Frequently Searched

Academic Transparency

Civil Forfeiture

Critical Race Theory

Right to Try

School Choice
Goldwater Institute — Arizona

Build More.
Live Free.

In Arizona, we Permit Freedom. The Permit Freedom Act ends arbitrary delays, unclear rules, and government overreach — giving builders and property owners fair deadlines, clear criteria, and a real right to appeal.

Learn About the Law Report a Violation
37%
Faster permitting statewide
Common Sense Institute, 2025
3,800
More homes per year by 2035
Common Sense Institute, 2025
$6.4B
Projected economic impact
Common Sense Institute, 2025
34K
New jobs projected by 2035
Common Sense Institute, 2025

Building Arizona, Not Bureaucracy – Permitting Freedom Starts Here – Clear Rules, Real Accountability.

The Permit Freedom Act

What the Law Does

Enacted in Arizona in 2023 and developed by the Goldwater Institute, the Permit Freedom Act ended years of arbitrary, costly, and slow government permitting. Before the law, builders waited over 300 days for approvals — adding more than $100,000 to a home's cost. The Act guarantees three core protections:

1

Clear Criteria

All permit requirements must be stated clearly before an application is submitted. Government cannot change the rules midstream or apply vague standards to block lawful projects.

2

A Real Deadline

Permit applications must be decided within 60 days. If a city fails to act, the permit is automatically approved. No more endless backlogs or bureaucratic delays.

3

Right to Appeal

Courts apply independent judgment when reviewing agency decisions — not rubber-stamping bureaucrats. Property owners have a real chance to defend their rights in court.

New Research Report

Building Faster,
Building Smarter

A 2025 report by the Common Sense Institute found that Arizona's Permit Freedom Act dramatically accelerated permitting timelines statewide — with Mesa seeing 64% faster approvals and Chandler cutting delays by 49%. The data shows what good policy can do for Arizona's housing crisis.

Read the Full Report
200→126
Days to permit approval, statewide average
−64%
Permit delays reduced in Mesa, AZ
−49%
Permit delays reduced in Chandler, AZ
−5%
Projected new home price reduction by 2035
Expand Permit Freedom

Take It to
Your State

Arizona proved it works. Now it's time to bring Permit Freedom to every state. The Goldwater Institute has developed model legislation that any state lawmaker can introduce — the same three-part framework that cut Arizona's permitting timelines by 37% and put thousands of new homes within reach.

View Model Legislation Read the Permit Freedom Report

To partner with Goldwater in your state, contact info@goldwaterinstitute.org

"The Permit Freedom Act shows that clear rules and timely decisions don't just speed up housing — they drive affordability and growth, enabling builders and doers to get back to pursuing their dreams and driving progress. Goldwater's reform shouldn't be just an Arizona story. It can work everywhere."
— Goldwater Institute
Step 1

Download the Model Bill

Access Goldwater's ready-to-introduce Permit Freedom Act legislation, included in The Freedom Agenda: Goldwater's State Policy Handbook.

Step 2

Find Your State Lawmaker

Connect with your state representative or senator and share the model legislation. Arizona's success gives lawmakers a proven, data-backed case for reform.

Step 3

Partner with Goldwater

Goldwater provides model legislation, expert testimony, research tailored to your state, and litigation support. You don't have to fight this alone.

Get Involved

We're Here to Help

Encountered a permitting violation? Want to stay informed on Permit Freedom enforcement and updates? The Goldwater Institute wants to hear from you.

Report a Permitting Issue

Think your permit rights have been violated? Tell us.

"*" indicates required fields

Permit Freedom Updates

Stay informed on enforcement, legislation, and victories.

"*" indicates required fields

Wait! Don’t close this yet!

We are grateful for your support of the Goldwater Institute’s efforts to advance and defend liberty throughout the United States. For over 36 years, we’ve been defending the rights of Americans to live their lives free from government interference.

And Goldwater is unique in that we direct our efforts to the 50 states where we introduce and advance innovative ideas that expand freedom. And we fight in courtrooms and capitals nationwide to defend individual liberty.

In 2024 alone, we scored over 50 policy and litigation victories defending liberty!

And that’s just the beginning.

Our plans for 2025 include:

  • Stopping pernicious DEI and other woke programs in America’s universities.
  • Ensuring that patients suffering from rare and terminal diseases have access to cutting-edge, lifesaving medical treatments, without having to first seek permission from the government.
  • Defending parental rights across the United States so that parents can send their kids to the school that best fits their needs, free from leftist indoctrination.
  • Eliminating government interference in the fundamental right of individuals to own property and use it as they see fit.
  • And much, much more

We seek to restore the presumption of liberty; that people are free to act without first asking permission from the government.

But we cannot do this without you. Will you join us as we fight to preserve and advance liberty throughout the country? As we seek new and innovative ways to defend freedom in all 50 states?

And there’s great news: Thanks to a generous Goldwater supporter, your donation today will be doubled!

So please, join us in fighting to advance liberty and score real wins for freedom from coast to coast!

Donate Now