Waukegan, IL · Lake County
Variance Application
This six-page application requests a zoning variance and is filed by a property owner or applicant seeking relief from Waukegan’s development standards for a specific property.
- licensed online notary
- ~15 min average
- Notarized PDF emailed
What you’ll need
- Government-issued photo ID
- Webcam-enabled device (laptop or phone)
- This form, ready to upload as a PDF
What this form is
Use this application to describe the property, proposed use, requested variance, and the hardship and other findings supporting the request. Waukegan requires a mandatory pre-application meeting before preparing the application and a scheduled in-person submittal meeting; incomplete applications are not accepted. The packet also includes an owner authorization with a notary acknowledgment, and lists supporting documents, notice, and hearing requirements applicants must address.
Who needs it
A property owner or applicant seeking a variance from Waukegan’s Unified Development Ordinance must complete the application and explain the property hardship supporting the request.
Why it needs a notary
The owner authorization contains a notary acknowledgment; the applicant named in that authorization appears before the notary and acknowledges signing it voluntarily.
How to get this notarized
- 1
Download The Application
Download Waukegan’s six-page variance application and review its procedures and submittal checklist.
- 2
Complete The Application
Provide property and project details, the typed legal description, and responses explaining the requested variance and hardship.
- 3
Book An Online Notary
Arrange an online notary session for the owner authorization acknowledgment; leave its signature for the video session.
- 4
Sign On Video
Appear before the notary by video and acknowledge signing the owner authorization.
- 5
Schedule And Submit In Person
Schedule the required meetings, assemble every checklist item, and submit the complete application at the in-person submittal meeting.
Preview the form
The blank PDF straight from Waukegan. Look it over, then upload your filled copy to start the notary session.
You’ll need ID and a webcam.
A licensed online notary will join you on video, verify your government-issued ID, witness your signature, and apply their seal. You’ll receive the notarized PDF by email when the session ends.
Frequently asked questions
- Which part of the variance application needs notarization?
- The owner authorization page has a notary acknowledgment. It says the applicant named in the authorization must appear before the notary and acknowledge signing it voluntarily.
- Do I need to attend a meeting to submit this application?
- Yes. The form requires a scheduled, in-person submittal meeting and says applications are not accepted without one. It also requires a mandatory pre-application meeting before preparing the application.
- How do I get the owner authorization notarized online?
- Complete the authorization without signing it, book a session with a commissioned online notary, and sign during the video session. Illinois law authorizes electronic and remote notarization by Illinois notaries and recognizes notarial acts performed outside Illinois by an officer authorized where the act occurs; confirm with the city or village if unsure.
- What documents must accompany the application?
- The checklist calls for copies of the application, survey, elevations, landscape plan, zoning analysis, site plan, deed, lease, or title insurance policy, plus an electronic copy and the application fee.
Variance Application in other Illinois cities
Each city publishes its own version of this form. Pick the city where you’re filing.