North Slope Borough, Alaska Building Permit Guide

In the North Slope Borough, development permits come from the Borough’s Department of Planning & Community Services, whose Land Management Regulation Division administers the Title 19 land use and zoning code; call 907-852-0320. Since March 2026 every planning permit application must be filed electronically on the North Slope AK Portal. Since Ordinance 2026-02 took effect on September 1, 2026, a new home in a village is a development permit decided after public review, and any permit fee doubles if work has already begun. The Borough has no building code, but Point Hope, Anaktuvuk Pass and Wainwright each require a city building permit from the city clerk ($25 for a house).

What needs a North Slope Borough permit?

The Borough’s permit instructions for village homes list the work that needs a permit before it starts, and the Title 19 definitions exclude subsistence structures.

In Utqiaġvik’s Mixed Uses and Suburban Residential districts, single-family and two-family homes are approved by staff without public notice. The Borough’s Form 700 instructions (January 2015) describe a 20-day public review for village applications, with most permits issued in about 40 days, which fits the public review the 2026 code amendment requires.

Who handles permitting in the North Slope Borough?

The Village District covers the city limits of each incorporated village and the sites of unincorporated villages. Seven cities lie in the borough, and Point Lay has no city government. Areas outside the villages, such as Prudhoe Bay, are in the Resource Development, Conservation, Transportation Corridor or Scientific Research districts, where fees start at $3,000 in the first three:

North Slope Borough permit forms

• Form 700, Village District residential permit: homes and residential uses, gravel fill and foundation digging in Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay and Wainwright
• Form 800, Utqiaġvik district residential permit
• Form 200, commercial recreation (for example freight haulers, transporters and guides)
• Form 300, rezoning and master plan, with its supplement
• Form 400, study permit for field research
• Form 500, cultural resource (IHLC/TLUI) clearance
• Form 600, request for Traditional Land Use Inventory data
• Form 900, subdivision

The instructions posted with each form still show old fee amounts; the Borough says the January 2026 schedule replaces them. A pre-application meeting is mandatory for a development permit or conditional development in the Resource Development District, a master plan and a rezone.

North Slope Borough permit fees

Every fee doubles when the application is filed after the development or use has begun, and further penalties can apply. The fine schedule sets $1,000 for failing to obtain a permit, $1,000 per violation of permit conditions, and $1,000 per violation per day if it continues after notice. The Administrator may waive the fee for a local, state or federal government applicant that asks.

How to get a North Slope Borough permit

State Fire Marshal review and trade work

Neither the North Slope Borough nor Utqiaġvik is on the State Fire Marshal’s list of deferred jurisdictions, so commercial and public buildings, housing of four or more units and fuel tank installations anywhere on the North Slope go to the State Fire Marshal. Plans are submitted and paid for on the Fire Marshal’s Community Portal, and review usually takes two to four weeks after full payment. The Borough issues no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits.

Local rules on the North Slope

Cultural resources: industrial and commercial projects outside the villages must protect sites listed in the Borough’s Traditional Land Use Inventory. Form 500 requires a physical field survey or an accepted earlier survey, uses a default buffer of at least 500 feet around a site, and asks applicants to map caribou migration routes and avoid them during migration. Even gravel boreholes need a Form 500, through a shorter process.

City building codes: in Point Hope, Anaktuvuk Pass and Wainwright, the city codes require 10-foot setbacks from streets and 5 feet from lot lines and utility easements, 20 feet between buildings over 150 square feet, and two exits for buildings over one story. A commercial building, public building or rental of four or more units also needs proof of State Fire Marshal compliance with the city application.

Floodplain: Title 19 has had floodplain management rules since August 2023 (chapter 19.80), administered by a floodplain administrator the Mayor appoints, with permits handled through the same Title 19 procedures.

2026 code changes: the Borough Assembly amended Titles 18 and 19 with Ordinance 2026-02, effective on adoption, after the Utqiaġvik Zoning Commission recommended it in May 2026. The online code on Municode may not yet show the new wording.

Alaska building code

Alaska's state codes exempt homes of three units or fewer, so residential permits exist only where a city or borough has adopted a code. Contractor licensing applies statewide, and the Fire Marshal reviews larger buildings outside deferred jurisdictions. Alaska rules

Official North Slope Borough permit resources

• NSB Land Management Regulation Division
• NSB permit portal and application instructions
• North Slope AK Portal (online permit applications)
• NSB permit fees and penalty schedule (effective January 1, 2026)
• NSB Form 700 village residential permit instructions
• NSB Form 500 cultural resource clearance instructions
• NSB Planning & Community Services contacts
• NSB Utqiaġvik Zoning Commission
• NSB Planning Commission
• NSB Municipal Code Title 19, zoning
• NSB Ordinance 2026-02, amendments to Titles 18 and 19
• City of Utqiaġvik
• Alaska State Fire Marshal plan review and deferred jurisdictions

North Slope Borough permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit to build a house on the North Slope?

The Borough has no building code, so you need a Borough land use permit: Form 700 in the villages or Form 800 in Utqiaġvik. In Point Hope, Anaktuvuk Pass and Wainwright you also need a city building permit from the city clerk.

How much is a permit for a new house in a North Slope village?

The January 2026 schedule lists $20 for a single-family and $40 for a two-family dwelling, plus $20 for fill, as administrative approvals. Since September 1, 2026, village homes are development permits after public review, and a village development permit is $300 on the same schedule, so the fee that now applies is not settled. A city building permit in Point Hope, Anaktuvuk Pass or Wainwright adds $25.

How do I apply for a North Slope Borough permit?

Online only, on the North Slope AK Portal, since March 2026. Questions go to NSBPermitSubmittal@north-slope.org or 907-852-0320.

Do I need a permit for an ice cellar or drying rack?

No. Ice cellars, drying racks and hunting blinds used for subsistence need no Borough permit, and neither do repairs such as replacing a roof. In Point Hope, Anaktuvuk Pass and Wainwright, building work costing over $1,000 still needs a city building permit.

Does a village home need a cultural resource clearance?

No. Form 500 is for industrial and commercial development outside the villages; it is not required for a Utqiaġvik or Village District land use permit.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The permit fee is doubled for a late application, and the fine schedule sets $1,000 for failing to get a permit and $1,000 a day if a violation continues after notice.

Simplify North Slope Borough permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Alaska. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about North Slope Borough permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.