Insurance and bond requirements for permits in the public right-of-way

Insurance and bond documents are processed by Portland Bureau of Transportation's (PBOT) Real Property Services Insurance & Bond Group, and must meet the requirements below prior to issuance of any permits.  Please see below for general requirements and sample additional insured endorsements.

Please allow 3-4 business days for processing once documents meeting requirements are received.

Insurance requirements for street and sidewalk use permits:

The City of Portland requires a certificate of liability insurance and an additional insured endorsement to be on file with the City prior to issuance of right-of-way permits. The certificate and endorsement must be submitted in a format acceptable to the City Attorney with the adequacy to be determined by the Director of the Bureau of Transportation or their designee. Please allow 3-4 business days for processing. Documents that contain missing or incorrect information will require a longer processing period.

A certificate of liability insurance: The insurance certificate is intended to protect the city from any liability it may incur as a result of granting the requested permit. Certificate shall contain the following:

• City of Portland as the Certificate Holder as follows:

     City of Portland
     Attn: PBOT Insurance & Bond       
     1120 SW 5th Ave – Suite 1331
     Portland OR 97204

• Minimum coverage requirements for liability insurance:
  • Per Occurrence coverage not less than $1,000,000 (one million dollars) per occurrence.
  • General Aggregate coverage not less than $2,000,000 (two million dollars).
• In the “DESCRIPTION OF OPERATIONS...” section of the certificate:
  • List the type of permit requested (Street/Lane/Sidewalk Closure (TSUP), Street Opening, Sewer Connection, Banner, Outdoor Dining, Community Event, Block Party, etc.).
  • Please do not list each permitted location/date if applying for more than one permit. Doing so means a new certificate would need to be provided for each permit.
• Notification of cancellation: The City of Portland requires 30 (thirty) days written notice from the insurance company prior to cancellation of the policy.

An additional insured endorsement form: The City of Portland accepts endorsements referring to permits and state or political subdivisions

• Acceptable endorsements: CG 20 12; “Additional Insured - State or Political Subdivisions – Permits” or BP 04 52; “Additional Insured - State or Political Subdivisions – Permits” or an equivalent endorsement.  We also accept CG 2026, BP 04 48 or equivalent.  See the endorsement list below for a more complete list of forms that historically have been accepted or rejected.    
• Policy number: If the form has a designated space for the policy number, the policy number must be listed OR a schedule of forms and endorsements must be provided.  If there is no space for the policy number on the endorsement, then the endorsement must be listed in the description section of the certificate OR a schedule of forms and endorsements must be provided.
• Schedules:  “The City of Portland and its officers, directors, employees, and agents” should be listed in any schedules provided.  Alternately, the schedule may read, “Any state or governmental agency or subdivision or political subdivision that issues permits or authorizations to the insured”.
• Please note: Endorsements limiting coverage to work the insured performs for the additional insured are not accepted because the insured is not performing work FOR the City.  They are requesting a permit FROM the City to utilize the public right-of-way.  Premise-based endorsements are also not accepted.  Permits are issued for the utilization of the public right-of-way, not for premises.

Street opening bond requirements for sewer, environmental assessment, and certain encroachment permits

Street opening bonds are required when the surface of the right-of-way or the ground beneath it will be disturbed.

Documents

Insurance documents (PDF Format)

Street opening bond documents (PDF Format)