Permit Freedom Act

Prior to task force meetings, ALEC posts these legislative member-submitted draft model policies to our website. The draft model policies are then discussed, debated, and voted on by ALEC task force members. Policies that receive final approval by legislators on the ALEC Board of Directors become official ALEC model policy. Draft model policies that fail to become official ALEC model policy are removed from the website.

Policy Status

  • Type: Model Policy
  • Status: Draft
  • Date Introduced: July 22, 2026

Task Forces

  • American City County Exchange

    • Tags

  • 2026 Annual Meeting

    • Summary

    This model act mandates that any government license or permit required for constitutionally protected activities must utilize clear, unambiguous approval criteria and cannot be denied for reasons outside explicit legal boundaries. It establishes a strict 30-day decision deadline, creating a "deemed approved" mechanism that automatically grants the permit if the agency fails to act within the window, provided the application is complete. Lastly, the policy explicitly excludes any licenses or permits whose criteria are already governed by federal law.
    Draft

    Permit Freedom Act

    A. The criteria for approval for any license or permit required prior to a person engaging in any constitutionally protected activity shall be specified in clear and unambiguous language. No permit may be denied for reasons not specified by law.

    B. The entity responsible shall approve or deny an application for a license or permit within 30 days [OR INSERT ALTERNATE NUMBER OF DAYS]. In the event that a permit or license application is not approved or denied within that applicable time period, the application shall be deemed approved unless the application is incomplete and the applicant, after being notified of the deficiency, has failed to correct it.

    C. This provision shall not apply to licenses or permits the criteria for which are established by federal law.