diff --git a/std/permissions/mod.ts b/std/permissions/mod.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e114934267
--- /dev/null
+++ b/std/permissions/mod.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+// Copyright 2018-2020 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
+
+const { PermissionDenied } = Deno.errors;
+
+function getPermissionString(descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]): string {
+  return descriptors.length
+    ? `  ${descriptors
+        .map(pd => {
+          switch (pd.name) {
+            case "read":
+            case "write":
+              return pd.path
+                ? `--allow-${pd.name}=${pd.path}`
+                : `--allow-${pd.name}`;
+            case "net":
+              return pd.url
+                ? `--allow-${pd.name}=${pd.url}`
+                : `--allow-${pd.name}`;
+            default:
+              return `--allow-${pd.name}`;
+          }
+        })
+        .join("\n  ")}`
+    : "";
+}
+
+/** Attempts to grant a set of permissions, resolving with the descriptors of
+ * the permissions that are granted.
+ *
+ *      const perms = await grant({ name: "net" }, { name: "read" });
+ *      if (perms && perms.length === 2) {
+ *        // do something cool that connects to the net and reads files
+ *      } else {
+ *        // notify user of missing permissions
+ *      }
+ *
+ * If one of the permissions requires a prompt, the function will attempt to
+ * prompt for it.  The function resolves with all of the granted permissions. */
+export async function grant(
+  ...descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void | Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]>;
+/** Attempts to grant a set of permissions, resolving with the descriptors of
+ * the permissions that are granted.
+ *
+ *      const perms = await grant([{ name: "net" }, { name: "read" }]);
+ *      if (perms && perms.length === 2) {
+ *        // do something cool that connects to the net and reads files
+ *      } else {
+ *        // notify user of missing permissions
+ *      }
+ *
+ * If one of the permissions requires a prompt, the function will attempt to
+ * prompt for it.  The function resolves with all of the granted permissions. */
+export async function grant(
+  descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void | Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]>;
+export async function grant(
+  descriptor: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[] | Deno.PermissionDescriptor,
+  ...descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void | Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]> {
+  const result: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[] = [];
+  descriptors = Array.isArray(descriptor)
+    ? descriptor
+    : [descriptor, ...descriptors];
+  for (const descriptor of descriptors) {
+    let state = (await Deno.permissions.query(descriptor)).state;
+    if (state === "prompt") {
+      state = (await Deno.permissions.request(descriptor)).state;
+    }
+    if (state === "granted") {
+      result.push(descriptor);
+    }
+  }
+  return result.length ? result : undefined;
+}
+
+/** Attempts to grant a set of permissions or rejects.
+ *
+ *      await grantOrThrow({ name: "env" }, { name: "net" });
+ *
+ * If the permission can be prompted for, the function will attempt to prompt.
+ * If any of the permissions are denied, the function will reject for the first
+ * permission that is denied.  If all permissions are granted, the function
+ * will resolve. */
+export async function grantOrThrow(
+  ...descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void>;
+/** Attempts to grant a set of permissions or rejects.
+ *
+ *      await grantOrThrow([{ name: "env" }, { name: "net" }]);
+ *
+ * If the permission can be prompted for, the function will attempt to prompt.
+ * If any of the permissions are denied, the function will reject mentioning the
+ * the denied permissions.  If all permissions are granted, the function will
+ * resolve. */
+export async function grantOrThrow(
+  descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void>;
+export async function grantOrThrow(
+  descriptor: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[] | Deno.PermissionDescriptor,
+  ...descriptors: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[]
+): Promise<void> {
+  const denied: Deno.PermissionDescriptor[] = [];
+  descriptors = Array.isArray(descriptor)
+    ? descriptor
+    : [descriptor, ...descriptors];
+  for (const descriptor of descriptors) {
+    const { state } = await Deno.permissions.request(descriptor);
+    if (state !== "granted") {
+      denied.push(descriptor);
+    }
+  }
+  if (denied.length) {
+    throw new PermissionDenied(
+      `The following permissions have not been granted:\n${getPermissionString(
+        denied
+      )}`
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/std/permissions/test.ts b/std/permissions/test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2c96dfea1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/std/permissions/test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Copyright 2018-2020 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
+
+import { grant, grantOrThrow } from "./mod.ts";
+import { assert, assertEquals } from "../testing/asserts.ts";
+
+const { test } = Deno;
+
+test({
+  name: "grant basic",
+  async fn() {
+    assertEquals(await grant({ name: "net" }, { name: "env" }), [
+      { name: "net" },
+      { name: "env" }
+    ]);
+  }
+});
+
+test({
+  name: "grant array",
+  async fn() {
+    assertEquals(await grant([{ name: "net" }, { name: "env" }]), [
+      { name: "net" },
+      { name: "env" }
+    ]);
+  }
+});
+
+test({
+  name: "grant logic",
+  async fn() {
+    assert(await grant({ name: "net" }));
+  }
+});
+
+test({
+  name: "grantOrThrow basic",
+  async fn() {
+    await grantOrThrow({ name: "net" }, { name: "env" });
+  }
+});
+
+test({
+  name: "grantOrThrow array",
+  async fn() {
+    await grantOrThrow([{ name: "net" }, { name: "env" }]);
+  }
+});