Permits

Building Permit

Building permits are issued by the Louisville Metro Department of Inspections, Permits and Licenses, IPL, which can be reached by telephoning (502) 574-3321. A ‘Letter of Compliance” however is required from St. Matthews before a permit will be issued.

There is no charge for the “Letter of Compliance”.  To obtain from the City of St. Matthews a “Letter of Compliance” you must provide to the city engineer the following documents.

1) A completed ‘Application For Letter Of Compliance’ form, available at the city
administrative office, second floor of the St. Matthews City Hall, 3940 Grandview Ave, between Breckenridge and Browns lanes or use our online form.

2) The name and address of any contractor or subcontractors who will be working on the project. All contractors and subcontractors must have a current City of St. Matthews business license, before a “Letter of Compliance” can be issued.

3) Two copies of the site plan, which is a scaled drawing of the property showing any existing buildings (including parking spaces) and the newer proposed building.

Please note that interior remodeling projects do not require a site plan, nor are property owners, who are performing the work themselves, required to have a business license.

Golf Cart / ATV Permit

Golf carts and All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) will be allowed on public streets in accordance with Ordinance 20-06.

· All inspections must be performed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, proof of an approved inspection is required with the permit application.

· For required safety equipment, please click here.

· A permit application, along with approved inspection report, and current proof of insurance, must be submitted, along with a fee of $25, to the City of St. Matthews, 2nd floor, or by mail:

City of St. Matthews
Attn: Golf Cart/ATV Permit
3940 Grandview Avenue
St. Matthews, Ky. 40207

· Upon proof that the vehicle complies with requirement of KRS 189.286, is properly insured, and the City of St. Matthews application fee has been paid, the vehicle will be issued a permit sticker for display on the vehicle. All permits expire March 1 of each year, and must be renewed with the City of St. Matthews before expiration date. The fee for yearly renewals is $15.

Portable Storage Container Permit

No Portable Storage Container, (PSC), shall be allowed to be located on, or remain on, any non-industrially zoned real estate in the City of St. Matthews without first securing a permit from the city. A PSC not having a valid permit may be subject to increased permit fees, penalties and/or fines. The purpose of the ordinance to require Portable Storage Container Permits is to regulate and limit the time and place of location for all portable storage containers. To obtain a copy or view the ordinance in it’s entirety, visit the city administrative office or click here.

A Portable Storage Container or PSC, is defined as: Portable On Demand Storage devises, sometimes known as PODS; Vehicles or trailers whose primary purpose on the property is to store personal property; or temporary building or structure, not otherwise covered by the restrictions of the land development code.

Note that the fact that the PSC is without wheels is immaterial, so long as the container is designed for and is capable of being moved or relocated.

Permits can be obtained at the city administrative office, second floor, in the St. Matthews City Hall, 3940 Grandview Ave, between Breckenridge and Browns Lanes, during regular business hours, or use the online form to apply.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to see that the proper permit is acquired.

Permits will be issued for a maximum period of 14 days, beginning on the date that the permit is issued and/or the date that the PSC was placed upon the property, which ever is earlier. The cost of this 14 day permit is $10.00. No more than two permits, totaling 28 days, shall be issued for any one location, in the same calendar year. No permit will be required for periods of two days or less for PSC being returned to the property for the purpose of unloading.

Sign Permit

Signs are regulated by City of St. Matthews ordinance. To obtain a copy or view the ordinance in it’s entirety, visit the city administrative office, second floor, in the St. Matthews City Hall, 3940 Grandview Ave, between Breckenridge and Browns Lanes or click here.

An application for a sign permit along with the completed drawings or renderings are required.

• For a wall sign a drawing to scale of the facade of the building where the sign will be placed and a drawing to scale of the sign with the exact verbiage is required.
• For a freestanding sign a drawing to scale of the sign and its supports, indicating right of-way at front or street property line, along with the exact placement of the proposed sign from two permanent fixtures.

Once the application with appropriate drawings has been submitted to the city, the sign officer will visit the site to verify that the proposed sign complies with the City of St. Matthews ordinance. It is the responsibility of the applicant to comply with all laws of the Louisville Metro Planning Commission, Fiscal Court and any applicable state and federal building or electrical codes, laws, ordinances and restrictions.  After confirmation and approval, the sign officer will authorize the city clerk to issue the sign permit and collect the appropriate fee. All sign permits are required to be renewed yearly.

To speak to the City Sign Officer during regular business hours, please call (502) 899-2512.

Special Events Permit and Street Party Petition

The City of St. Matthews requires any individual or event planner to obtain a special event permit prior to closing any streets within the City limits. All permits must be submitted within 30 days prior to the event.  The City may take up to 14 calendar days to review prior to providing authorization. Event planners should plan accordingly in the event a permit is denied.  All block parties are required to have a petition signed by those residents within the affected area.

Three 5K routes are available for walking and/or running events and links to maps of the routes are provided below. All special event permit applications and street party petitions may be hand delivered to City Hall or sent electronically to Kenan.Stratman@stmatthewsky.gov.

The route options are listed below with the streets listed as well as a link to a map.  The start and stop location is always the same however the event organizer will determine the direction of the run.

Tent Permit

Any person or business who wishes to erect a temporary tent in the city must have a tent permit. Tents are defined as air structures and other temporary structures intended for occupancy by commercial activities including but not limited to sales, display, and food services.

To obtain a tent permit;

1. Complete a Tent Permit application
2. Submit a site plan showing buildings, parking areas, and notable areas on the site intended for the tent. A hand drawing is acceptable
3. A $25.00 check made payable to: City of St. Matthews
4. If the General Public will enter the tent, then a document showing that the tent construction materials are fire retardant. For rental tents, this document is available from the tent rental company.

A tent rental permit is available for a maximum total of ten (10) days within each calendar year. Each tent event requires a separate tent application, fee and permit.

For questions or concerns contact Mr. Jack Ruf in our city administration office at (502) 899-2512 during regular business hours.