Overview
The Approval Queue is where new permit applications and change requests are reviewed and decided. It's organized into tabs: All Items, Information Requested, New Permits, and, for programs with change requests enabled, a separate Change Requests tab. Applications can be filtered by permit type, cycle, permission, applicant name, plate, or request date.
What's on an application
Opening an application brings together everything needed to make a decision in one place, rather than requiring staff to leave the queue and look things up elsewhere:
Applicant and vehicle fields, editable directly, based on whatever fields are configured on the permit type.
A notes card, for adding internal notes to the permit record without leaving the page.
A document upload card, for adding new documents to the record directly, separate from documents the applicant already submitted.
An Account Details card, showing the applicant's name, customer ID, phone, and email, along with any other permits on that account submitted in the last two years, each listed with its permit ID, status, and permit type.
An address permit count, for programs using address-based permit limits. Hovering shows every active permit at that address, its permit type, status, start date, and a link to open it directly. More information in this Address Availability Documentation.
System check banners, for example unpaid citations, when a citation check is configured on the permit type.
Making a decision
Three outcomes are available on any application:
Approve. The system attempts to charge the card on file. A successful charge activates the permit (or moves it to a waitlist if one is in place). A failed charge moves the permit to an unpaid state.
Reject. The application is rejected, no charge is made, and the applicant is notified.
Needs More Information (NMI). The application moves to Information Requested, no charge is made, and the applicant is notified (see below).
Decisions are accompanied by free text notes to the applicant; there are no templated responses. If a rejection was made in error, it can be reversed from the permit's Actions menu, as long as the permit's end date hasn't passed and the reviewing staff member has permission to do so. Reversing a rejection returns the permit to Pending and back into the queue for a new decision, rather than requiring the applicant to reapply. The applicant is not emailed when this happens.
Payment flow on approval
A card is collected at the time of application, but not charged. When an application is approved, the system attempts the charge. A successful charge activates the permit and sends the applicant an approval email and receipt. A failed charge moves the permit to Unpaid and sends a payment failure email instead. Unpaid permits can auto-cancel after a configurable number of days.
Needs More Information (NMI)
The full NMI cycle happens inside the platform, so applicant and staff never need to leave Passport's experience to exchange documents.
The applicant submits an application with their required documentation, which lands in the queue as usual.
Staff select Needs More Information and write a message describing what's missing or unclear. The application moves to Information Requested.
The applicant is notified three separate ways: an automated email, a banner across the top of their portal, and an indicator on the specific application within their Under Review tab, so they can tell which application needs attention even if they have more than one in progress.
The applicant resubmits. From the application, they can view what they already submitted, see the specific note from city staff, upload additional documents, and resubmit. A confirmation message shows the update went through.
The application returns to review. The applicant's action-required banner clears, and the application shows a status indicator that new documents were submitted.
Staff see that update. A document icon next to the application in the approval queue, with hover text confirming new documentation was submitted, which flags it for re-review.
Staff make a decision. Approve, reject, or request more information again; there's no limit on how many times an application can cycle through NMI.
Programs can optionally turn on an auto-reject setting for NMI. This starts a clock the moment an application enters NMI status. If the applicant responds within the configured window, the clock stops. If the window lapses with no response, the application is automatically rejected. Every new NMI decision resets the clock to the full window again, so it doesn't carry over any time already used. A more thorough breakdown is explained in this NMI Documentation.
Change requests
For permit types with change requests enabled, applicants can request an edit to an already-active permit, for example updating a vehicle, rather than editing it directly. These requests appear in their own tab in the queue and go through review before taking effect.
A few things shape how this works in practice. The fee, if one is configured, is charged once per request, not per individual field changed, so a request touching multiple fields is still one charge. If payment on the request fails, it can't be retried, the applicant has to submit a new request from scratch. While a request is pending, the applicant can't submit further edits, and their permit record carries a pending notice so they know a decision is outstanding.
In the queue, staff review requests with the original value and the proposed change shown side by side, rather than having to look up what the permit currently says elsewhere. Rejecting a request requires a note explaining why, since there's no templated response here either. If a single request changes both fields that require approval and fields that don't, everything in that request stays held together until the fields requiring approval are resolved.
Summary
The Approval Queue is where every new application and change request gets its final decision, with everything needed to make that call, applicant details, documents, system checks, and account history, in one place. Most decisions are final, though a mistaken rejection can be reversed if you catch it in time. If you run into a scenario this doesn't cover, reach out to Passport Support.