The Expediter license application (form L_013_F, printed as "Application for Expediters License") is the form the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) uses for a NEW expediters license. It collects the applicant and business details, insurance, tax, employment, criminal and legal history information, and a signed declaration. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form and the licensing process belong to L&I, which publishes it on its trade license materials page.
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What is L_013_F?
The Expediter license application, printed on the form as Application for Expediters License (L_013_F, Rev 7.2025), is the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) form that a person completes and submits to apply for a NEW expediters license.
L&I issues trade licenses to individuals, businesses and inspectors who do work in Philadelphia, and this application is one of the trade license applications on its materials page, alongside separate applications for contractors, engineers, home inspectors and other trades. The expediter application is a single page with three parts:
- Part A, Applicant / Business information: contact details for the applicant and any business or company, license and tax account numbers, and a list of Pennsylvania corporations in which the applicant holds an equity interest.
- Part B, Supplemental Information: the items you verify, such as insurance, City taxes, employment, criminal history, legal history and a photo.
- Part C, Limits and Conditions: the rules an expediter must follow, including not misleading clients and not misappropriating funds meant for the Department or the Review Boards.
The page ends with a declaration that the statements are true, signed and dated by the applicant. The form is for new licenses; it does not describe renewals.
Who needs to file L_013_F?
Individuals who want a NEW expediters license from the City of Philadelphia complete this application. The applicant signs it personally, and a business or company can be named in Part A when it differs from the applicant.
Conditions printed on the form that affect who can apply:
- You cannot be currently serving a period of expediter license suspension.
- If you were employed by the City of Philadelphia, including positions on boards or commissions, you must wait a year to apply if you left voluntarily, and five (5) years if you were involuntarily terminated.
- If you pled "no defense" to crimes related to fraud or deceit, or to violations of the Public Office and Employee Ethics Law, you must wait at least six (6) years to apply.
- If you are not self-employed, you need a statement of current or prospective employment signed by your employer.
The form is not the application for other trade licenses. L&I publishes separate applications for contractors, curb setters, engineers, home inspectors and other trades.
When to file L_013_F
Submit this application when you are ready to apply for a NEW expediters license; no filing deadline or season is printed on the form. Have the supporting items from Part B ready first, because they are submitted with the application: the certificate of insurance, the Pennsylvania State Police criminal history search, the photo and, when applicable, the employer statement and copies of civil judgments.
Timing rules on the form concern eligibility. A former City of Philadelphia employee must wait a year after leaving voluntarily or five (5) years after an involuntary termination, and an applicant who pled "no defense" to fraud, deceit or Public Office and Employee Ethics Law violations must wait at least six (6) years. Part C also says expediters must stay current on all City taxes and fines, and that failing to do so may result in denial of permits and/or license renewals.
Documents you need
- Active certificate of insurance showing the minimum insurance amounts printed in Part B; the City of Philadelphia must be named as the certificate holder on an ACCORD form.
- Statement of current or prospective employment on company letterhead, signed by the employer, if you are not self-employed.
- Criminal History Record Search by the Pennsylvania State Police, provided with the application.
- Copies of any civil judgments against you within the last ten years, if there are any.
- Photo identification, 2 in. x 2 in., in color.
How to fill out L_013_F
Confirm this is a new license
The form is headed "Complete and submit this application for a NEW Expediters License." Use it only for a new application.
Enter applicant contact details
In Part A, enter Applicant Name, Applicant Address, Applicant Email and Phone #.
Add business or company details
Enter Business/Company Name (if different from applicant), its address, email and Phone #. Leave these lines for the business only if they apply to you.
Enter license and tax numbers
Write your Commercial Activity License # and your Philadelphia Business Income and Tax #.
List Pennsylvania corporations
Name every Pennsylvania corporation, including limited liability corporations, in which you hold an equity interest, directly or through tiers such as parent-subsidiary. For each, give the Title and Home Address, including city, state and ZIP code.
Verify insurance and City charges
In Part B, check Yes for the active certificate of insurance with the minimum amounts, with the City of Philadelphia as certificate holder on an ACCORD form. Check Yes that all City taxes, charges and fees are current.
