Governor announces “money-back guarantee” for permitting, licensing, and certifications

As the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce continues to advocate for permitting reform, we are pleased to share this recent update:

Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro announced a new system launched by his administration that would offer increased accountability and transparency for the state's permitting, licensing, and certification processes.  In this new system, businesses, charities and schools receive a refund of application fees if they are not processed within an adequately speedy timeframe.  The initiative, called "PAyback", is a collaboration between the Office of Transformation and Opportunity, and the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA).

In a statement made during the launch, Governor Shapiro touted improvements made to processing timelines and the elimination of permitting, licensing, and certification backlogs.  To learn more about the online system, visit www.PAyback.pa.gov.  There, workers and businesses will be able to select a specific license, permit, or certificate, and determine eligibility for a refund.  Once an applicant has completed their refund request, the agency responsible for issuing the original license will review the request, and if approved, a payout will be made to the worker or business within 45 days.  At this time, approximately 70% of Commonwealth-issued permits, licenses, and certifications are eligible for a refund.