Addressing / Application - Updated Ordinance

Address Application

For new address assignments EPIC-GT, Grand Traverse County's permit portal at the Construction Code office, has consolidated all permitting applications into one place. It provides for a faster and smoother process and also allows for online payments. EPIC-GT - Electronic Permitting & Inspections Center

Note: When registering your account in Epic GT an address is required, so please use your current mailing address. The Construction Code office has a posted a handy help document on creating an account, here: Login Help

Overview

The health and safety of the residents of Grand Traverse County is a high priority for the County Board of Commissioners. Exact location is the most important factor in enabling all Emergency Services to properly respond to what you need in an emergency situation. This is especially important in being able to properly locate and identify homes and businesses for calls such as fire, heart attack, falls, injuries to children, and police responses in an emergency. We would be remiss in our responsibility of public safety if we failed to endorse and encourage the program of numbering houses and buildings as a valuable aid to the Emergency Services in our fast-growing community.

Therefore, County Ordinance Number 11 was adopted in 1975 to establish a county wide street and road numbering system, to provide a central point to issue a control numbering and to facilitate locating the address in times of need. The ordinance requires each home or business to be numbered and to have that number displayed on the building and mailbox/post. Furthermore the ordinance provides legal remedies which can include fines, penalties and other actions as may be necessary in the event of a failure of compliance. It was updated to the current form of County Ordinance Number 11 (PDF) for 2020

Fees

The updated County Ordinance Number 11 (PDF) requires the payment of an application fee when requesting the assignment of an address or multiple addresses, to be set by the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners. Resolution 182-2019 dated 12/4/2019 adopted the updated ordinance and established the following fee schedule, to take effect on Friday, 1/10/2020:

$25 - Single Address
$100 - 5-10 Addresses
$150 - 11-20 Addresses
$200 - 21-30 Addresses
$250 - 31-40 Addresses
$300 - 40+ Addresses

Mailboxes

Numbers on mailboxes shall be displayed in such manner as to be plainly visible from road traffic lanes in either direction of approach. The numbers shall be of a contrasting or reflectorized color to their background, and shall be not less than four (4) inches in height. Where the mailbox is located on a road or street other than on the road or street of the premises as numbered, the mailbox shall show both the number assigned, and the road or street name of the premises in contrasting or reflectorized color to their background, which shall be not less than one (1) inch in height. Grouping of mailboxes shall be permitted, but the grouping shall be in sequential order according to the assigned number.

Premises

Numbers in block or script displayed on building fronts shall be of a contrasting color to their background, and shall be not less than four (4) inches in height. .

Post

Where there is no mailbox on the premises, or the numbers on the road or street front of the premises cannot be read from the road or street, then any owner of the premises shall place a post of suitable strength, construction and a minimum of four (4) feet in height, measured from the ground up, adjacent to the driveway of the premises. Such numbers shall be of a contrasting or reflectorized color to their background, and shall not be less than four (4) inches in height.

Helpful Information

If you do not know what your proper road address is, you may contact the Grand Traverse Equalization/GIS Office at 231-922-4772.