Individual Permits and Letters of Permission

Individual Permits (or Standard Permits) are necessary for projects that do not qualify for Nationwide or General Permits, either because of their nature or the extent and/or location of their impacts. Unlike Nationwide and General Permits, Individuals Permits have not already been issued for authorization. In addition to having to evaluate and weigh the project’s benefits versus its environmental effects, it also means that when the application is received by the Corps, the proposed work must first be advertised in a Public Notice to give citizens and agencies the opportunity to comment. After evaluating all comments and information received, final decision on the application is made. The permit decision is generally based on the outcome of a public interest balancing process where the benefits of the project are balanced against the detriments.

If work is minor or routine with minimum impacts and objections are unlikely, then it may qualify for a Letter of Permission (LOP). An LOP can be issued more quickly than a standard permit since a public notice is not required.

The term "letter of permission" means a type of individual permit issued in accordance with the abbreviated procedures of 33 CFR 325.2(e).

The District Engineer will notify you if your proposed activity qualifies for an LOP.

The State of Kentucky has an LOP specifically for Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) projects. Information and conditions for this LOP can be found in the link below.

Illinois

Kentucky