Zoning Confirmation Letters
← Zoning and Land Use Additional Planning Services
Breadcrumb: Home > Permitting & Development > Zoning Confirmation Letters
Source: Zoning Confirmation Letters ↗ Last modified: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:07:10 GMT
How to apply (for Tier 2 and Tier 3)
- Complete the Zoning Confirmation Request Form ↗ unless otherwise noted in the descriptions below for specific types of requests.
- To submit your application and materials, follow the instructions on the Zoning and Land Use Additional Planning Services page ↗.
- Pay the application fee. Find current fees listed in the “Land Use Services Fee Schedule". ↗
Bank letters
A Tier 2 Zoning Confirmation Letter. Bank letters are used by financial institutions for due diligence purposes. They state the current zoning with a brief description and list the relevant land use history of the property.
Things to know about bank letters:
- For any number of adjacent properties in the same ownership, you can request a single bank letter.
- Properties separated by rights of way, even if they are in the same ownership, must have different bank letters.
- Properties under different ownership must have different bank letters.
Request a bank letter
Follow the instructions in Apply for a Tier 2 and Tier 3 Zoning Confirmation Letter.
Land use compatibility statements (LUCS)
A Tier 2 Zoning Confirmation Letter. A Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) is a portion of an application for a state-issued license.
LUCS verifies that the use or activity requested in the state license is allowed by local zoning and land use regulations.
Read more about land use compatibility statements ↗.
Request a land use compatibility statement
- Get and complete the appropriate state form(s) for your project from the state agency.
- Complete the Zoning Confirmation Request Form.
- Submit your application request and include the state form(s).
Follow the instructions in Apply for a Tier 2 and Tier 3 Zoning Confirmation Letter.
Archeological evaluation
A Tier 3 Zoning Confirmation Letter. The City of Portland includes some land along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that may have been home to Native Americans before European contact and settlement. Pre-contact archeological resources have historic, cultural, and scientific value to the general public and the associated Native American Tribes.
In areas with a high probability of these archeological resources, the Zoning Code requires analysis before ground-disturbing activities and development.
This analysis is completed through a Tier 3 application process before approval of a permit for development.
Apply for an archeological evaluation
- Contact the BDS archeological resource specialist in Land Use Services for application requirements. Please call 503-823-7300.
- In addition to the information required for the analysis, you will need to submit the Zoning Confirmation Request Form.
- Follow the instructions in Apply for a Tier 2 and Tier 3 Zoning Confirmation Letter.
Documenting a nonconforming situation using standard evidence
A Tier 3 Zoning Confirmation Letter. Sometimes zoning regulations change, and use or development is no longer allowed at a site. If the use or development was legally permitted or established before City Zoning, applicants can document the right to continue the use or development that is not allowed using standard evidence.
By documenting a nonconforming situation, the site owner is assured of whether the property has vested rights. More information: