RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed an executive order that aims to improve the approval process for permits and licenses in Virginia.
On Friday, Oct. 18, Youngkin signed an executive order that directs state agencies on ways to improve their approval process for permits and licenses in Virginia.
According to Youngkin, Virginia agencies issue more than 400,000 permits, licenses, certifications, registrations and other forms of agency approval each year with over 600 different types of approvals. These are in addition to the almost 3 million traditional driver’s and gaming licenses issued annually.
The executive order states in fiscal year 2024, it took an average of 10 days to process completed approval applications, which resulted in Virginians waiting over 11,000 years for approvals collectively.
Youngkin said if wait times were reduced by 10% it would result in Virginians waiting 1,100 years less annually.
“Time spent waiting for an approval is time that could otherwise be spent building houses, teaching students, or undertaking hundreds of other productive activities,” Youngkin said in the executive order. “That freed-up time includes Virginians getting to work earlier with their professional licenses, development completed earlier for housing, and major projects achieved earlier to address critical infrastructure.”