Address employment questions
If you are not self-employed, check Yes for the signed employer statement on company letterhead. Answer Yes or No to whether you were employed by the City of Philadelphia, including boards or commissions, and note the waiting periods.
Answer criminal and legal history
Check Yes for the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Record Search. Answer Yes or No on civil judgments or convictions in the prior ten (10) years, and attach copies of any civil judgments.
Confirm the photo identification
Check Yes that a 2 in. x 2 in. color photo identification is provided with the application.
Read Part C limits and conditions
Read the rules on suspension, honesty with clients, handling client funds, accurate application information, the Philadelphia Code and staying current on taxes and fines.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Sign and date the declaration under Applicant's Signature. Check every entry, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the attachments described under How to submit.
How to submit L_013_F
According to L&I's trade license materials page, you can submit this application online or take it to the Permit and License Center in the MSB Concourse. Do not mail applications.
- Online: L&I states that trade license applications can be made online. Start from the L&I page at https://www.phila.gov/documents/trade-license-materials/.
- In person: Take the completed, signed application with its attachments to the Permit and License Center in the MSB Concourse.
Whichever channel you use, include what Part B calls for: the active certificate of insurance, the Pennsylvania State Police criminal history search, the 2 in. x 2 in. color photo identification, the employer statement if you are not self-employed, and copies of any civil judgments from the last ten years. The form and the agency page name no other channels. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mailing the application to L&I; the agency page says not to mail applications and directs them online or to the Permit and License Center in the MSB Concourse.
- Submitting without the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Record Search that Part B says must accompany the application.
- Naming the wrong party on the insurance certificate; the City of Philadelphia must be the certificate holder on an ACCORD form.
- Leaving out the signed employer statement on company letterhead when you are not self-employed.
- Applying inside a waiting period: one year after voluntarily leaving City employment, five (5) years after involuntary termination, or at least six (6) years after a "no defense" plea to fraud, deceit or ethics-law crimes.
- Omitting copies of civil judgments from the last ten years when you answer Yes to the civil judgments or convictions question.
- Applying while City of Philadelphia taxes, charges or fees are not current, which Part B asks you to verify.
- Signing and dating nothing, or giving false or misleading information; the declaration warns of penalties prescribed by law or ordinance for knowing false statements.
- Applying while serving an expediter license suspension, which Part C does not allow.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Expediter license application in Philadelphia?
It is the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) form, L_013_F, used to apply for a NEW expediters license. It collects applicant, business, insurance, tax, employment, criminal and legal history details, plus a signed declaration.
Can I fill out the Philadelphia expediter license application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the City and does not file the application; you submit it to L&I online or in person through the channels L&I describes.
Where do I submit the expediters license application?
L&I says you can apply online or take your application to the Permit and License Center in the MSB Concourse. L&I states not to mail applications, so a mailed application is not an accepted channel.
What do I have to attach to the expediter license application?
Part B calls for an active certificate of insurance naming the City as certificate holder, a Pennsylvania State Police criminal history search, a 2 in. x 2 in. color photo and, if you are not self-employed, a signed employer statement. Attach copies of any civil judgments from the last ten years.
Can a former City of Philadelphia employee apply for an expediter license?
Yes, after a waiting period. The form says you must wait a year to apply if you left City employment voluntarily, and five (5) years if you were involuntarily terminated. Employment includes positions on boards or commissions.
How long must I wait to apply after a "no defense" plea?
At least six (6) years. The form says this applies if you pled "no defense" to crimes related to fraud or deceit, or to violations of the Public Office and Employee Ethics Law.
Is this form for renewing an expediter license?
No. The form is headed as an application for a NEW Expediters License. It does mention that failing to stay current on City taxes and fines may result in denial of permits and/or license renewals, but it gives no renewal procedure.
Is there a fee for the expediters license application?
The form prints no fee and does not say how one is paid. Check with L&I at the Permit and License Center or on its trade license materials page at phila.gov before you submit.
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