiencies within 30 business days of receiving a permit application. Permit applicants then have five business days to remedy deficiencies before the MPCA determines an application is complete or incomplete.
Expedited permits
Under Minnesota statute, permit applicants may request an expedited permit if they agree to associated costs and a timeline from the MPCA. If existing staff are unavailable to expedite the permitting request, the MPCA may contract for permitting services. The MPCA may deny an expedited permitting request if both MPCA staff and contracting services are unavailable.
Coordinated project plans
A coordinated project plan (CPP) is a plan and schedule to ensure environmental review and associated required state agency actions are completed efficiently by coordinating and establishing deadlines for all necessary state agency actions. A CPP includes a list of all state agencies known to have environmental review, permitting, or other regulatory authority over the eligible project, a schedule for formal public meetings, and a comprehensive schedule of deadlines.
Other resources
- Minnesota Business First Stop helps businesses find the right information and resources to meet their development goals. Need information on licensing, permitting, and regulatory matters? Check the Minnesota Business First Stop.
- Water permit basics: Minnesota’s permitted businesses play an important role
- What's in My Neighborhood provides information about properties in your community that have applied for or have received environmental permits from the MPCA.