General air permits

Overview

General permits offer a streamlined approach, and they're available for land development activities and certain oil and gas operations. Sources that can meet the criteria of emissions limitations and other operating conditions may qualify for a general permit. On the Air Pollutant Emission Notice (APEN), you may choose to apply for a general permit. When the general permit isn't applicable or doesn't meet the unique needs of a facility, we issue an individual permit through the traditional construction permit process.

​​The division does not accept blank Air Pollutant Emission Notices (APENs) and will charge additional fees for applications submitted without the necessary information. Applicants must use forms supplied by the CDPHE Air Pollution Control Division. For more information, see step-by-step instructions for reporting air emissions and applying for air permits.

Effective September 2022, the division updated its registration process for general permits GP01, GP02, GP05, GP06, GP07, GP08, GP09, GP10, and GP11 to align with other updates to the construction permitting process. Sources newly seeking coverage under a general permit need to submit a demonstration of compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) with the general permit registration. Consistent with the updates, the division created a permit application/registration checklist (Form APCD-100) for general permit registrations. For more information on the process, visit the air quality modeling guidance for permits web page.

Effective August 2023, sources with any quantifiable amount of new emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), or carbon monoxide (CO) must include a completed modeling determination (Form APCD-114) in a general permit registration, unless otherwise exempted under section 2.4 of the Permitting Section Addendum to the Modeling Guideline (February 15, 2024). Applicants must fill out APCD Form-114, submit it to the division’s Dispersion Modeling Unit (DMU), provide DMU's determination with the general permit registration, and obtain a completeness determination from the division. If an applicant does not receive notification of a completeness determination from the division within 60 days of the division's receipt of the registration, the registration will be deemed complete. See the "General Permit Registration Approval Process" terms within each general permit, which require a complete registration before commencing construction. Guidance is available in the Modeling Requirements Determination Form APCD-114 Instructions. More information on when APCD Form-114 is required is in the Colorado Minor NSR Source Modeling Guideline for Air Quality Permits, Appendix C (March 1, 2025).

More air permitting resources:

• Other emissions and permitting fees.
• Enhanced air monitoring and emissions control requirements.
• Environmental Justice Summary requirements.
• Permit application rejection criteria.

General permits, forms, and fees

In April 2025, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission approved fee increases for hourly permit processing time, APEN filing requirements, and annual emissions.

Effective July 1, 2025, the fees for APENs and permit processing are:

• Hourly Billing Rate: $180.00/hour.
• APEN Filing Fee: $363.00.

Effective January 1, 2026, the fees for annual emission rates are:

• Criteria Pollutants: $84/ton.
• Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs): $557/ton.

The division has adjusted general permit fees effective July 1, 2025 to reflect the updated hourly billing rate. The division will conduct an analysis on the time required to process each air permit by the end of 2025. The division may adjust general permit fees again after completing that analysis.

As of July 1, 2025 the general permit rates ares:

• General Permit GP01: Condensate Storage Tank Batteries.
  • Cost to file: $598.23.
• General Permit GP02: Natural Gas Fired Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines (RICE) (for natural gas fired RICE engines for oil and natural gas operators only).
  • Cost to file: $3,589.40.
• Form APCD-102: Facility Wide Inventory.
• General Permit GP03: Land Development.
  • Cost to file: $119.65.
• General Permit GP05: Produced Water Storage Tank Batteries.
  • Cost to file: $598.23.
• General Permit GP06: Diesel Engines (for diesel fired RICE engines only).
  • Cost to file: $2,153.64.
• General Permit GP07: Hydrocarbon Liquid Loadout (for oil and gas operations). Please see the guidance memo below for more information.
  • Memo 14-02: Hydrocarbon Liquid Loadout General Permit GP-07 Regulatory Definitions and Permitting Guidance.
  • Cost to file: $598.23.
• General Permit GP08: Oil and Gas Industry Storage Tanks (Condensate, Crude Oil and Produced water).
  • Cost to file: $598.23.
• General Permit GP09: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities (Attainment).
  • ​Cost to file: $3,462.76.
• General Permit GP10: Oil and Gas Well Production Facilities (Nonattainment).
  • ​Cost to file: $3,462.76.
• General Permit GP11: Oil and Gas Industry Routine or Predictable Gas Venting Emissions.
  • Cost to file: $1,143.53.